“Consciousness of the bad is an essential prerequisite to the promotion of the good. It is no use trying to build a second storey on a house whose walls are rotten. It is best to demolish it. It is both cowardly and foolhardy to kowtow to social standards when one believes neither in the society nor in its standards. Their courage is your cowardice, their cowardice your courage. It is all a matter of nomenclature. One could say it needs courage to be a coward. A conundrum, but a quotable one. Make a note of it.”
The above excerpt from 'Train to Pakistan' deeply provides us with a reflection on the socio-psychological conditions of the people during the India-Pakistan communal clashes of 1947. The Partition of India was absolutely based on religious differences, which, in turn, created a rift of arch-enmity and clashes, making it one of the darkest chapters in Indian history.
Being remote and ignored, the flames of communal riots didn’t catch up to the peaceful border village of Mano Majra. Until one day, the inevitable was bound to happen, and that’s what is presented in detail by the author, Khushwant Singh. He blatantly portrayed the scenes during those tough times with his exceptional writing style, doing unapologetic commentary about them. The characters in this novel are meticulously crafted to leave an impression of the varied ideologies propagated by different sets of people, perfectly matching those of the that time.
The story, of course, is set in a fictional backdrop with no intention of spreading hatred towards Pakistan; instead, it plainly shows the real horrors faced by the people due to Partition. And Khushwant Singh didn’t leave a stone unturned in showing the utter disgust and vile happenings without a filter. With characters shouldering high stakes, he successfully weaved together an engaging story. In this turmoil, both sides have lost a lot, but, in the end, humanity triumphs.
We have been taught about history with censored details, majorly focused on dates and facts. But, if you feel you need to encounter the happenings of that time first-hand, like they happened in front of your eyes, then 'Train to Pakistan' would be my first pick, without a doubt.
Jai Hind.
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