*It is a clssic modern Indian fiction and my Journalism Sir asked me to read it.
I must say it is a powerful book with real-life stories experienced by Khushwant Singh’s family and friends.
I hardly took time to read the book as it is written in a simple language.
The partition photographs by Margaret Bourke-White are heart-rending.
The book talks of two eras-Before Partition and Post Partition.
Different aspects of the partition have been shown such as corruption, importance of religion, position of women, education, caste and class differences, prostituition, diseases and other hindrances which still haunt India.
The book tells the story of a fictional village-Mano Majra which has no idea of the partition and is untouched by the country’s partition into Hindustan and Pakistan and how the violence disrupts and fills hatred in the minds of the villagers.
The murder of Lala Ram Lal shows the violence and inhumanity, the policemen and magistrate stand for corruption and hamper truth, the social worker’s arrest shows that the police can go to any lengths to create havoc and the dacoits who believe in killing and looting.
The villagers think its better to have the British as it provides them with security.
The book also talks of people’s views against Gandhi’s policies.
The government has boards put up which state -Honest is the best Policy and Bribery is a crime which is such a contrast to what happens till date.
The revenge of the communities on each other give rise to inhumanity and bloodshed.
The partition has had a large impact on the two contries which it suffers till date.
The two countries experience both internal and external conflict which keeps coming back and forth. Both the countries must resort to peaceful methods of governance and promote brotherhood.