Narratives of Displacement and Resettlement in Partition Literature: A Comparative Study of 'Train to Pakistan' by Khushwant Singh and 'Cracking India' by Bapsi Sidhwa"

Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to present a comparative analysis of the narratives of displacement and resettlement in Partition implemented in the literature. The object of the study is two novels, Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh and Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa. These two documentaries take place during the partition of British India in 1947 and depict significant violence, genocide, and damage caused by Partition from a unique perspective. Consequently, the human tragedy and carnage of Partition can be understood through these canonical works. The aim is to ascertain what exactly seems to be behind the phenomenon, from literature’s perspective. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh was published in 1956 and is set in the make-belief village of Mano Majra in Punjab province. The novel’s plot takes place against the rising intercommunity riots between local Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims. Singh’s novel captures the extreme human cost of Partition and the complexities of community associations during that period. Cracking India, published by Bapsi Sidhwa in 1991, is set in Lahore, Punjab just like the Punjab of Lenny; it is narrated from the viewpoint of a Dubai Parsi girl Lenny. Sidhwa’s plot explores Lenny’s far-from-ordinary boyhood episodes as well as their aftermath during the Partition from early adolescence. This research paper, based on the comparative analysis of these two works, will attempt to outline the similarities and differences. For the present case study, the choicest citations and plot lines describing Trauma, Identity, Memory, and Common Humanity following Partition will be used.