Train to Pakistan: Book Review
Title of the Book
Author
Khushwant Singh
Version
English
Pages
114
Ratings
4.5
Book Review
An Overview
‘Train to Pakistan’ is a historical fiction written by Khushwant Singh, a multitalented author, that takes you back to the mournful period of Indian history. Every Indian is aware of the massacres that happened during the partition of India to a certain degree. But only a few of us are thoroughly conscious of the barbarous slaughter and political movements at that time. Khushwant Singh — an eyewitness of the separation of India and Pakistan vividly depicted the events of the incident, forming clear images in the reader’s mind.
Summary:
There is a village called Mano Manjra located on the banks of the Sutlej River in Punjab, where people of different communities live together harmoniously, like brothers and sisters, without any discrimination. The majority of the inhabitants are Sikhs, and they have Muslim tenants. There are only three buildings in the village that belong to Lala Ram Lal, who is a Hindu moneylender. These buildings are surrounded by a Mosque and a Sikh temple, which has a Peepal tree in the middle, where people gossip and discuss controversial topics. One day, Lala Ram Lal is murdered and looted by dacoits who are known to Juggut Singh, a dacoit. After the murder, many refugees started arriving at the only railway station in the village. The sub-inspector and magistrate decide to arrest Juggut Singh and a new refugee, Iqbal, who is also a social worker, for the moneylender’s death. The story takes a good turn after the arrival of Iqbal in Mano Majra.
Why should you read it?
I think every Indian should read the book, not just to have a peak into the history but because it is an eye-opener. The immoral practices that we follow blindly in the name of religion and class are displayed very nicely through the characters. The idea and emotions were strengthened by the horrifying images of the ‘Pond massacre’ and ‘The Ghost Train’. Not just in history even today we kill, torture and destroy many houses in the name of religion. Besides that, the difference in the treatment of a foreign-educated babu and a local Indian citizen is presented well through Juggut Singh and Iqbal, how the basis of identifying an educated individual is language and not knowledge. The novel also discloses the malicious prosecution of innocent people by police officers and the way they bend the law in the name of power. One could also sense the power of education after reading the book. An educated person like Iqbal knew the difference between right and wrong but uneducated villagers only relied on false leaders. The romantic angle between different religions makes it more thrilling to read.
Other factors:
Languages: Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, etc.
Availability: Online and Offline
Writing tone: local, funny and exciting.
Writing Style: Descriptive
Genre: History Fiction
Pages: 114 (as per English version, can differ)
