‘Embedded in the heart of Punjab, they had felt secure, inviolate. And to uproot themselves from the soil of their ancestors had seemed to them to tearing themselves, like ancient trees from the earth.’ (209)
Bapsi Sidhwa is a Pakistani American novelist. She has been acclaimed as Pakistan’s finest contemporary novelist. In her book, ‘Cracking India’, she mainly focuses on the partition of India, and traces the events through the eyes of her four year old self. It is a double voiced narration, in which Lenny, the narrator, is looking back on herself as a child. The book is set in the 1940s, in Lahore. It vividly explores the socio-political scenario post the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. The story has multiple plots, and complex characters. Each character has their own story and contributes in their own way to the main plot.
The book explores the themes of religious intolerance and clash between different religions, especially in a diverse country like India, the unjust displacement and the struggle for survival, an intense need to belong to their own communities and use that as an excuse to exterminate those belonging to other communities, child abuse, exploitation of women, a confusion about one’s own identity, infatuation, love and sacrifice, betrayal, and incest. It traces the journeys of Lenny, her parents, aunt, godmother and cousin, her ayah, her cook Imam Din, Colonel Bharucha and the ice candy man, and treats them as primary characters.
Lenny is introduced as a four year old girl, inflicted with polio at the beginning of the story, who is eight by the end. She is very close to her nanny Shanta, whom she calls Ayah. She has a little brother Adi, who is eighteen months younger than her. Her godmother is a woman of importance and, as observed by Lenny, has an effective espionage system. Lenny is brought up in such an environment where she interacts with people of all religions and communities. Her ayah, is Hindu, her neighbours, the Singhs, Shankars, and Rogers and are Sikhs, Hindus and Christians respectively, the ice candy man and Imam Din are Muslims, and her sweeper Moti, Muccho and their daughter Papoo are untouchables. This provides various perspectives of those belonging to different communities and their take on the partition.
Part 2 of the article shall discuss the themes in greater detail.
REFERENCES:
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.
Do follow me on Facebook, Twitter Youtube and Instagram.
The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.
If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at adv.aishwaryasandeep@gmail.com
We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.
We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge