Contents

Dedications

Acknowledgments

Abstract

Chapter one:

Introduction ………………………………………………………………….. 5

Chapter two:

Literature review …………………………………………………………….. 8

Chapter three:

Research Methodology ……………………………………………………… 13

Chapter four:

Discussion …………………………………………………………………… 15

Chapter five:

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….. 18

References: ………………………………………………………………….. 19

1
 Dedications

To all the victims of Partition

2
 Acknowledgments

I owe a great debt of gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Abdul Hameed Panhwar, I wish to thank for
the amiable way he has treated me during the course of this dissertation. I also wish to convey
my thanks to my colleagues at the University of Sindh Jamshoro, who supported me a lot in
many ways.

3
 Abstract

The partition of India transformed for millions, the very thought of home. People who had
certainly not been out of their cut off villages for generations were all of sudden strained to
choose a country and this in addition changed for them the idea of nation. Possibly for many,
nationhood became a conscious truth only because of the partition, when companions became
rivals because they were of the other religion and compelled them to escape to a land for away.
Under such state of affairs personal identity became a transferable place in itself. People who left
their home and migrated to new land to help the progression of identity formation underwent an
identity change themselves. This study aims to explore a similar identity crisis depicted by Amar
Jaleel in his short story, “A Train to Karachi.”

4
 Chapter one

Introduction

This chapter introduces the research topic, “Post-partition identity crisis depicted in the short
story, “A Train to Karachi” by Amar Jaleel. This chapter also sets context and rationale of the
study and tells what follows in the next chapters.

Background of partition:

“After several years of being under British colony, India finally received independence in 1947.
India’s independence was followed by Pakistan’s partition. During the colonization, India and
Pakistan were merged into one state ruled by the British crown. India served as an market
economy for British colonizers for many years. During these years, India consisted of hundreds
of different ethnicities and religions, the major religion being Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. All
these different groups collaborated in order to decolonize India from the British. (Abdul, 2015,
p.3).

India’s partition was followed by huge exodus. During the forceful migration, behemoth
violence, massacre, killing and rapes were committed by Hindus, Muslim, and Sikhs. “18 million
Sikhs, Muslim and Hindus crossed the newly created border of which approximately 1 to 2
million people lost their lives. More than 90,000 women were abducted and raped by men of
opposing faith.” (Bashir, 2012, p.1).

The event of partition left its victims emotionally shattered; the very idea of nationhood became
incompatible for the people who had to migrate against their will. Many found themselves on the
wrong side of the border. What came to light as consequence is the loss of personal identity; the
“identity crisis” for the victims migrated forcefully. The term ‘identity crisis’ coined by
psychologist Erik Erikson.

5
Identity Crisis:

The term identity crisis coined by renowned psychologist Erik Erikson, who considers the
formation of consciousness in an individual is due to the psychosocial development. “It is such a
state of mind when the individual comes across a psychological and psychosocial crisis and his
unity of identity is not achieved, then the person is to be in identity crisis”(Mukharjee, 2013,
p.3).

Background of the writer:

Amar Jaleel, born in 1936 in Sindh of undivided India, is a highly respected and eminent Sindhi
writer, columnist, short-story writer and novelist. Amar was a popular columnist with the English
daily “Dawn” until recently. He is a most revered storyteller of Sindh and has written many short
stories as well as bestseller Naith Goongay Ghalayo (Thus Spoke the Dumb). Amar Jaleel’s
writing displays a rare ability to communicate the angry, irony and compassion of a sensitive
writer, moved by the miseries, disappointments and aspirations of his fellow being.

As a political analyst, he has concentrated on one theme: why partition of India was wrong?
Amar was 11 years old when India was partitioned, at the time he was studying in Rattan Talao
Primary School, Karachi which was set on fire by the newcomers. Jaleel shows his firm
patriotism for united India in his writings.

This study aims at exploring the theme of post-partitioned identity crisis depicted in the short-
story, “A Train to Karachi” by Amar Jaleel. It is the first story of his newly published English
book, “Love Longing and Death”, the volume consists of many short stories each delineates the
holocaust of partition. This chapter has introduced the research topic along with the background
of the writer. The second chapter of the study deals with the review of related literature, the
deficiency in previous found literature and the significance of this inquiry. The third chapter
introduces research methodology, philosophical worldview/paradigm and research approach. The

6
forth chapter deals with critical discussion of the selected story and the final chapter is of
conclusion.

7
 Chapter Two

Literature review

This chapter deals with the review of previous literature, related to the topic. The chapter
provides background of the partition, its different aspects and the deficiency in found material.
The chapter also provides the significance of the present inquiry.

Background of the partition: its massacre: and its consequence as

psychological trauma, “identity crisis”.

‘The partition and ensuing process of forced migration was a turning point in the history of
Pakistan and India. When the British left the subcontinent by dividing it in two parts, many found
themselves on the wrong side of the border. Hindus, Muslim and Sikhs had to abandoned their
homes and move towards their new belongings. Muslims had to migrate to Pakistan and Hindus
and Sikhs to India. Amid uncertainties and conflicting struggles to end the British rule, the
bloodiest episode of recent history was written. 18 million Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims crossed
the newly border of which approximately 1 to 2 million people lost their lives. More than 90,000
women were abducted and raped by men of opposing faiths” (Bashir, 2012, p.1). Victimization
of women, unprecedented violence, religious riots, became common amid the exodus of
partition.

History has always provided material for fiction, the event of partition is still remembered as the
greatest migration in human history. Many writers from both sides of the borders have
contributed their work portraying the historical events of partition. Khushwant Singh’s “Train to
Pakistan”, Bapsi Sidwa’s, “the ice-candy man”, Salman Rushdies’s, “mid night’s children”,
Amit Ghoshav’s, “the shadow lines” are most famous works dealing with the themes of
partition. Amar Jaleel is widely read writer of Sindhi language, his recent published book “Love,
Longing and death” also depicts the holocaust of partition, and the book is consisted of many
short stories depicting the pre and post conditions of the subcontinent.

8
The upheaval caused by the partition threw women into a situation where her dignity and
integrity faced several challenges. Victimization of women was practiced harshly and blatantly at
that time. Nittali (2013) examined that the impact of partition was the highest especially on the
women who unfortunately became refugees within their own state which was previously united.
The women had to pay the cost of independence by their chastity, lives of their beloved
husbands, their own life as well as life of their beloved children. Women were the most common
target of attack especially at that time. Forced marriages, rape and abduction of women on a
large scale were common ways of attacks upon the minorities. And many of abducted women, at
the official recovery meant by second a second uprootment. Cause “they were reluctant to go
their homes, they knew that their family and society were not accepting them heartily” (Nittali,
2013, p.4).

The riots in the subcontinent at the time of partition were restricted to Hindus, Muslims and
Sikhs. There was political manipulation to ensue these riots. The clamoring violence, brute
killings, were ignited among these three different religious factions which had no far reaching
terror that may risk the lives of the people living in every nook and corner of the subcontinent.

Mcmenamin (2006) examined that the riots at the time of partition were confined to Hindus,
Muslims and Sikhs because they were motivated by the fear of each other, cycles of revenge,
material gain, and family honor. None of the communities other than these fell a pray to the
violence. The researcher conducted interviews from the relatives of Anglo-Indian families who
witnessed the event of partition. The interviewees recognized that the target of violence were
specific, and as Christians and outsiders of these communities were not caught in the cycle of
revenge, although at the time violence around them caused serious fear. While based on the
research, “the fact Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs could turn to British and their Anglo-Indian
supporters to protect and help them escape from violence, demonstrates a level of trust between
Indians and the supporters of the former imperialist rulers” (Mcmenamin, 2006, p.26). For this
thing offers the clarity that there had been a political interference for committing such blatant
violence through which the interests of those political minority were likely to be prompted in
Pakistan and India after partition.

The main cause of violence committed in partition was “identity politics”. The politicians from
both sides Hindus and Muslims were manipulating identity politics in the subcontinent. “India

9
and Pakistan share several same traditions and custom. However, the religious division between
the two nationalities has caused many issues both during and after the colonization.” (Abdul,
2015, p.12, 13). In words of Babar Ayaz (2013), “Although the Muslims were a small minority in
India, they ruled the subcontinent for almost 650 years, and it never occurred to them that they
were a separate nation. However, after 1857, it came to democracy, where numbers matter, the
fear of being ruled by a Hindu majority suddenly started haunting the Muslim elite. And after
centuries of convenient amnesia they realized that they were a separate nation”.

Akmal Abdulmuminov (2015) also examined that Pakistan’s partition was actually search for
National identity. One of the major religious groups lived in India at the time of partition was the
Muslim papulation. All Muslims wanted to create their own state apart from India: Pakistan, and
wanted to set up National language as well. For these purposes Muslim elite professed religious
and linguistic imperialism and marginalized other communities which were not Muslim. And
those cunning politicians used religion as a source on the base of Two Nation Theory. “The
challenge for Pakistan was creating and perpetrating their national identity. Islam was the main
basis in Pakistan’s national identity” (Abdul, 2015, p.3).

Pakistan, an Islamic state, was formed primarily under Islamic ideology. The literal meaning of
‘Pakistan’ translates into ‘Pure Land’. India and Pakistan shared several same traditions and
customs. However, the religious division between the two nationalities has caused many issues
both during and after the colonization. As the game was settled by some cunning people,
“throughout, positioning Islam as a source of identity has caused many problems to the country.
Political leaders used the religion as a tool to gain political power” (Abdul, 2015, p.15, 16). The
same Islamization that has been the biggest step in defining Pakistan’s identity has also caused
Pakistan both social and political issues. The independence movement of Bangladesh was
primarily because leaders of Pakistan focused only on Pakistani people. “Today’s Pakistan is an
Islamic country and political tension still remains as a main issue with India” (Abdul, 2015,
p.16).

It was during the riots that man’s rationalities took complete holiday and his savagery comes out
with full vigour and force. The trauma of partition left its victims fragmented. The horrifying

10
movements of those events remained in the minds of victims even after the independence. The
repercussion of partition had left the existence of its victims terribly fragmented to the extent to
the loss of the identity. It was as if belonging to where haunted as a divided question. They had
to leave families and beloved to the other side of the border. Those individuals remained
suffering the loss of identity.

The term identity crisis coined by renowned psychologist Erik Erikson, who considers the
formation of consciousness in an individual is due to the psychosocial development. “It is such a
state of mind when the individual comes across a psychological and psychosocial crisis and his
unity of identity is not achieved, then the person is to be in identity crisis”(Mukharjee, 2013,
p.3).

Baumeister (1985) examined the identity crisis is of two types. First is ‘motivation crisis’ or
‘identity deficit’ and the other is ‘legitimation crisis’ or ‘identity conflict’. The motivation crisis
or identity deficit refers to the problems caused by an inadequately defined self. It is
characterized by a lack of commitment to goals and values; the person lacks a basis for making
consistent choice and decision. An identity crisis arises when the person struggles to make
commitment, “the individual experience a lack of guiding commitment but struggles to establish
personal goals” (Baumeister, 1985, p.1). The legitimation crisis or identity conflict refers to the
problem of the multiply defined self whose definition has become incompatible. It is
characterized by severe difficulty in reconciling the demands that follow from diverse
commitments. The situation makes it impossible to act consistently with all person’s values and
goals, “the person feels it is impossible to act without betraying oneself and one’s loyalty to
other persons, to an ideology, or to an institution” (Baumeister, 1985, p.9).

The letter form of the identity crisis ‘identity conflict’ is used as basic theme of diasporic or exile
literature. Mukharjee (2013) examined the theme of identity crisis in Indian literature. The
researcher dealt with diasporic consciousness, loss of identity, and sense of alienation as felt by
the immigrant people. Who have to leave their home either of economic purposes or whether
they are migrated forcefully. However, in both cases the individuals suffer the loss of identity
and sense of alienation, “the individuals experience the identity crisis when they come across
their identity is not secure in the family, work place, society, culture, country, etc.” (Mukharjee,
2013, p.3).

11
The partition of the subcontinent brought about religious atrocity, victimization of women,
behemoth violence, indiscriminate murders and rapes. The event thrilled the spectators;
humanity and morality were flatly forgotten on the basis of religion, race, and ethnic diversity.
Though, the very idea of separation was pre-planned yet the so-called cunning politicians were
not wholly aware of the consequences of what was to follow, and the innocent common people
cost their lives, honor, families, and homes for the independence. Indeed, even, after the making
of two separate homelands India and Pakistan the issue of identity still remained, the people who
were migrated forcefully had not completely gained their newly made identities which were
previously united as ‘Indians’. Many researchers have conducted research on partition from
different perspectives, such as violence, women victimization, religious intolerance, but the issue
of loss of personal identity has remained untouched by researcher mainly dealing with partition.
Through the review of related literature the researcher has found a single research dealing with
identity crisis, which has conducted by Nafisa Zargar from university of Jammu on famous story
of Sadat Hassan Manto, “Toba Tek Singh”. On this ground much research is needed, the present
study deals with the theme of post-partition identity crisis and sense of alienation experienced by
the protagonist of the story, “A Train to Karachi” by Amar Jaleel.

12
 Chapter three

Research Methodology
This chapter introduces research methodology, philosophical worldview/paradigm, research
approach/method and procedure.

Research Methodology:
Research methodology refers to systematic of solving research problem(s) to arrive at
conclusions. It is a science which explains how particular research study is conducted
systematically and scientifically. It also mentions all procedures and techniques which
researcher uses in his/her study for describing and explaining the research problem to arrive at
conclusions. (Research methodology: An introduction n.d, p. 6)

Qualitative approach:
Qualitative research is an approach for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals
and groups ascribe to a social or human problem. The process of research involves emerging
questions and procedures, data typically collected in the participants setting, data analysis
inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the researcher making
interpretations of the meaning of the data. Those who engage themselves in this form of inquiry
support a way of looking at research that honors an inductive style, a focus on individual
meaning, and the importance of rendering the complexity of a situation. (Creswell, 2014, p.32)

This study is qualitative in which the researcher aims at exploring the theme of post-partition
identity crisis and sense of alienation experienced by the protagonist of the story, “A Train to
Karachi” by Amar Jaleel. Manifold research work has been conducted on the issue of partition,
this study deals with partition from the perspective of identity crisis, the loss of personal identity
experienced by the victims of partition after the independence of India, people who had migrated
against of their will suffered the identity crisis. The study deals with the similar issue as depicted
in the story.

Philosophical worldview: Transformative

“The transformative worldview arose during 1980s and 1990s. It holds that research inquiry
needs to be intertwined with politics and a political agenda to confront social oppression at
whatever levels it occurs….. Specific issues need to be addressed such as empowerment,
13
inequality, oppression, domination, suppression, and alienation. The researcher often begins one
of these issues as the focal point of the study…. It includes groups of researchers that are critical
theorists; Marxists; Feminist; racial and ethnic minorities; persons with disabilities; and queer
communities. Historically, the transformative writers have drawn from the works of Marx,
Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas, and Freire (Neuman, 2009), Fay (1987), Heron and Reason
(1997), Kemmis and Wilkinson (1998), Kemmis and McTaggart (2000), and Martens (2009,
2010) are additional writers to read for this perspective.” (Creswell, 2014, p.38)

The researcher has conducted the study under ‘transformative worldview’. The partition of India
transformed for many the very idea of separate homeland. The event of partition was pre-planned
by cunning politicians but they were not wholly aware of its consequences. the partition was
based on identity politics as it has mentioned in the study, the violence was restricted to only
Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, none of the other communities were harmed. For independence only
common rank and file costed their lives, the political minority, Anglo-Indian families were saved
from being crushed under violence. People, who were migrated forcefully fell victim to
psychological trauma after independence. This study deals with the issue of marginalized
community, the victim of suffer the loss of personal identity as it is delineated in the short-story.

Procedure:
The researcher has conducted textual analysis of the story in order to explore the theme of post-
partition identity crisis experienced by the protagonist under transformative model. The
researcher has allowed inductive style, going from particular to general themes.

14
 Chapter four

Discussion

Analysis of the story: “A Train to Karachi”

A Train to Karachi, first story of the volume, poignantly chronicles the immigrant experience of
the protagonist, Ram Chandar, a seventy years ageing man. Ram Chandar is migrated forcefully
during the exodus of partition at his seventeen. Through the feelings and longings of Ram
Chandar, the story delineates almost all the aspects of identity crisis and sense of alienation after
partition. Ram Chandar flatly denies the newly made identity, “Indian” separately apart from his
previously accepted one, as British or united Indian.

In the opening scene of the story, Ram Chandar on his way from India to Karachi: Pakistan fifty-
eight years after the independence. Those fifty-eight agonizing years he has spent almost in exile.
While he is asked by the immigrant officer following the customs and immigrant formalities that
if he is going to Pakistan for the first time, Ram Chandar says, “I was born in India” (Jaleel,
2014, p.15).

Though seemingly, he can’t accept Pakistan separate from India. During the journey he flows
into the stream of consciousness following the past memories. He reminds an event, when he
promises his eternal beloved, Ritu Fatima that he would come back after settling his parents in
India. But it took him for fifty-eight years to return to Pakistan. In the memory Ram Chandar is
stopped at a godforsaken place and asked for the passport to enter the Pakistan, he seems patriot
and devotee of United India so he refuses to show any, because he doesn’t have. The armed
personal retort curtly, “you can’t enter Pakistan without an Indian passport” he says, “India was
partitioned in 1947; I was not. I can’t be partitioned. I am one in my body and soul.” (Jaleel,
2014, p.16). Ram Chandar shows firm determination in believing himself ‘Indian’, united.
Neither Indian nor Pakistani, separately, he is left emotionally shattered says the narrator, “How
can they enact laws that forbid a person from going back to his home? It was beyond his
comprehension. Chandu returned to Baroda, a broken man. He was often heard saying, ‘I have
been betrayed by history” (Jaleel, 2014, p.16). The partition, to him seems a nightmarish reality,
never easy to accept heartily.

The prevailing political situation seems like a dilemma to Ram Chandar as he fails to understand
what is being settled or achieved in the name of a separate home; Chandu keeps on chanting
himself as a freeman though he is no longer free in fact. It seems almost impossible for him to
make sense of the situation as if his individual and historical identity has been lost somewhere
and he feels himself absolutely helpless to overcome the situation in one way or other. Due to his

15
constant refusal of this nightmarish reality he falls prey to the psychological trauma and is kept
under the custody of doctors, says the narrator, “his constant refusal to accept the harsh realities
and the changing world around him rendered him forlorn. His helplessness in talking the
idiosyncratic political phenomenon made him melancholic. Deep despair put him into the hands
of doctors” (Jaleel, 2014, p.17). For fifty-eight years in India he has remained out of wedlock,
“all through his otherwise illustrious career it never occurred to him to get married and settle
down in life. He was wedded to his loneliness adorned by the memories of Ritu” (Jaleel, 2014,
p.18).

After his arrival at Karachi railway station, he is crowded by many taxi drivers but he refuses to
go with any, “please leave me alone. I will go by tram”…. Never heard of trams in this city!
‘Have you come to Karachi for the first time? A nostalgic smile appeared on Chandu’s lips. He
proudly said, ‘I am native of this city” (Jaleel, 2014, p.19). Ram Chandar is extremely surprised
by the present outlook of the city, it was not the same place where he has left from, fifty-eight
years ago. The city seems totally strange to him, he is then suddenly overcome by the growing
sense of alienation. Though, he keeps on appeasing himself that he has now arrived in his
homeland but the scenario before his eyes in every direction differs from his expectations.
Chandu’s estrangement increases to the extent when he comes to know that names of the
buildings, areas are not same he is familiar with, even the vehicles has been replaced. The police
inspector persuades Ram Chandar, “we have eliminated trams from Karachi…… sir, where
would you like to go? Edulji Dinshaw Building on Barnes Street. I was born there in 1930. With
a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face, Chandu said, ‘At that time, Ritu and I would go to
patel park, and sit there for timelessness.’ He said, ‘Sir we don’t have patel park. We call it
Nishtar park.” (Jaleel, 2014, p.20).

It seems really astounding to Ram Chandar that city where he was born looking as if he is thrown
in to foreign land where nobody has introduced him, “From a fast moving taxi, Chandu saw with
awe, Karachi’s transformed appearance. The city, where he had spent seventeen youthful years
of his life, looked alien to him.” “He wondered: was it the same vicinity where he had spent his
seventeen youthful years? He turned to the taxi driver and asked, have you brought me to the
right place? Exactly, sir, said the taxi driver.” (Jaleel, 2014, p. 20 ,21).

Ram Chandar seems totally against of the idea of separate homeland based on Two Nation
Theory. His eternal love with a Muslim girl, symbolizes the firm kinship between Hindus-
Muslims throughout the history of the subcontinent before India’s partition. He, therefore, denies
the situation before him even after fifty-eight years because it seems through his feelings and
experiences that Hindus and Muslim shared many traditions Hindus visited shrines of Muslim
saints and lived together for almost 650 years, then what came all of sudden that Muslims called
for a separate country on the basis of religion. Ram Chandar experiences Karachi now as a
peaceful city but still it owes the same identity, on whose basis the violent battle of partition was

16
fought, the Muslim identity. The narrator says, “After fifty-eight years Chandu’s Karachi was an
ever-sprawling chaotic city of fourteen million people, overwhelmingly belong to the same
religion, Islam, who fought and killed each other with utmost impunity. A freakish feeling
overwhelmed Chandu. He thought, my Karachi has exposed the fragility of the Two Nation
theory.” (Jaleel, 2014, p.21, 22).

Ram Chandar, after roaming a little finally arrives at his destination, he meets Ritu who is now
married and has a boy whom she calls Chandu. Ram Chandar after meeting to his beloved Ritu
Fatima intentionally leaves for India. After meeting her Ram Chandar seems in hurry to go back,
as if she is his only acquaintance in the country, infect, she is. Ritu Fatima, his eternal love his
only destination in Pakistan, while leaving for India he becomes tired, the sense of alienation and
his pain for beloved make him almost dead, Ram Chandar lacking vitality drowns all by himself,
and even not accepted as the native of the country, it is obvious in the concluding sentences of
the story, narrator says, “Chandu was seen lying motionless on the footpath for two days.
Thereafter, in the dead of night he vanished. It was rumoured in the neighbourhood that he was
an Indian spy and was taken away.” (Jaleel, 2014, p.31).

17
 Chapter five

Conclusion

The story clearly deals with the theme of post-partition identity crisis. The protagonist of the
story shows firm patriotism for the united India from the beginning to the end of the story.
Partition to him seems only a nightmare he is confronted with psychological crisis while
accepting the harsh reality, partition. The undivided India serves as a mother figure for him, as
he says, “How can they partition my mother?” he waits for fifty-eight negating partition as a
reality. After his arrival in Karachi Ram Chandar is overcome by growing sense of alienation as
if he is in foreign country while being in his own home (which has now separated) he then
experiences the loss of identity. His personal identity has been lost as an Indian (united) now
Pakistan is Muslim country. Ram Chandar is kept away as an Indian spy while being native of
the city; he is not accepted by his own people, for whom he has waited for many years after
partition.

18
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