Indian Urdu writer Rajinder Singh Bedi—he was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, but later migrated to India during the Partition in 1947 when British India became India and Pakistan—has narrated the extent of the physical damage and psychological trauma caused by the tragedy in his short story Lajwanti.
Talking about the people who survived the event, he writes: “Of those whose bodies were intact, but hearts wounded.” Bedi’s Urdu tale—it explores how the relationship of a couple, Lajwanti and Sunderlal, unfolds during the Partition—is among the many accounts that throw light on the lives of women on either side of the border
Today’s generation is unaware of similar fiction and poetry documented by writers and poets who penned what they saw, felt, and experienced. Such literary chronicles, which go beyond the political discourses of the event, act as a source of the series of events that took place 75 years ago and also expound on how the tragedy impacted human relationships and traditions. South Delhi-based artist Fouzia Dastango will revisit a few of these literary accounts in her show ‘Padhant’, a storytelling performance depicting Partition as described in literature from the Indian subcontinent, at the National Museum, Janpath Road, in the evening today.
Vignettes exploring reality
Written by Greater Noida-based Danish Iqbal, this piece focuses on the “humanising aspect of Partition literature”. Talking about the intent behind the same, Iqbal—he is also a professor at Jamia Millia Islamia— shared, “The Partition was a tragedy. It was expected that the division of the two countries would be smooth but the tragedy that occurred was not anticipated. Partition literature, however, is very different. It incorporates pieces of fiction, novels, short stories that negate the sentiment of hatred as prevalent when the two countries were divided. Instead, it talks about the impact the event had on human relationships.”
In the 40-minute performance, Fouzia will incorporate the works of several artists, poets, and writers. One will listen to excerpts from poet and social activist Ramashankar Yadav Vidrohi’s Noor Miyan, a poem that describes the relationship between the poet’s grandmother and soorma [kohl] sold by a local Muslim vendor who was displaced during the Partition. Among other pieces, there’s also Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto’s Toba Tek Singh, a short story on the inmates in a Lahore asylum.
Lessons from the past
The highlight of the performance, Iqbal and Fouzia mention, is a segment from poet and writer Raja Mehdi Ali Khan’s satirical nazm (verse) from his poem KHud-kushi that narrates the story of a man named Rahim ullah who could not witness the Partition since he was unwell. The story goes that he changes his religion to become Nihala Singh, and later dies by suicide, adjacent to a mosque, saying ‘Aaj Rahim ullah ne Nihala Singh ko maar diya (Today Rahim Ullah killed Nihala Singh)’. “The multi-layered narrative shows how humanity died when dividing itself on the basis of religion,” explains Iqbal.
Through her performance, Fouzia attempts to give the message that one must let ‘bygones be bygones’. “This event has been a huge trauma for our parents—I have seen my mother struggle with those memories. People today only want peace and we should celebrate love and not hatred,” she concludes.
CHECK IT OUT:
WHAT: ‘Padhant’, a depiction of partition literature
WHEN: August 14; 5 pm
WHERE: Auditorium, National Museum, Central Secretariat