Train to Pakistan

Train to Pakistan tells the story of partition through the eyes of Mano Majra, a small remote village on the border of India and Pakistan. The summer of 1947 did not mean much to the Sikhs & Muslims of Mano Majra who were even ignorant of the fact that the British had left and the country was being divided into India and Pakistan. But then a local moneylender is murdered. The suspicion falls on the main character of the book – Juggut Singh, the village gangster who is in love with a Muslim girl. He is arrested along with an educated foreign returned social worker Iqbal, who arrives in the village just the day after the murder. He does not reveal his surname, thus leading people to guess whether he is Iqbal Singh or Mohammed Iqbal – a Sikh or a Muslim?

While communal riots were in full swing throughout the country due to partition, a “ghost train” arrives from Pakistan in Mano Majra, full of dead bodies of Sikh people including women and children. This transforms the village into a battlefield and disturbs the harmony of this village which was once an epitome of unity among the Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. As the divide between the people of Mano Majra grows, it is up to Juggut Singh to reclaim peace and redeem himself.

“THE FACT IS, BOTH SIDE KILLED. BOTH SHOT AND STABBED AND SPEARED AND CLUBBED. BOTH TORTURED. BOTH RAPED.”

The most appealing thing about the book is the simple plot and beautiful description of the village life. The book is also visually appealing as you can practically feel the events of the story and the horrors of partition unfold before your eyes. It is not just the story of partition but the story of a Sikh boy and Muslim girl whose love transcends the ravages of war. The climax is beautiful, touching & melancholy. You can feel goosebumps throughout the book and the end is sure to leave you in tears. It is truly shocking that some things the book highlights, like police brutality and blindly following religion still holds true in India today. The only thing I found lacking was the characterisation of important characters like Jugga and Iqbal.

Overall the book is an emotional ride showcasing the heart wrenching truth of partition and how it left so many families ruined. I would highly recommend everyone to give it a read!

Brilliant story. It shows how political propaganda can turn people minds. The book tells about the horrific events resulted by partition of India.

When I saw Gadar for the first time, the images of bodies on the train scarred me so much that I never revisited that movie and the handpump shenanigans for a long time. Train to Pakistan invokes the same kind of feeling . The book is haunting in its depiction of the partition, elaborate in describing the rural Indian life, frank in showing how religions are viewed in India and walks in a delicate balancing act between all three aspects. There are 2-3 protagonists and some of their plot points do seem contrived, but it takes nothing away from the core idea of the book.

PS: Do not read it before you go to sleep.

What an emotional roller-coaster ride! The story revolves around the bloody week of partitioning into India and Pakistan and how barbaric mutilations were the norm during that time. Khushwant Singh brilliantly uses hypocrisy and morality to show how fickle the human mind is and how easily it can be persuaded into different directions. Though the book lacks coherence in certain segments, it builds up to a crescendo as the story unfolds - the last few pages, especially the last segment is tragically beautiful. A must-read for sure!!