Train to Pakistan"In the summer of 1947, when the creation of the state of Pakistan was formally announced, ten million people--Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs--were in flight. By the time the monsoon broke, almost a million of them were dead, and all of northern India was in arms, in terror, or in hiding. The only remaining oases of peace were a scatter of little villages lost in the remote reaches of the frontier. One of these villages was Mano Majra." It is a place, Khushwant Singh goes on to tell us at the beginning of this classic novel, where Sikhs and Muslims have lived together in peace for hundreds of years. Then one day, at the end of the summer, the "ghost train" arrives, a silent, incredible funeral train loaded with the bodies of thousands of refugees, bringing the village its first taste of the horrors of the civil war. Train to Pakistan is the story of this isolated village that is plunged into the abyss of religious hate. It is also the story of a Sikh boy and a Muslim girl whose love endured and transcends the ravages of war. |
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arms arrest asked Babu Sahib Babuji bangles beard bearer began Beybey Bhai Bhaiji bridge budmash cell charpoy Chundunnugger corpses courtyard crying dacoity door eyes face feet geckos girl go to Pakistan gone guns gurdwara Guru hair hand handcuffs Haseena head constable heard hijras Hindu Hukum Chand felt Imam Baksh Inspector Sahib Iqbal Singh Jugga Juggut Singh keekar kill knew lambardar lamp listened looked magistrate Malli Mano Majra Meet Singh monsoon morning mother murder Muslim night Nooran old woman peasants police station policemen prayer Punjab punkah railway rain Ram Lal refugees rest house river roof round rubbed Sat Sri Akal shouted side Sikh Singhji sitting sleep smiled soldiers spear staring started stood stopped subinspector Sutlej talk tell temple things tonga took train trucks tumbler turban turned verandah village voice whisky women