39 pages • 1 hour read
Khushwant SinghTrain to Pakistan
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1956A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Choices
All four primary characters in the novel are faced with choices that will determine the outcome of their lives. Jugga, who has consistently taken the easy route in life, stealing and living up to the bad reputation he has been given by the town, must decide whether he is going to take the easy way out again, or risk everything to protect his beloved Nooran. Iqbal, who arrived in Mano Majra full of political fire and confidence, is torn between his desire to return home and share what he has learned, and his nagging sense that he cannot allow a horrible injustice to occur. Hukum Chand, who has worked very hard to preserve his current position and reputation, finds himself torn between maintaining it, and the inexplicable love he feels for Haseena, which could jeopardize everything. Meet Singh, who enjoys a safe and respected position in the community, is forced to decide whether it is worth risking that lifestyle stand up against the forces of Malli and the militants or say nothing, and watch as his Muslim neighbors are slaughtered.
In addition to these specific examples, the theme of choices affects the community as a whole. Every character is morally tested at some point in the book, from the subinspector’s decision about whether or not to follow his boss’ inappropriate orders, or the community’s decision about whether or not to protect their Muslim citizens. The Muslims themselves face a difficult choice in the third chapter, when they choose to leave Mano Majra for their own protection. This turns out to be a tragic mistake, as the government has no intention of letting them return. The theme of choices, and the idea that each of us makes our own destiny, carries through to the tense conclusion as the mystery man makes the ultimate sacrifice for love of a person, a town, or an idea.
Revenge
Revenge is consistently shown to be a destructive influence in the world of the novel. It is the driving force behind the conflict that erupted after partition. As the conflict escalates, the peaceful town of Mano Majra is threatened from without and within. The mysterious young warlord who comes to the town is essentially revenge in a human form, blinded to anything but vengeance. He is able to prey on the resentments of young men in the village, until a large group is ready to massacre people who were their own friends and neighbors only weeks ago.
Revenge also rears its head, on a smaller scale, in the character of Jugga. While his resentment against Malli is well-justified, Malli’s presence consistently brings out the worst in Jugga. His thirst for revenge against the criminal often leads him to make the worst possible decision and sabotage his own progress. It is very clear in the book that revenge is a destructive force that causes most of the harmful events in the story.
Prejudice and Divisions
A major theme are the ways that differences between people—such as cultural and religious differences—can be transformed into prejudice and even violence. The town of Mano Majra serves as an ideal example of the coexistence that is possible between different groups of people, with Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians living side by side in peace, unconcerned with the differences in their faiths. Despite this harmony, there is still opposition to Jugga marrying Nooran, as they come from different faiths. These minor prejudices are exacerbated by the growing religious intolerance that has erupted in the wake of partition. Once the divisions between the Muslim and Sikh communities are brought to the surface, the long-established friendship between them begins to unravel, leaving Mano Majra vulnerable to the same kinds of prejudice and violence finding expression across India and Pakistan.
Although it is not the driving conflict of the novel, classism and the rural-urban divide plays a major role in the story as well. Iqbal comes to the village with a savior complex, believing he can educate the local people and bring them into the modern day. He considers Meet Singh’s hospitality oppressive and uncultured, and views the town as a whole with a touch of suspicion and disregard. Jugga, on the surface one of the coarsest and most uncultured characters in the book, turns out to be far more open to other ways of life, and is fascinated by what Iqbal can teach him. Iqbal’s inner prejudices and his impressions of the town turn out to be one of the biggest obstacles in his path towards the end of the story.
History
The story takes place against the backdrop of a much larger conflict, as Hukum Chand and other government officials are well aware. Those in the know feel a sense of helplessness in the face of nation-wide religious violence, knowing that any moves they make to mitigate the carnage may fail. This leads Chand and the subinspector to make morally questionable decisions, with the justification that a few more deaths in a civil war that has killed thousands are irrelevant. It’s only Chand’s personal love for a girl who is caught up in the conflict that leads him to intervene.
By contrast, the people of Mano Majra are not aware of the scale of the conflict enveloping their country, and they have a much more optimistic view of the situation. Many believe it will blow over quickly and they will return to normal life. They are shocked by the cold, casual way that the government handles the evacuation, and even more horrified by the fact that their friends and neighbors are not expected to return. Some choose to stand up for their community, while others yield to prejudice and the desire for revenge. Overall, the novel suggests that while ordinary people feel removed from those events that constitute “history”, it is ordinary people who pay the price for historical progress.
