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{\large \textbf{PARTITION LITERATURE AND THE TRAUMA OF POST-COLONIAL IDENTITY}}\\
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Project submitted to\\
Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University, Dehradun\\
For the partial fulfilment for the award of the Bachelor of Arts (English)\\
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By\\
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Harleen Kaur (Registration No.: 22932037)\\
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Under the Supervision of Ms. Debapriya Ganguli\\
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Department of English\\
Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University\\
Dehradun\\
April, 2025
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\textbf{CERTIFICATE}
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This is to certify that the work contained in the dissertation entitled ``Partition Literature and the Trauma of Post-Colonial Identity", submitted by Harleen Kaur (Regd. No.: 22932037) for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Arts to the Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University, Dehradun is a record of bonafide research works carried out by her under my direct supervision and guidance. I consider that the dissertation has reached the standards and fulfills the requirements of the rules and regulations relating to the nature of the degree. The contents embodied in the dissertation have not been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma in this or any other university.

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Date: 30 April, 2025 \hfill Place: Dehradun\\
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Ms. Debapriya Ganguli\\
Department of English
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\textbf{DECLARATION}
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\begin{itemize}
\item I certify that the work in the dissertation is original and has been done by myself under the supervision of my supervisor.
\item The work has not been submitted to any other Institute for any degree or diploma.
\item I have conformed to the norms and guidelines given in the Ethical Code of Conduct of the Institute.
\item Whenever I have used materials (data, theoretical analysis, and text) from other sources, I have given due credit to them by citing them in the text of the thesis and giving their details in the references.
\item Whenever I have quoted written materials from other sources, credit is given to the sources by citing them.
\item From the plagiarism test, it is found that the similarity index of the whole thesis is less than 10\% as per the university guidelines.
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Date: 30 April, 2025\\
Place: Dehradun
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Harleen Kaur\\
Regd. No.: 22932037
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\textbf{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}
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I would like to express my profound gratitude to Ms. Debapriya Ganguli, whose expert guidance, patience, and unwavering support made this research journey both enriching and fulfilling. Her extensive knowledge of post-colonial literature and thoughtful insights have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of partition narratives.

I extend my sincere thanks to the Head of the Department of English and all faculty members who have contributed to my academic growth throughout my undergraduate years. Their thought-provoking lectures and constructive feedback have greatly influenced my critical thinking skills.

I am deeply grateful to the university library staff for their assistance in providing access to valuable resources that were essential for my research. Their helpfulness simplified my exploration of numerous literary texts and critical works on partition literature.

Special thanks to my peers for the stimulating discussions that helped refine my ideas, and to my family for their unconditional support and encouragement throughout this academic endeavor.

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Harleen Kaur
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\textbf{ABSTRACT}
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This dissertation examines the representation of trauma and fragmented identity in South Asian partition literature, focusing on works that depict the 1947 partition of India. Through close textual analysis of selected novels, short stories, and poetry, this study investigates how partition literature articulates the complex relationship between national trauma and post-colonial identity formation. The research demonstrates how literary narratives capture the psychological, social, and cultural impacts of forced migration and communal violence during partition. Furthermore, it explores how these literary works function as sites of testimony, memory, and resistance against historical erasure. The study argues that partition literature not only documents historical trauma but also offers pathways for healing through narrative reconstruction of fragmented identities and communities. By examining the intersection of trauma theory and post-colonial studies, this dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of how literature engages with historical violence and collective memory in the South Asian context.

\textbf{Keywords:} Partition literature, trauma narratives, post-colonial identity, collective memory, displacement

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\textbf{LIST OF FIGURES}
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\textbf{Chapter 1}\\
Figure 1.1: Map showing the partition of India and Pakistan, 1947\\
Figure 1.2: Timeline of key historical events surrounding partition\\

\textbf{Chapter 2}\\
Figure 2.1: Thematic classification of selected partition literature texts\\

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\textbf{LIST OF TABLES}
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\textbf{Chapter 1}\\
Table 1.1: Chronology of major partition literary works (1947-2025)\\

\textbf{Chapter 3}\\
Table 3.1: Analysis of recurring motifs in selected partition narratives\\

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\textbf{CONTENTS}
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Title Page \dotfill i\\
Certificate by the Supervisor \dotfill ii\\
Declaration \dotfill iii\\
Acknowledgments \dotfill iv\\
Abstract \dotfill v\\
List of Figures \dotfill vi\\
List of Tables \dotfill vii\\
Contents \dotfill viii\\

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\textbf{Chapter 1: Introduction} \dotfill 1\\
1.1 Historical Context of Partition \dotfill 2\\
1.2 Literature Review \dotfill 4\\
1.3 Theoretical Framework \dotfill 6\\
1.4 Research Methodology \dotfill 7\\

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\textbf{Chapter 2: The Literary Landscape of Partition} \dotfill 8\\
2.1 Early Partition Narratives (1947-1960) \dotfill 9\\
2.2 Second Generation Accounts (1960-1990) \dotfill 11\\
2.3 Contemporary Revisitations (1990-Present) \dotfill 13\\

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\textbf{Chapter 3: Thematic Analysis} \dotfill 15\\
3.1 Violence and Collective Trauma \dotfill 16\\
3.2 Displacement and Nostalgia \dotfill 18\\
3.3 Gender and the Violated Body \dotfill 19\\

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\textbf{Chapter 4: Case Studies} \dotfill 21\\
4.1 Saadat Hasan Manto's "Toba Tek Singh" \dotfill 22\\
4.2 Khushwant Singh's "Train to Pakistan" \dotfill 23\\
4.3 Amrita Pritam's "Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu" \dotfill 24\\

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\textbf{Chapter 5: Conclusion} \dotfill 25\\
5.1 Literary and Cultural Implications \dotfill 26\\
5.2 Future Research Directions \dotfill 27\\

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\textbf{References} \dotfill 28\\

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\section*{Chapter 1}
\section{Introduction}

The partition of British India in 1947 stands as one of the most significant and traumatic events in South Asian history. The division of the subcontinent into two independent nation-states—India and Pakistan—resulted in one of the largest mass migrations in human history, with an estimated 14-16 million people displaced and between 200,000 to 2 million lives lost in the ensuing communal violence (Butalia 3). This cataclysmic event not only redrew geographical boundaries but also fundamentally altered the social, cultural, and psychological landscape of the region, leaving an indelible mark on collective consciousness that continues to resonate through generations.

This dissertation examines how partition literature articulates and grapples with the trauma of this historical rupture and its profound impact on post-colonial identity formation. Through close analysis of selected literary texts spanning different linguistic traditions, genres, and historical periods, this study investigates how narrative functions as a site for witnessing, remembering, and making sense of collective trauma. By employing an interdisciplinary approach that draws from trauma theory, post-colonial studies, and memory studies, this research seeks to understand how literature serves as both a repository of partition memories and a means of negotiating fractured identities in its aftermath.

The study is particularly concerned with how partition literature addresses several interconnected questions: How do literary texts represent the violence and displacement of partition? In what ways does literature articulate the relationship between historical trauma and individual/collective identity? How do different generations of writers approach the partition as both historical event and inherited memory? What narrative strategies do authors employ to convey experiences that resist conventional representation?

\subsection{Historical Context of Partition}

To comprehend the literary responses to partition, it is essential to understand its historical context. The division of British India was the culmination of complex political negotiations and intensifying communal tensions in the final years of colonial rule. The Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, advocated for a separate Muslim homeland based on the "two-nation theory," which posited that Hindus and Muslims constituted two distinct nations that could not coexist within a single state. The Indian National Congress, with leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, opposed this view and advocated for a unified, secular India.

The partition plan, announced on June 3, 1947, set August 15, 1947, as the date for the transfer of power, leaving a mere 72 days for the implementation of this monumental division. The Radcliffe Line, drawn hastily by British lawyer Sir Cyril Radcliffe who had no prior knowledge of Indian geography or demographics, demarcated the boundaries between the new nations.

The announcement of the boundary commission's decision triggered massive population exchanges as religious minorities suddenly found themselves on the "wrong" side of the border. In Punjab and Bengal, the two provinces physically divided by partition, this resulted in unprecedented violence. Trains carrying refugees were attacked, villages were razed, and women were abducted and sexually assaulted as communities turned against their neighbors in an explosion of violence that has been depicted vividly in partition literature.

\subsection{Literature Review}

Scholarly engagement with partition literature has evolved significantly over the decades. Early academic works focused primarily on historical and political dimensions of partition, often sidelining its human cost and cultural impact. However, the 1980s and 1990s witnessed what Gyanendra Pandey terms a "fragmentary turn" in partition historiography, with increasing attention to personal narratives, oral histories, and literary representations.

Urvashi Butalia's groundbreaking work \textit{The Other Side of Silence} (2000) marks a significant intervention in this regard, foregrounding previously marginalized voices, particularly those of women. Similarly, Ritu Menon and Kamla Bhasin's \textit{Borders and Boundaries} (1998) explores gendered experiences of partition violence and displacement through oral testimonies. These feminist interventions have been crucial in reshaping scholarly approaches to partition literature.

\section*{References}

\begin{hangparas}{0.5in}{1}
Bhalla, Alok. \textit{Partition Dialogues: Memories of a Lost Home}. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Butalia, Urvashi. \textit{The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India}. Duke University Press, 2000.

Das, Veena. \textit{Critical Events: An Anthropological Perspective on Contemporary India}. Oxford University Press, 1995.

Didur, Jill. \textit{Unsettling Partition: Literature, Gender, Memory}. University of Toronto Press, 2006.

Hasan, Mushirul, editor. \textit{Inventing Boundaries: Gender, Politics and the Partition of India}. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Khan, Yasmin. \textit{The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan}. Yale University Press, 2007.

Manto, Saadat Hasan. \textit{Toba Tek Singh and Other Stories}. Translated by Khalid Hasan, Penguin Books, 2008.

Menon, Ritu, and Kamla Bhasin. \textit{Borders and Boundaries: Women in India's Partition}. Rutgers University Press, 1998.

Pandey, Gyanendra. \textit{Remembering Partition: Violence, Nationalism and History in India}. Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Pritam, Amrita. \textit{The Skeleton and Other Writings}. Translated by Khushwant Singh, Sterling Publishers, 1987.

Roy, Rituparna. \textit{South Asian Partition Fiction in English: From Khushwant Singh to Amitav Ghosh}. Amsterdam University Press, 2010.

Saint, Tarun K. \textit{Witnessing Partition: Memory, History, Fiction}. Routledge, 2010.

Singh, Khushwant. \textit{Train to Pakistan}. Grove Press, 1956.

Talbot, Ian, and Gurharpal Singh. \textit{The Partition of India}. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
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