1.

1 Novels: Pre Independence

With the emergence of pre-Independence, Indo English novel comes out of its early
romantic phase into social realism and runs parallel to the gradual intensification of
the national movement. For the freedom, socio-political situation existing in the
country is faithfully mirrored right from the early phase of the reformist exuberance
to the growth of revolutionary consciousness among the common masses of India.
The common masses had to wage a two - pronged battle - one for their
emancipation from the politic-economic exploitation by the foreign rulers and the
other against the colossal weight of out dated traditions, casticism, and blind
conformation to religious dogmas and other social ills.

The First World War also had its impact on the writers. It brought them face to
face with actual reality. This impact on Indo-English writers was two-fold. They now
sought to portray a more realistic, idealized and earthly presentation of life in their
works. The writers, under the impact of nationalism sought to portray not only the
national concerns but also the social conditions of their times. The people felt that
nationalism and liberty were prizes worth fighting for.

The struggle for Independence in India was not merely a political struggle but a
pervasive experience that became a part of the life of almost all the sensitive and
enlightened Indians. It is this co-incidence which is responsible for a flowering
maturity of the Indo-English fiction in the thirties during which period the freedom
movement percolated to the very grass-roots of Indian society. Parallel to this
struggle for political freedom was another one on the social plane.lt was a fight
against superstitions, caste system, poverty, illiteracy and many other social ills. No
Indian writer writing in that decade could avoid reflecting this upsurge in his work

The constructive programmes launched by Mahatma Gandhi and other national

leaders deepened the political and social consciousness of the writers. Along with
the nationalistic fervor the other movements like socialism, communism, fascism,
etc. also became an obsession with the angry young intelligence of the times.
These political ideologies, already popular in Europe and China, emerged in the
country in the thirties as a reaction to the prevailing conditions, oppression and
tyranny of the British imperialism. Gross futility and waste brought by the world
war burst into economic exploitation of the poor and under -privileged class,
illiteracy and evils of the caste system.

Besides this, the visit of Tagore and Nehru to the Soviet land and the formation of
'All India Progress Writer's Association' in the thirties made the writers portray the
Indian peasantry in the hope that social transformation of society could be feasible
only through mobilizing the opinion of the under-privileged classes, the
economically exploited, politically subjugated and socially oppressed Indian people.

1.2 Novels: Post Independence

Fiction has come to be the most popular medium of expression today. Though
fiction writing began in the 19th century, the significant era began with writers like
Mulk Raj Anand, R.K. Narayan and RajaRao. Of the three great names that had left
an impact on the 20th century writers- Gandhi, Marx and Freud- Gandhi's impact on
Indian writers is obviously more direct and wide spread. Moral and intellectual in its
nature, it worked as a liberating force and it not only widened the range of the
writer's sympathy but also heightened its intensity. The Indo-English novelist
receiving a powerful ethical stimuli began to see his country not in terms of self-
analysis of facing the reality but of being actually aware of the problems that beset
his country: 3 The impact of Gandhi on the Indo -English.

Novelists on the pre independence era can be noticed not only by their selection of
themes but also in their presentations (J.D. Gupta). No more attracted by high-
flown, artificial, oratorical style, they now sought to write in a direct and compact
manner, devoid of all superfluities. Mulk Raj Anand , for example, writing out of
sincerity and austerity: Exercised so much influence on Anand that he started
weaving homespun clothes, found himself transformed from a blooms burry
intellectual to a more emphatically, self confident writer and decided writing only
about the poorest of the poor. whom he had known specially and was inspired to
brood on the last always and Gandhi also exhorted devotion to the poor (Gupta
152). Dividing the history of Indo-English literature into five periods, Iyanger
Characterises the period between 1920- 1947 as the era of the Gandhi revolution
and the modem heroic age.

Not that the Indo-English novelist was doing something heroic on selecting a theme
and narrating it against its contemporary social background. Against the
contemporary social background, almost the singular attempt was made by writers
in regional languages of the country as well. Further it was not a sudden and
overnight break from the old tendencies, old themes, and old techniques.
Traditional, sentimental didactic novels continued to exist but the appearance of the
realistic novel with this purpose is what identifies the thirties during which the
IndoEnglish writer like his counter- parts in the regional language soon realized that
his salvation lay not in reproducing the imitative voices of his colonial masters, but
in seeking the strength, fertility of his cultural similarities and social cultural
experience.

1.3 Khushwant Singh: Life and Achievements

Khushwant Singh, born on February 2, 1915 at Hadali in West Punjab (now in
Pakistan), ranks among Indian's most distinguished men of latters. He is known as
an essayist, novelist, short-story writer, historian, journalist, biographer, comedy
writer and editor, attaining an international reputation for his superb writings. He
has won numerous literary awards and appreciations. He was awarded "Grove Press
India Fiction Prize' in 1956 for his novel Mano Majra (Train to Pakistan). His second
novel, I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale (1956) was appreciated for significant
portrayal of Sikh life and traditions in the days of preindependencc India.
He has published three collections of short-stories, The Mark of Vishnu and Other
Stories (1950), The voice of God and Other Stories (1957) and A Bride for the
Sahib and Other Stories (1967). His other famous books A History of the Sikhs
(Two volumes) were published in (1963) and The Mark of Vishnu in 1950. His
recent novels are Delhi (1990) and The Company of Women (1999). He was
awarded the Punjab Government Prize for Distinguished men of Letters in India in
1970 and Padma Bhusan in 1974. The book on history of Sikhs earned for him
Nishan-e-khalsa award and a doctorate from the Guru Nanak Dev University.
Khushwant Singh's novels and short stories express a sophisticated attitude to the
life of India. He represents the generation of Indian writers whose literary careers
have developed entirely since 1947 in an atmosphere free from British rule and the
tension of nationalist relvolt. Sophistication implies the ability to explore the truth
and to face the truth fearlessly, the ability to be satirical and critical towards India
and the freedom struggle. It implies too the shifting of interest noted by R.K.
Narayan from public to private life, from political to psychological analysis.
Khushwant Singh turns a relentless eye on complex reactions to such catastrophes
as the Second World War and the bloody partition of India and Pakistan. To these
events he brings objectivity and detachment; he is not one to flatter or to
romanticizc.Khushwant Singh has produced a couple of novels, some short stories,
criticism, and two volumes of books on the history of the Sikhs. The life of his own
people, the religious and ethnic community of Sikhs in the Punjab, provides a
consistent thread through his work. His attitude to Sikhs and Sikhism also
illustrates his sophistication in its combination of sympathy with criticism.
1.4 Khushwant Singh: The Writer
Train to Pakistan, Khushwant Singh's first novel, reflects the cynicism and
savagery genereated by the atrocities committed on both sides during the partition
of the subcontinent between India and Pakistan in 1947. The novel is placed in a
village which Khushwant Singh calls Mano Majra situated exactly on the Pakistan-
India, border. The village is a railway junction, otherwise it has no political or
military importance. Its populations of Sikhs and Muslims, landlords and tenant
farmers, live in easy comradeship. The only violence is from dacoits and the novel
opens with a dacoit raid on the village-moneylender. The peaee of Mano Majra is
soon disturbed by violence on a much greater scale. Two trainloads of mutilated
corpses reveal to the horrified villagers that the Sikhs and Hindus are being
massacred in Pakistan. The Muslims of the village are rounded up and evacuated
for their own safety and the Sikhs promise to look after their property.
The failure of a young Westernized Sikh to act heroically is recapitulated in the
story of Sher Singh in the other novel; I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale. The
time of this, Khushwant Singh's second novel, is 1942-3, the war years in India.
With the war going badly for the British and the possibility of a Japanese invasion of
India, India is restless and tense; both loyalists and nationalists feel the
uncertainty. Khushwant Singh explores the effect of war and nationalism on a
family of middle-class Sikhs in the Punjab. Though Sikhism, especially embodied in
the mother of the family, unites the family of the magistrate Buta Singh, politics
divide it.

Buta Singh is forced by circumstances to play a double game. He knows that the
wave of the future is with the nationalists and encourages his son to take a
nationalist stand. At the same time he is personally loyal to the British, supports
the war and is on good terms with the progressive British Resident Mr. Taylor who
privately believes that the British should leave India after the war.

Butas son Sher Singh, immature, egotistic and neurotic, is caught up in the hectic
atmosphere of violence. He becomes the leader of a gang of young terrorists and
plays about boastfully with a loaded pistol. The play acting goes too far. An old
peasant tries to blackmail Sher Singh, is thrown into jail and is in danger of being
hanged. Taylor orders his release out of pity for his parents. Sher Singh emerges
from jail, a hero of the nationalists. The family is united again when the mother
dies.

1.5 Literature Review:

Literature review provides insight for further research to be carried out in
specific area by analyzing and studying the past writings and works by
researcher. For my persent research I have reviewed following literatures

1) Chaman Nahals Azadi (1975)36 (freedom),

Written on the epic scale offers a most comprehensive account of Partition.
The actual event and its aftermath . The author recreates in vivid detail the
consequences of the partitioning for a Hindu family and its close associates
 as they journey from Sialkot to Delhi. His story represents the story of a
whole nation,of millions who were forced to leave their homes and to whom
azadi brings only unhold misery and an uncertain future.

2) H.S. Gills Ashes and Petals (1975)37 ,

Records another gruesome aspect of Partitionthe killing of ones own women
folk, in order to save their honour. The novel opens with a trainload of
Hindus and Sikhs on their way to India. When the train is attacked by Muslim
hooligans, Risaldar Santa Singh shoots his fourteen year old grand-
daughter, Baljeeto. Her seven year old brother Ajit, sits through the act as a
silent witness

3) Tamas (1974)41(darkness), by Bhisham Sahani

Also portrays the tragic period of the Partition of the country. He attempts to
depict the communal frenzy that gripped the west Punjab in Pre- Partition
days.

4) A Fine Family (1990)43 by Gurcharan Das

This is another Partition novel that traces the fortunes and misfortunes of
Lala Dewan chands family from the year 1942 to the Post Independence
era, right through till the 1970s it provides a means of understanding the
past in order to understand the present

5) Singh, Rohini. Man Called Khushwant Singh .

Here the author has reviewed khushwant singhs work from societal point of
view. This work focuses on the Khushwant singhs way of presentation of
social ethos and issues in his novels and short stories

6) Dwivedi, A.N. Indian Fiction in English : Retrospect and Prospect

Here Author has talk about Indian fictions written pre and post
independence era. Talking about Khushwant singh, author is of the
opinion that Khushwant singh was one of the most impactful writer of
those times. His novels have really whipped the hearts of readers, in
reflecting the post partition situation in Punjab and its rural area.
1.6 Scope of Study
Khushwant Singh was a very versatile writer. His works includes Novels,
Short Stories, columns etc. My work on Khuswant Singhs writings will cover
presentation of social and cultures ethos. For this purpose I will consider his
following writings

1) Train to Pakistan:
Train to Pakistan, originally entitled Mano Majra, is one of the finest realistic
novels of post-World War II of Indian English Fiction. The novel picturises a
village Mano Majra in Punjab and his real experiences after partition in rural
India. The background of Punjabi literature also provides him essential style
and technique for exploration of the experience of rural India.

2) I shall not hear Nightingale:

I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale is the story of two families one Sikh and the
other Hindu, set against the last period of British Raj in the Punjab province
and just about five years before the achievement of India's independence.
Although the novel substantially deals with India's concurrent political
situations in Punjab, yet it is not a truly political novel sinee the politics in it
apparently lacks a deep involvement with the situations, interest and
commitment to the political motives and even the political philosophy.

3) The mark of Vishnu and other stories:

These short stories are confined to the bare narrative essentials with the
result that any rhetorical tendency Khushwant Singh might have to indulge,
his personal feelings of disillusionment is severely restricted

4) A History of the Sikhs:

A History of the Sikhs is his first attempt to tell the story of the Sikhs from
their inception to the present day. He has made judicious use of extensive
researches in this area. It includes study of original, unpublished documents
and historical records. It carries the central concept underlying the origin and
growth of Sikh religion in India. In this book of History Mr. Singh gives out
moral cultural, religious and national expressions.

5) The company of woman:

Khushwant Singh's latest novel The Company of Women may be regarded as
"the millennium's last Great Indian Lascivious Novel" giving the voyeuristic
view of male and female anatomy and titillating accounts of the innumerable
sexual encounters of his protagonist". The author's narrative skill is so
 superb that a reader feels like watching a blue film rather than reading a
fictional novel. Some critics say that the novel is neither erotic, nor funny,
but it is in fact a sad novel.

1.7 Research Objectives:

1. To understand mirror image of Indian culture portrays in the literature
of Khushwant singh
2. To understand Khushwant singhs way of showing gender specific
differences in the society
3. To study the behavioral patterns of different class of people in the
society as reflected in the work of khushwant singh
4. To analysis how unspoken and hidden emotions and feelings of human
beings is exhibited in the writings of Khushwant singh
5. To understand role perception, role conflict and role expections of
different class of people in works of Khushwant singh
6. To evaluate attitude and personalities of people in the society shown in
the works of Khushwant singh
7. To understand impact of social dynamics on the culture in the writings
of khuswant singh

8. To Understand Khuswant singhs way of writing fiction as a reflections

of social ethos

1.8 Importance of Study:

Many researchers have work on Khushwant singhs writings which is more

focused on tragedy of partition and life before and after partition. My work
will focus beyond the pain and life during partition scenario. My works will
emphasis on how Khushwant singh portrays culture, society and value
system in his writings. I will also try to understand dynamics of cultural
composition and its impact on the societal ethos. My research work will be
focusing more on interpreting causal relationship between culture, society
and people. In my research I will also try to define the communal differences
in the same culture as shown in the work of Khushwant singh. This research
will also try to understand the religion aspect of culture in society and value
system. This will lead to understand various role related issues and
subjectivities in cultural paradigm.

1.9 Research Methodology:

The proposed research is entirely based on analyzing the complete writings

of Khushwant Singh. Here I am going to use certain Primary sources in form
of analyzing information from books written by him and secondary
information from the works done by others about Khushwant singh. My
primary sources includes novels and short stories written by him such as

1) Train to Pakistan
2) I shall not hear Nightingale
3) A History of sikhs
4) The Company of woman
5) The Dark Dancer
6) The riot

1.10 Research Limitations:

Every research cant be extended to beyond boundaries. Every research is

bound by certain limitations. My research also has certain limitations
mentioned below.

1. Lack of sufficient literature and information on this study field is the

major limitation of the study.
2. Some studies measure only qualitative impact
3. Being a student time and resources are constraints.
4. Considering reliance on secondary sources, the research was further
limited by the availability of literature and the information contained
therein.

5. literature reviewed in research generates, authors view point.

Which is not always stand to be true in many situations.

1.11 Bibliography

1) Primary Sources

1) Singh, Khushwant: Jupji- The Sikh Morning Prayer. London: Probsthaein, 1954.

2) Singh, Khushwant: Train to Pakistan, Delhi: Ravi Dayal, Publishers,

1992.Firstpub. 1956.

3) Singh, Khushwant: I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale, New Delhi: Times Books
International, 1989. First Pub1.1959.

4) Singh, Khushwant: The Sikhs Today: Their Religion, History, Culture, Customs,
and Way of Life. edited by Rahul Singh. Bombay: Orient Longman, 1959.First
publ. 1959.

5) Singh, Khushwant: Ranjit Singh: Maharajah of Panjab 1780-1839. London: Allen

& Unwin, 1962. First pub. 1962.

6) Singh, Khushwant: A History of the Sikhs. Vol.I, 1469-1839. Princeton:

Princeton.University Press, 1963. First pub1.1963.

7) Singh, Khushwant: Not Wanted in Pakistan, Delhi: Rajkamal. 1965. Singh,

Khushwant: A History of the Sikhs. Vol. II, 1839-1964. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1966. First Pub.1966

8) Singh, Khushwant: Delhi - Enternal Capital of Hindusthan. 'Quest', 54, July-

Sept., 1967.

2) Secondary Sources

1) Allen, G.W.: .et. AI. (ed.) Walt Whitman's Poem. New York: Penguin 1955.
Bates, H.E.: The Modern Short Story. London 1941.

2) Bergonzi, B: Contemporary Novelists, ed. .lames Vinsion. London: Macmillan

Publishers, 1982.
3) Burgess, A: The Novel Now. London: Faber and Faber, 1972.

4) Connor, F.G: The Lonely Voice: A Study of Short Story. London: 1963.

5) Desai, S.K.: Indian Writing in English:, The Predicament of Marginality. The

Indian Journal of English Studies, vol. xxvi, 1987.