Representation of Women in ‘Train to Pakistan’ by Khushwant Singh Nehere Kalpana P.*, Dr. Bhabad P. R.** *Research Scholar, J. J. T. University, Rajasthan, India **Research Guide, Department of English Arts, Commerce and Science College, Nandgaon, Nashik Online published on 6 August, 2014. Abstract ‘Train to Pakistan’ is a prominent novel by Khushwant Singh presents the pre- and post-partition situations in Mano Majra. It is a small village situated near to border in Punjab. Sikh is a religion of majority in this village. Muslim, Hindu and Pseudo-Christian are other religions. All they maintain their brotherhood and lives happily. Partition makes communal violence and horror. The present study is focused on representation of women in this novel with a feministic approach. Patriarchy is solid base of family and social structure in Mano Majra. The man-woman relations are unequal. The women are passive, work for unpaid labour, dependant and therefore submissive and obedient. Women give their body to men in barter of external nominal things like bangles, ear-rings, bracelets, etc. Virginity is noble and glorious symbol used to propagate communal violence after partition. Khushwant Singh meagrely tries to the union of both (Muslim and Sikh) religions through love of Nooran and sacrifice of Juggut Singh. He portrays Iqubal Singh to nullify male dominance and women discrimination to some extent. Top Keywords Novel, women, partition, violence, patriarchy, pseudo-barter, revenge, passive, exploitation. Top |