Khushwant Singh uses the character of the Sikh boy, Juggat Singh, and the Muslim girl, Nooran which tells about the reality of situation upon both the communities. It also illustrates that the term ‘microcosm’ represent of both communal conflict and violence which is caused by the partition. Moreover, Khushwant Singh represents the village, Mano Majra, as a microcosm which shows a larger world, even it starts with micro (small), but it has the meaning itself. Khushwant Singh describes that ‘Train to Pakistan’ is the novel which represents that the black history of India through the partition of India and Pakistan. Hopefully, we will be able to resume services once tensions de-escalate," said an Indian Railways official.The novel, “Train to Pakistan” illustrates the idea of partition in 1947 and how people get affected by the term of violence. The cancellation has been done for purely operational reasons. "With no passengers from Pakistan, it makes no sense to run the train from our end. Pakistan had already halted services from across the border amid recent hostilities between the two countries. The train, scheduled to leave at 11:10 pm, chugged off after a delay of eight minutes. The 37 passengers were inside hoping to reach safely to their families. To onlookers, the train appears to be a closed call on tracks. Following this, the train was ready to leave. Meanwhile, the last passenger to board the train to Pakistan had reached the platform.įarida, 33, had to wait for almost 15 minutes for her luggage to be sniffed by the RPF dog, female constables to frisk her for materials she could not carry. "In normal times, more than 1,000 passengers would travel on each run of the Samjhauta Express from both sides," he added. RPF officials pictured while conducting tight security checking.Īccording to the Railway Ministry, last month only 100 passengers travelled via the train.Ī ministry official in Delhi said that it’s a drastic fall. “We have just 37 passengers today,” said the RPF men in charge of the Samjhauta Express.įollowing the February 14 terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which 40 troopers were killed, the footfall has been falling regularly. The direct result of the conflict was also visible in the number of passengers opting to the take train. Little did she know that she would not be allowed to carry the clothes she had bought from New Delhi’s Palika Bazaar for her children in Pakistan. We never in our lives have wanted war,” she said, shifting her heavy luggage from one hand to the other. We have families on both sides of the border. All of us are praying that nothing happens. “My husband took the decision of calling me back. She was married to a man in Pakistan and was visiting her brothers in Delhi who had come to see her off. She had decided to cut short her otherwise month-long trip to return home after she read “India strikes back” on Indian news channels. With a thick shawl covering her head, Farida, 45, was also travelling to Lahore. Meanwhile, with 30 minutes for the train to depart, another family residing in Pakistan made their way to the platform.Ī family travelling with a toddler waiting for security check to be completed. Khan still had two more levels of security checking to cross before he could board the train. Khan’s extended family has been staying in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk ever since Partition. Why can’t the two countries just be friendly if they cannot unite,” said Khan as he handed all of the extra luggage to his nephew. “You see what war is doing? Powerful authorities fight and common people like us suffer. However, the new orders were issued by the Indian Railways in the wake of the airstrikes by both India and Pakistan. Khan had travelled on the train before where he had carried ample material back to Lahore. “You cannot carry anything but clothes and food only enough for you to finish during the journey,” said one of the RPF men. Three RPF men walked up to him and asked for his ticket and passport. Meanwhile, Khan’s hurried steps towards the train came to an abrupt stop when he reached the first level of barricading on the platform. The decision, it said, was based on "purely operational reasons" arising from the fact that the train has been carrying very few passengers due to stoppage of services from Pakistan's side. India has, starting March 4, suspended operations on the India-Pakistan Samjhauta Express. The 64-year-old man works as a cotton trader in Pakistan and was carrying food materials for his kin back home. Concern for safety was evident on all three faces. He was accompanied by his younger brother and nephew who had come to see him off. Khan was on the last train to Pakistan before the Indian Railways decided to suspend operations.
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