Partition Violence: A Cause of Psychological Trauma in Nahal's Azadi

Abstract

This thesis entitled “Partition Violence: A Psychological Cause of Trauma in Nahal’s Azadi” has been written on the novel Azadi, written by an Indian writer Chaman Nahal. In the novel, the core intention of the writer is to portray the heart rending violent scenery of partition violence of India in 1947, and spread the message that violence benefits no one. Further more, he wills to say how the violence breaks all the limitations of social and moral laws. Violence brings severe catastrophes for the civilians and can be one of the root causes of trauma, especially psychological trauma. This thesis seeks to examine the narrativization of trauma in Azadi. However, at the same time the writer fails to maintain the fair judgment regarding the causes behind the eruption of such heart rending partition violence. Azadi projects Muslims as responsible for the eruption of the partition violence in 1947. Chaman Nahal does so out of the cultural chauvinism on their part to build up the image of their communities as civilized entities as opposed to the other communities. This cultural prejudice mars the authenticity of the traumatic experience depicted in the novel. The description of the violence in Pakistani side by the main character Lala Kanshi Ram is a subjective one. It is increased so much that it boils the blood and raises hair of any Hindu. Azadi is an unauthentic presentation that the rendition of violence is influenced by his inclination of Indian nationalism. He vainly attempts to create a show-up of the objectivity and authenticity in the narrativization of the trauma of the Muslim by presenting Lala Kanshi Ram. He says that what ever happened to them in Pakistan is happening to the Muslims in India. He does not narrate what exactly he observes. This refers two things. The first is Hindus or Sikhs were not less violent than Muslims. And second, Nahal escapes details of trauma undergone by the Muslim refugees in India.