Pinjar by Amrita Pritam (translated by Khushwant Singh)

Pinjar is a short novel originally written by Amrita Pritam in Punjabi and translated by Khushwant Singh in English. Amrita Pritam was a renowned Punjabi poetess and novelist of the twentieth century. Her most of the works reveals her anguish over massacres during the partition of India. Among her best works Pinjar acquires a significant rank and thus, was made into an award winning movie, Pinjar. The novel depicts the conditions and nature of the Indian society during the partition of India.

The story revolves around a Hindu girl named Pooro who belongs to a family of money lenders. Through this character the author depicts how the women of the twentieth century were bound to accept their conditions calling it as their fate. Pooro, a teenager is about to get married to the son of an affluent family,Ram Chand but her dreams and happiness are shattered down as she is abducted by Rashida (who belongs to the family of Shaikhs).Though Pooro manages to flee back to her home, her parents refuse to accept her. Pooro returns back to Rashida and accepts the situation calling it as her fate. But she is determined to help the other women and thus prevents them from having a share of her fate.

The novel describes the male dominating nature of the society during that period and how women were bound to accept the decisions. The novel depicts women as subsidiary characters accepting the decisions made by their husbands as is evident when Pooro’s mother accepts the decision made by her husband when Pooro flees back to her place .She laments for her daughter but doesn’t rebel the decision made by her husband .It can be seen from the novel that education at that time did not have any significant role especially in the lives of the women. Pooro a girl of fourteen years knows very well how to manage the household chores and is all set to take the burden and responsibilities of marriage. Quite remarkably the marriage too is depicted as a source of transaction where Pooro’s brother is to be married to her sister-in-law.

The novel is successful in implanting the anguish and terror of the partition of India in the minds of the readers. The pain and sorrow of Ram Chand on losing her sister, Lajjo, during the partition shows the pain and anguish of thousands of brothers whose sisters were abducted. It shows that in reality the partition was not only dividing India into two countries but separation of thousands of families and relatives. Initially, Pooro’s abduction by Rashida separated Pooro physically from her family and finally the partition of her motherland detached her geographically too. The novel critically analyses the religious societies which works in the names of religion forgetting the emotions of the people. The powers of these societies can be felt on the Indian society as they are even capable of separating a child from its mother. Pooro nourishes the child of the insane woman just like her own child but the Hindu religious committee takes away her child by making the argument that his mother was a Hindu. Through the lament of the boy who is being separated from his mother the author tries to describe the sorrow and pain of the people of India who has to leave their motherland.

The novel is quite interesting and creates the picture of Indian society in the minds of the readers. The various descriptions, for instant, traditional or religious hyms sung by the women during the birth of Pooro’s brother, the various arrangements made for Pooro’s marriage, giggling and teasing of Pooro’s friends, the mother’s sorrow of losing her daughter, shows and creates the sense of typical Indian society in the minds of the readers. Through these descriptions we can very well imagine the happy and sorrowful moments that the author wants to present. The character of Pooro reveals the caring and tolerant nature of Indian women. She doesn’t fight physically after being abducted by Rashida but is able to extinguish her sorrow and anger by helping Lajjo and other girls. Her motherly attitude, patience, tolerance and most importantly courageous and forgiving attitude brings a sense of respect for her in the minds of the readers. The novel also compares and contrasts the nature of the opposite sex. Pooro who loses her world because of Rashida accepts him and eventually develops a sense of respect and love for him, whereas Rashida’s uncle and he himself doesn’t forget the injustice brought to her aunt by Pooro’s uncle even after ages and hence takes the revenge. The title of the story “Pinjar” which literally means skeleton brings out the fact that women of the twentieth century were considered a figure not having any self- identity just like Pooro who even loses her name after being married to Rashida and hence is transformed to Hamida.

The author has incorporated all the human emotions in the novel. Initially there is the atmosphere of happiness and joy as the two happy moments come into the life of Pooro and her family, first the birth of her brother and second the announcement of her marriage. There is a sudden transformation of this atmosphere into that of anguish, sorrow and lament when Pooro is abducted by Rashida. The story further continues carrying the transformations of various emotions, for instant, Pooro’s hatred for Rashida to her love, revenge of Rashida to his repent and sorrow of Pooro to contentment. Just like fairy tales the author gives a happy ending to the novel which creates a sense of completeness and contentment in the minds of the readers. Hence, these qualities make the novel readable and interesting.