DISLOCATION AND SENSE OF LOSS

“ICE-CANDY MAN”

ABSTRACT...!!

Baspi Sidhwa employs the genre of partition novel in her Ice-Candy Man,known as
“Cracking India”. She exposes Pakistani, Indian view on partition and Lenny, girl as
narrator’s perspective on the great communal divide showing “dislocation”
emotional confusion and “sense of loss”.
The fascinating aspect of this novelist the use of the child narrator, the mature
Parsi girl, “Lenny”. The impact of violence on the girl child narrator Lenny, who
depicts the horrors of partition, the role of rumor, the dangers of communal
frenzy and the rise of obscurantism are all aspects of the partition, which reflects
in Ice-Candy Man. And it is the subsequent sub-divisions how the novelist employs
witty banter, irony and parody in her sensitive handling of the impact of the
partition on the Parsi community, the girl narrator and deteriorating human
relationship. It is these aspects that make the novel the cruelty, the horrors,
the human toll and dislocation of partition, and sense of loss.
Sidhwa explore that partition as an offshoot of fundamentalism sparked by hardening
communal attitudes. She shares her view on the disaster of partition and she
emphasizes the possibility of being attack of human lives. This harsh way divided
friends, families, lovers and neighbours in both countries. In Ice-CandyMan the
characters from all communities Hindus, Muslim, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis.Thus
a multiple perspective of partition as viewed by affected people. However what
really distinguishes Baspi Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy Man is the prism of Parsi sensitivity
in which she depicts disastrous event.

INTRODUCTION...!!!
Bapsi Sidhwa’s Ice-candyman published in America under the title of ‘Cracking
India’ in 1991 and in 1998. Indo-Canadian filmmaker “Deepa Mahta” adapted
story of Ice-candy man and produced film named “1947: Earth”. The novel highlights
the issues of women’s and children’s painful sufferings, easy victims in communal
riots
through the bloody partition. Sidhwa exposes the issues of murdered, raped,
exploited, enslaved, homelessness, blood flooded series in her novel.
“ The Partition was poorly represented because the memories were too painful ,
and people were too busy setting up new lives . but story tellers will tell their
tales, and very little will be lost. Writers in Indian and Pakistani languages are
chronicling the old tradition. As long as their are writers and story tellers most of
what is important will be retained. Writers are the new myth makers” (Bapsi
Sidhwa).
Lenny the narrator of the novel is a little Parsi girl. Due to physically disabled caused
by polio, her world is small and full of colors. Ayah, eighteen years old, who is
always with her friends and admirers of all races and faiths. Ayah keeps them
united but as the communal tension and make , the small group (disintegrates).
They get polarized along communal lines. Riots(violence) start and the worst victims are
women. Here, Sidhwa is an eye witness to the communal violence and frenzy
during 1947 partition. Sidhwa presents the disaster of partition of Indian
subcontinent through the eyes of both Hindus and Muslim communities.About
cracking India she says....

“i was just attempting to write the stories of what religious hatred and
violence can do to people and how close evil is to the nature of man.
Under normal circumtances people can be quite ordinary and
harmless, but once the mob mentality takes over, evil surfaces. Evil is
very close to the surface of man”.

THE HUMAN TOLL...!!

Bapsi Sidhwa shows her own technique of reportage. She aptly explains the
unstoppable logic of partition that is never ending left even sensible people and friends
helpless and in effective. Bare facts present the horror of the greatest communal
divide in history of both countries.
The Parsee paradox of whether to support „Swaraj‟ or to maintain their loyalty to the
British Raj is also humorously describe. An interesting touch is given to his dilemma.
The Parsees in Lahore at a special meeting at their temple hall in Warris Road have an
harsh debate on the political system. If India is divided and independence is achieved,
political glory, fame and fortune will be acquired by the two major communities, Hindus
and Muslims. Col. Bharucha says:
1....“ Hindus, Muslims and even Sikhs are going to jockey for power
and if you jokers jump into the middle you will be mangled into
chutney. (p.36)”
Textual explanation...
(13 hundered years ago the Parsies had tried to accept indian culture with all its diversities, but
now at the moment of partition they might be forced to take side with one of the dominent
religious communities in Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs. So in this meeting Col Bharucha the president
of the community in lhr argues that parsee should stick to their long standing of loyalty to the
british empire . Here he warns Parsee that once they gets Swaraj....)

Bapsi Sidhwa as a sensitive novelist shows that humanitarian deeds are performed by
individuals like Rodabai, known as Godmother, Lenny's mother and Jagjeet who with
a secret group of Sikhs visit the Muslim village of Pir Pindo under cover of darkness to
warn them of an impending Akali attack. The novelist is also very practical and
wordly wise. She shows that individual acts of kindness and bravery can only help
some victims and reduce their misery but not stem the tide of organised violence.
In rural areas the Muslim village of Pir Pindo forty miles east of lahore,the muslims or
Pir Pindo and the Sikhs from the neighbouring village of Dera Tek Singh sit together
and share their concern over the failure communal situation , and the outbreak of
conflict in the cites. When Lenny,s family cook and a townman Imam Din open the
subject of Sikhs and Muslims trouble, the villagers both Sikhs and Muslim erupt in
protest. After the tumult subsides, the Sikh Granthi, Gagjeet Singh says...

“Brother our village come from the same racial stock. Muslims or
Sikhs, we are basically jats, we are brothers. How can we fight each
other??”
Seconding the veiws of the Sikh Granthi the muslim Chaudary of Pir Pindo tells Imam
Din..

“Our relationship with the hindus are bound by strong ties. The cities
folk can afford to fight...we can’t, we are dependent on each other ;
bound our toil; by Mandi prices set by the Banyas; _they’re our
common enemy- those city Hindus. To us villagers, what does it
matter if Peasant is a Hindu , or a Muslim, or a Sikh.???”
The neighbours of the Semi, Mr. and Mrs. Singh leave Lahore with their two children
and a few belongings. Other goods are left behind with Lenny's parents. Sher Singh the
zoo attendant flees from Lahore due to insecurity after his brother-in-law is killed.
Similarly the students fraternity of King Edward's Medical College is disrupted.
Seven year old Lenny senses a subtle (fine distinction) change in the Queen garden.
The people of different communities are sitting apart ,
2.....“Only the group around Ayah remaines unchanged, Hindu,
Muslim, Sikh, and Parsee are, as always, unified around her.”

Textual explanation....
(the shocking thing is that even children are not being allowed to interact with one another,
when Lenny goes to play with the bunch of Sikhs childerns, Masseur follows her and drags her
away. Even Sikhs women ask little Lenny’s what her religion is ?? When she say ,she is Parsi ,
they express surprise at the discovery of the new religion).

Partition is shown as a series of images and events depicting human loss and agony.
The dislocation of settled life is revealed by Lenny's understanding of the demographic
change in Lahore. In awe she observes that Lahore is no more cosmopolitan. The Sikhs
and Hindus have fled.
Prakash and his family migrate to Delhi and Rahool Singh and his pretty sisters are
accompany to a convoy to Amritsar. In Lenny's household, the gardener Hari is
circumcised and becomes Himmat Ali and Moti becomes David Massih, showing the
politics of compromise and survival. Ayah's lover the masseur's damage dead body is
found in a gunny sack. The money lender Kirpa Ram flees leaving guineas and other
wealth behind Communal disorder and riots cross the class divide. Even middle-class
families like the Shankers flee in haste.

3......“Lahore is suddenly emptied of yet sother hoary dimension:

there are no Brahmins with caste marks - or Hindus in dhotis with
bodhis. Only hordes of Muslim refugees. (Ice-Candy-Man p. 175)”
Textual explanation....
(Lahore changed entired after declaration of partition of India and formation of Pakistan. Hindus
and Skihs migrated at large scale. There were now no Brahmins with caste-mark on their
forehead or Hindus in bodies. There were only hoards of muslims refugees from India. The chap
23 of the novel shows Beadon Road bereft of the colourful turbans, hairys bodies, yellow short ,
tight pajamas , and glitting religious ascend of the Sikhs, look like any other populous street)

The child narrator senses the difference and pain caused by the huge exchange of
populations.The dislocation and uprootedness of Partition is experienced by Lenny and
her brother Adi as they drift through Queen's Gardens searching in vain for familiar
Faces and acquaintances.

“Adi and I wander from group to group peering into faces beneath
white skull- caps and above ascetic beards. - . .. I feel uneasy.
LikeHarnida I do not fit. I know we will not find hiliar fsces here. (Ice-
Candy-Man p.237) “
The dislocation of life during Partition caused emotional upheavels. This is best
exemplified by the attitude of Lenny when she learns that Masseur one of Ayah's
several admirers has proposed marriage. Even in the child there is a feeling of
insecurity as she clings to Ayah's hands and cajoles her not to marry the masseur as it
would entail separation.for Lenny the domestic manifestation of partition is sudden and
suggesting the presence of danger.

Parody and Brutalisation...!!

Ice-Candy-Man the pointless brutality of communal frenzy is parodied as it is presented
and narrated by the child narrator Lenny. The properties of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs
are destroyed as the author implies that are knows no religion.
The terror of the fight for Lahore between Muslims and Sikhs is palpable. For the child
narrator it is a spectacle, a variation from routine life, but mingled with terror and horror.

“The shrieks of "Pakistan Murdabad! Sat Sri Akaal! Bolay so nihaal!"

of the Sikh mobs when listening to Master Tara Singh at Queen's Garden and

"Allah-o- Akbar! Yaaa Ali! And Pakistan Zindabad" of the rampaging.

Muslim mobs give Lenny as many nightmares...that the zoo Lion breaking loose and
sinking his fangs into her stomach...

1.....“the hungry Lion , cutting across Lawrance Road to Birdwood

Road prowls from the rear of the house to the bedroom door, and
sinking his fangs into her stomach”
Textual Explanation....
(the hungry lion foreshadows the lust for blood and the murderous cruelty with which
people of different communities will treat one another at the time of independence and
partition.With these personal nightmares of Lenny’s sidwa set the stage of the
sensational details of real violence in public life.)
when she recollects the roaring of the lions in -the zoo. With such subtle comparisons
and ironic exposures, Sidhwa shows the brutalisation which communal frenzy causes.
Even lovers turn the hostile.
The scenes of violence have a baleful influence on children. When Lenny reaches home
she picks out a big, bloated celluloid doll and pulls its legs apart. As they comeoff easily,
she doesnot feel satisfied. She takes another doll with,

2.....“A sturdy, will stuffed cloth body and a substantial feel”

Textual explanation.....
(She and Adi pull the doll legs in opposite directions until its suddenly break into parts making a
twist sound. Holding the doll’s reveal inside in her hands, Lenny’s fall down on the bed crying
noisily)

The transformation of a fun loving man who lively way and acted the idiot in the park,
into an ogre is conveyed by Lenny's horror at the sadism in his face. It is a clear image
which is a complete reminder of the brutality of the times. Subtle an unpleasant,
images and gestures enable.
Bapsi Sidhwa handle the delicate and sensitive theme of Partition without verbosity and
sensationalism. The horror of human loss, bloodshed and separation is portrayed
without wordliness details and maudlin sentimentality.