The Partition 1947 is regarded as the most catastrophic and evolutionary event to

have occurred on Earth's surface. Such a tremendous event, in which millions of

people were uprooted from their homes and possessions, during a period of extreme
stress and confusion, cannot be easily found. Women were subjected to torture,
sexual abuse, humiliation, and consideration of their bodies as objects..
“Their statistics failed to provide the exact accounts, how women must have felt
while drowning themselves in the wells lest they be abducted and abused by men of
other community.“. (Aijaz Ahmad Ganie & Dr. M.S. Rathor) So all most all the
writers, fictional (novelist, short story and poets) and non-fictional writers
(Historians) attempted to record it in the best possible way. But many scholars and
critics were of the view that history give only a mathematical calculation. “As
History, alone is not sufficient for the comprehensive understanding”(Aijaz Ahmad
Ganie & Dr. M.S. Rathor )Where is literature try to evoke the emotions through the
whole process process. The partition of of India drastically resulted in a large
number of production of scholastic it works monographs with a number of fictional
works including novels and short stories. The partition writings majorly focused
around the religious struggle, Slee Hindu relation and its transformation from
brotherhood to enmity.

Among various partition works Khushwant Singh train to Pakistan is considered to be

the first novel on the theme of partition where in a brilliant in a realistic story
of political hatred violence is followed by the partition of subcontinent. India.
The story depicts partition that resulted and give birth to 2 independent,
political borders, Pakistan and India. Saadat Hassan Manto considered to be the one
of the greatest Udu writer. His famous works include open it, cold Toba two Singh
etc The 1988 book Sidhwa's Ice Candy Man, also known as Cracking India, is regarded
as the first book on Partition written by a Pakistani woman author. Sidhwa uses
eight-year-old Lenny Sethi's perspective to examine the Partition narrative.
Similar to Singh's Train to Pakistan, Cracking India offers an alternative account
of the Partition's history and the circumstances that the historians have chosen to
ignore for people.

I will be researching on the very famous Peshawar express written by Krishan

Chander. Krishan Chander was a writer of short stories in Hindi and Urdu, with a
focus on Urdu. This prolific author produced several radio plays, thirty
collections of short stories, and more than twenty novels. He studied Hindi after
Indian independence and was fluent in both languages. In addition to writing cinema
scripts, he has written satirical fiction, such as Sarafat in 1970. Translations of
his masterwork, Ek Gadhe Ki Sarguzasht, have been made into more than sixteen
Indian languages as well as a few other languages. His short story "Annadata" was
adapted by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas into the 1946 motion picture Dharti Ke Lal. Chander
remained an agnostic and a supporter of the Communist Party, and he opposed the
disputes between Hindus and Muslims. He wrote in Urdu and spoke in the Pahari
dialect of the people. His best-selling book Mitti Ke Sanam is about the early
memories of a youngster who lived in Kashmir, while his novel Shakast is about the
partition of Kashmir. His most well-known piece is Ek Gadhe Ki Sarguzasht. The
tales of Kashmiri villages are included in his anthology of short stories, Afsane.
Krishan Chander passed away on March 8, 1977, in Mumbai. In his honor, Krishan
Chander Park Poonch is located in Poonch, Kashmir. One of his notable quotes is,
"The greatest reward for a writer is to be read, understood, and appreciated." This
sentiment encapsulates his desire to connect with readers on a profound level and
to provoke contemplation on the human experience through his writing

"Peshawar Express" essentially depicts the terrifying experiences of those who were
forced to escape their homes during India's partition. Train travelers from all
walks of life struggle with the abrupt disruption of their reality, making the trip
a microcosm of the greater upheaval. As people are forced to face the brutal
reality of displacement and families are split apart, Chander deftly captures the
confusion and anxiety that permeate the train. Identity loss in the face of
political unrest is one of the story's main themes. The characters on the train are
taken from their comfortable surroundings and made to deal with a new environment
in which it is difficult to distinguish between friends and foes. “Today the same
land had forsaken them, refusing to shower its bounty on them. They were bidding
good bye to their homeland with heavy heart and conjuring up visions of a new
home.”(Chander 1) Through the character of Hameed, a little child who gets lost
from his family in the midst of the pandemonium of the journey, Chander shows this
loss of identity. Hameed's quest to find his identity is a reflection of the
refugees' broader effort to rebuild their sense of self after the division.

Chander uses strong imagery throughout the narrative to illustrate the hardships of
division. “The train itself becomes a symbol of both hope and despair..." (Chander
2)As it carries its passengers toward an unknown future and serves as a reminder of
the violence and bloodshed that accompany their journey, the train itself takes on
symbolic meaning that combines elements of both optimism and despair. Chander
depicts a particularly eerie scenario in which the train passes past a burning
town, the people's cries acting as a somber reminder of the horrors of the
division.”The houses of some of them had been burnt down and all that they
possessed were the clothes they stood in. But there were others who had been able
to retrieve even their broken cots and other petty belongings”.(Chander 3)

Women make a big contribution to "Peshawar Express," which emphasizes the effects
of partition on people and families. Krishan Chander illuminates the particular
difficulties and vulnerabilities that women encounter during periods of hard times.
A Muslim woman who loses everything in the brutality of division is one of the
story's main female characters. She stands in for the innumerable women who were
forcibly removed from their homes and forced to escape with little more than the
clothing on their backs. Throughout the shower express, women were mostly molested
naked front of public humiliated abused by male figure

Through the narrative's characterizations and exchanges, Chander demonstrates how

women overcome these challenges with tenacity and resolve. “The girl must have been
an intellectual, harbouring the desire to serve her country and its people..“.
(Chander 4)Through modest acts of rebellion or the formation of supportive networks
such as the Peshawar Express, they find methods to assert their agency. The
narrative probably depicts the internal struggles and external obstacles that the
female protagonists face as they work to define their identities and follow their
aspirations in a patriarchal culture. Chander's story might also emphasize how
crucial cooperation and teamwork are to overcoming structural inequities and
promoting social change.”They were Hindu and Sikh women and Muslim men and together
they were celebrating the most gruesome Baisakhi.”(Chander 5) The description of
the celebration as "the most gruesome Baisakhi" suggests a somber atmosphere,
possibly indicating that the festivities are overshadowed by recent violence or
tragedy. This sets a tone of solemnity and hints at the underlying struggles and
challenges faced by the characters.”The women's hair hung loose, and though their
bodies bore marks of injury they walked erect as if the heavy shadow of death had
completely eclipsed their naked bodies.”( Chander 6) We are made to feel both
vulnerable and resilient by images of women with loose hair and bodies covered with
scars. They appear strong and dignified despite their physical wounds, indicating
that they have faced adversity but have chosen not to give up. The general subject
of women's struggles and perseverance in the face of misfortune is supported by
this portrayal. The reference to the "heavy shadow of death" alludes to the
characters' omnipresent sense of loss and mortality.

In the essay VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DURING THE PARTITION OF INDIA:ARUNIMA DEY she
points out violence against women during the Partition of India sheds light on the
harrowing experiences endured by women amidst the tumultuous events of that era Dey
explores the pervasive crimes against women, including as forced conversion, rape,
and kidnapping. She examines the psychological and emotional costs of this kind of
abuse, highlighting the pain survivors endure for a lifetime. Dey also looks at the
sociopolitical factors, such as intergroup strife and the collapse of law and
order, that led to the rise of violence. Dey emphasizes the necessity of
remembering and acknowledging these troubling periods in history, as well as the
necessity of addressing the ongoing effects on impacted communities, in her brief
but moving piece.

Similarly in Peshawar express women were naked around humiliated on public front
Dey stated that ”The most common ways in which this type of violence was
manifested on female bodies included mutilation or branding of genitalia with
religious symbols, ripping out their wombs, being paraded naked on the streets or
in places of religious worship, and finally, rape” in Peshawar Chander points out a
incident wherein a woman is sitting naked and her child ask her mother why is she
sitting naked she exclaims that Today the sons of her land had given her a sinister
bath.(Chander 7). It expresses the old woman's inner turmoil as she goes through
intense grief and agony. The term "sinister bath" conveys a sense of dread and
apprehension, suggesting that her sons or her land have suffered a horrific or sad
event. The elderly woman's battle to contain her emotions illustrates her fortitude
and inner fortitude in the face of misfortune. All in all, the story effectively
captures a sense of loss and grief. Yet another incident in Peshawar express
towards the end of the story whereWhere in a Muslim girl is ready to change her
religion and marry Hindu men yet she is stabbed and killed “Her book got soiled
with her blood”. (Chander8). John Strachey's book "Socialism: Theory and Practice"
embodies the values and ideals that people are prepared to fight—and even sacrifice
their lives—for. The bloodstains throughout the book indicate that pursuing these
principles is not always easy and frequently involves sacrifice and personal
anguish. The brutal reality that the story's characters must deal with while
navigating Peshawar's unstable political environment is shown by this visual.

In "Peshawar Express," Chander delves into the subject of perseverance in the face
of hardship. The refugees on the train are not giving up hope in spite of the
atrocities they have seen and the losses they have experienced. Despite being
forced to face the hard reality of displacement, they hold onto the hope that they
would eventually find a place to call home. Chander concludes the narrative with
these lines: "And in the distance, beyond the horizon, lay Peshawar, waiting to
embrace them with open arms." These remarks serve as a reminder that there is
always hope for a better tomorrow, even in the most dire circumstances.

In conclusion Krishan Chander's "Peshawar Express" deftly combines themes of

political unrest, selflessness, and the struggle for survival, with an emphasis on
the fortitude and resiliency of women in the face of hardship. We are reminded by
their experiences of the human spirit's capacity to rise above even the most
difficult obstacles and the enduring power of hope.
We are left with a deep understanding of the human cost of political struggle and
the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hardship as the train leaves,
leaving behind a city enveloped in chaos. The ladies of "Peshawar Express" are a
living example of people's tenacity and unwavering determination to move forward in
the face of adversity.

Citation
•Krishan Chander, ‘Peshawar Express’ (Urdu, Punjab), trans. Jai Ratan, in Stories
•VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DURING THE PARTITION OF INDIA: ARUNIMA DEY
•THE PLIGHT OF COMMON PEOPLE IN THE PARTITION LITERATURE OF INDIAN
SUBCONTINENT :Aijaz Ahmad Ganie' & M.S. Rathor