The novel is an analysis of ‘Ahimsa’ (non- violence). Mahatma Gandhiji’s creed of Ahimsa is discredited by the reality of violence. In his prefatory note, the novelist says ‘only the violence in the story happens to be true’. Violence and communal
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The novel is an analysis of ‘Ahimsa’ (non- violence). Mahatma Gandhiji’s creed of Ahimsa is discredited by the reality of violence. In his prefatory note, the novelist says ‘only the violence in the story happens to be true’. Violence and communal frenzy/ hatred prevail in the novel. Communalism embittered the lives of freedom fighters i. e. characters like Devi-Dayal, Basu and Shafi Usman turned them into communal fanatics.
There reviewer’s impression is that violence and communalism still persist and prevail in the present societies.
The novel is divided into 36 chapters, it consists of 448 pages. It opens with Gandhiji’s bonfire of British cloths and ends with the partition violence and bloodshed that marked ‘the sunrise of our freedom’ in 1947. Gian Talwar is a young boy from poor peasant family from village Konshet. He has come to Duriabad in the West Punjab for college studies. He impulsively becomes a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He is a college-mate of Debi-dayal who has joined the terrorist movement directed against British regime in India. Shafi Usman is the leader of the terrorist group.
Hari is elder brother of Gian Talwar. He is killed by Vishnu Dutt, their cousin in the takeover of the Piploda Land at Konshet which was given to their grand father, Dada Talwar by the Big House. Gian is badly disturbed.
Debi-dayal is the only son of Techchand Kerward, a rich business magnet of Duriabad.
Debi hates the British and has joined the terrorist band. Sundari is a sister to Debi-dayal she is married to Gopal Chandidar. Debi-dayal, Shafi Usman are arrested for different reasons. Gian Talwar falls in love with Sundari. Mumtaj is Shafi’s Beloved. Debi-dayal purchased Mumtaj from the brothel only to hurt Shafi. Gopal Chandidar, Sundari’s husband has affairs with a girl named Malini. When Gopal returns from the Club, Baldeo, his bearer tells him that Sundari and Gian are out on the beach. On switching lights on, his eyes fall on the telescope on the window sill and sees Sundari and Gian lying naked together on the beach. He realizes that it is Sundari’s way of telling him that she has seen him with Malini and is now taking revenge on him.
Sundari tells her father that Debi had married Mumtaj, a Muslim girl. Debi-dayal and Mumtaj take a train to Duriabad. They cross the boundary of West-Punjab. Then the train is stopped by Muslim-rioters to search out infidels. Debi is dragged out and felled. When Mumtaj covers him by falling on him, she is dragged away.
Shafi Usman wants to take revenge on Debi. Along with his companions he has come to Kerward House to kidnap Sundari. Sundari’s mother Radha is killed by Shafi. Shafi himself is beaten to death by Sundari. Gian Talwar and Sundari continue their journey to freedom.
The dominant themes of the novel are revenge and violence. The central focus is on revenge and violence. The novelist shows how motives of revenge in his characters overcome their principles. Hari, Gian Talwar’s elder brother is killed by Vishnu their cousin. His sacrifice. however, doesn’t go a waste. It finally kindles keen desire for revenge in Gian Talwar who kills Vishnu Dutt. Almost all the character-Debi Dayal, Ramoshi Ghashita, Sundari and Shafi Usman – are motivated by revenge and use violence to seek fulfillment.
Violence gets a sharper focus in the novel. The novelist views partition as an expression of accumulative violence. The partition, events of violence, carnage and bloodshed form the focus of attention in the last three chapters of novel. The themes of revenge and violence find full articulation in the partition.
The main setting of novel is the village called Konshet. Hari has spent a lot of money in winning the case of Piploda Land that was given to his grand father Dada Talwar by the Big House. As Gian and Hari make efforts to take the possession of the disputed land, the latter is killed by Vishnu Dutt in the takeover. It kindles a keen desire in Gian to take a revenge on Visnu Dutt. So the setting of the novel is closely associated with the main themes of the novel.
Gian Talwar, Sundari, Debi-dayal, Shafi Usman are the major characters in the novel.
Gian Talwar kills Vishnu Dutt. He confesses his guilt to the police, is awarded life-sentence and is condemned to the Andamans. Debi-dayal, a son to Techchand Kerward is wedded to violence as a way of life. Sundari takes emotional revenge on her infidel husband. Shafi Usma is Muslim terrorist. The roles these characters are closely associated with narrative, setting and the themes of novel. The writing style of novel is descriptive. The novelist used a swiftly moving narrative in the novel. The novel opens with Gandhiji’s bonfire of British cloths and ends with the partition violence and bloodshed that marked ‘the sunrise of our freedom’ in 1947.
The novel effectively conveys its themes. The dominant themes of the novel are revenge and violence. The central focus is on revenge and violence. The novelist shows how motives of revenge in his characters overcome their principles. Hari, Gian Talwar’s elder brother is killed by Vishnu their cousin. His sacrifice. however, doesn’t go a waste. It finally kindles keen desire for revenge in Gian Talwar who kills Vishnu Dutt. Almost all the character-Debi Dayal, Ramoshi Ghashita, Sundari and Shafi Usman – are motivated by revenge and use violence to seek fulfillment. The novel realistically portrays partition, violence, carnage and bloodshed.
The novel deals with violence and revenge. There is a different type of revenge taken by Sundari. When Gopal returns from the Club, Baldeo, his bearer tells him that Sundari and Gian are out on the beach. On switching lights on his eyes fall on the telescope on the window sill and he sees Sundari and Gian lying naked together on the beach. He realizes that it Sundari’s way of telling him that she had seen him with Malini and is now taking revenge on him. After Sundari is convinced that her husband has seen her in the position she wanted to see her, she turns to Gian and exposes his lies about being Debi-dayal’s friend in the penal colony. She calls him a common thief and liar. The narrative of the novel is based on communalism. There is communal hatred between the Hindus and the Muslims. It is still prevalent in the present societies. There are various events of communalism in our country at present times.
The reviver would to like to recommend the book for Genre Lovers as it is ‘Patriation Novel’.
It describes the partition, events of carnage, bloodshed and violence in the most realistic manner.
‘A Bend in the Ganges’ is one of the three best partition novels, the other two being ‘Train to Pakistan’ by Khushwant Shing and ‘Azadi’ by Chaman Nahal.
The main focus of novel is on violence, revenge and communalism. Each episode of the novel is structured on this reality of human life. The novelist shows how motives of revenge in his characters overcome their principles of life.
Violence gets a sharper focus in the novel. Idealism and creed of non- violence are meaningless before human instinct and human behavior. Human nature is itself is made of violence and revenge. Almost all episodes of the novel, as noted earlier, illustrate this reality of human nature.
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