The Book
When Mr. Pizarda came to dine.
What’s it about?
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| A historic divide. (image: OpenAI) |
What historical context is to be taken into account for a better understanding of the story?
Partition: Why was British India divided 75 years ago?
When Britain granted India independence, 75 years ago, the territory it had ruled over was divided, or partitioned, into India and the new state of Pakistan (with East Pakistan later becoming Bangladesh).
The India-Pakistan conflict has been one of the most enduring and volatile issues in the modern world. This conflict has its roots in the partition of India in 1947, which created two independent nations, India and Pakistan. Since then, the two countries have engaged in multiple wars and border disputes, resulting in a complex and dynamic history.
This created an upsurge of violence, in which approximately 15 million people were displaced and an estimated one million died.
India and Pakistan have remained rivals ever since.
The story we are reading this month is included in the book “The interpreter of maladies”,A collection of hort stories that explores the lives of Indian immigrants and their struggles to navigate between their heritage and their new identities in America.
The stories in "Interpreter of Maladies" often revolve around the theme of communication, highlighting the ways in which people struggle to express themselves, understand others, and bridge cultural and emotional divides. The narratives shed light on the profound impact of both verbal and nonverbal communication on relationships and human connection.
Lahiri's stories poignantly explore the challenges and complexities of cultural identity and displacement, portraying characters who grapple with the tension between their heritage and their adopted homes. The narratives offer profound insights into the ways in which individuals navigate their sense of belonging in the face of cultural dislocation.
The Author
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| Click on the image to go to the January 25 post |
External interesting links:
> BBC - Partition: Why was British India divided 75 years ago?
> A video to shed some light on the different conflicts over the years till now:
YouTube - History on Maps - History of India-Pakistan Conflict Explained on Maps
A summary of Dacca’s history (from Wikipedia):Under British rule, the city saw the introduction of electricity, railways, cinemas, Western-style universities and colleges, and a modern water supply. It became an important administrative and educational centre in the British Raj, as the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam province after 1905.[29] In 1947, after the end of British rule, the city became the administrative capital of East Pakistan. It was declared the legislative capital of Pakistan in 1962. In 1971, the Pakistan Army, backed by Islamists, created radical religious militias. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and genocidal rape, pursuing asystematic campaign of annihilation against nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia, religious minorities and armed personnel. The capital, Dhaka, was the scene of numerous massacres, including the Dhaka University massacre. An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. India decided to take part in the conflict. Pakistan surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971, in what remains to date the largest surrender of armed personnel since the Second World War, Dacca became the capital of an independent Bangladesh and is now the second most populated megacity only after Calcuta.
Page 34: “As weeks passed it grew more and more rare to see any footage from Dacca on the news.”Is it similar or different from how these violent wars are reflected in the news presently?