CORE II –INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - 23BEN1C2 Unit V: Joginder Paul - Sleepwalkers
CORE II –INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - 23BEN1C2
Unit V: Joginder Paul - Sleepwalkers
A detailed summary and analysis of "On Writing Sleepwalkers" by Jogindar
Pāl, featured in Manoa, which explains the creative genesis and
thematic depth of his novella Khwabrau (Sleepwalkers).
Summary of “On Writing Sleepwalkers”
In this reflective and semi-autobiographical essay, Jogindar Pāl
recounts how a visit to Karachi in the 1980s inspired him to write Sleepwalkers
(Khwabrau). He was struck by how certain areas of Karachi felt like
carbon copies of towns in Uttar Pradesh—not just in architecture, but in
language, culture, and food, especially the chaste Urdu and bustling
marketplaces reminiscent of Lucknow’s Chowk.
His host, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, served as the real-life model
for the character Ishaq Mirza, who lives in the present unlike many mohajirs
(migrants) in Karachi still mentally stuck in their pre-Partition Indian past.
This surreal, dreamlike continuity between India and Pakistan, between memory
and reality, planted the seed for Sleepwalkers, whose central metaphor
is that of people unconsciously living in their past.
Pāl introduces several key characters and situations from the novel to
elaborate on the migrant experience:
- Mirasen, a
Muslim woman left behind in Indian Punjab after the riots, endures rape
and humiliation but feels she has reached "Pakistan" upon being
helped by a Hindu doctor—highlighting the illusion of safety and
national identity.
- Achhi
Begum, scared of walking through a “Pakistani corridor” in Karachi,
reflects how Partition trauma affects perception and daily life.
- Sain
Baba, a poor Sindhi man, symbolizes the internal refugee within
Pakistan, still searching for his own "Pakistan" or promised
land.
- Deewane
Maulvi Sahab, mad with grief and nostalgia, insists he's still in Lucknow—until
a tragedy forces him to recognize he's in Karachi. But even then, his madness
mutates, believing he's now only visiting Karachi and must
return to Lucknow.
The essay closes with the deeply personal revelation that Pāl himself
is, metaphorically, Deewane Maulvi Sahab. He had to flee Sialkot (now in
Pakistan) during Partition and take charge of his family’s survival in India.
The trauma drove him not to madness but to a “premature sanity,” giving
him an intense empathy for the mohajir psyche. He recounts how even a
German Indologist reading his manuscript recognized in it her own experience of
division across the Berlin Wall, proving the universal emotional
truth of his narrative.
Analysis: Themes & Literary Significance
1. Partition and Migrant Identity
- Central
to the essay is the migrant's psychological dislocation. The
migrants (mohajirs) from India, though physically in Pakistan, live mentally
and emotionally in India.
- This
unresolved migrant consciousness is embodied in characters like Deewane
Maulvi and Achhi Begum, who believe they are still in India or
fear parts of Karachi as if they were foreign lands.
2. Madness as Metaphor
- The
recurring motif of sleepwalking or madness represents traumatic
coping mechanisms.
- Pāl treats
madness sympathetically, almost as a defense against unbearable loss
and dislocation.
3. Blurring of Memory and Reality
- The
essay emphasizes how memory reconstructs space—Karachi becomes
Lucknow, just as the past overtakes the present.
- This
mental re-mapping symbolizes the refusal or inability to adapt to a
new identity or geography.
4. Emotional Authenticity Over Factual Accuracy
- Pāl
argues that emotional truth is more important than mere historical
accuracy in literature.
- His
connection to the mohajirs' pain, despite now being Indian, makes his
portrayal deeply empathetic and universally relatable.
5. Universal Resonance of Displacement
- The
story resonates with other contexts of displacement (e.g., the
Berlin Wall), showing how border-induced trauma is a shared human
experience.
Conclusion
Jogindar Pāl’s On Writing Sleepwalkers is a deeply introspective, emotionally rich account of how a visit to Karachi unlocked a powerful creative response to the trauma of Partition. The characters, real and fictional, embody the fragmented identities of those caught between nations, memories, and realities. Ultimately, the essay serves not just as an author’s note, but as a philosophical reflection on history, loss, and the power of literature to heal and connect across time and borders.
+Sleepwalkers by Joginder Paul is a thought-provoking novella that delves into themes of alienation, societal apathy, and the human tendency to live life in a passive, mechanical way. The term "sleepwalkers" symbolizes people who go through life without self-awareness or consciousness of their actions. The play portrays characters who are disconnected from their surroundings, illustrating the sense of isolation that modern urban life often brings.
Through Sleepwalkers, Paul examines how societal pressures and routines can numb people, leading them to adopt a “sleepwalking” approach to life. The play is a critique of modern society’s emphasis on materialism and individualism, which often leads people to neglect meaningful connections and a true sense of purpose. With its evocative imagery and compelling dialogue, Sleepwalkers serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of self-awareness and human connection in an increasingly disconnected world.
________________________________________
Two-Mark Questions and Answers
Two-Mark Questions and Answers
·
What
inspired Jogindar Pāl to write Sleepwalkers?
A visit to Karachi in the 1980s inspired Pāl, where he observed people living
as if still in India. The surreal continuity between Lucknow and Karachi gave
rise to the idea of “sleepwalkers.”
·
Who
was the real-life model for the character Ishaq Mirza?
Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, a writer and critic, inspired the character. He
represented a migrant rooted in the present, unlike others stuck in the past.
·
How
does Deewane Maulvi Sahab cope with the trauma of Partition?
He imagines that he is still living in pre-Partition Lucknow. His madness is a defense
mechanism against unbearable grief.
·
What
symbolic meaning does the word “Pakistan” carry in the story?
For some, “Pakistan” is a place of safety and sacred refuge. For others, like
Achhi Begum, it represents fear and dislocation.
·
What
does the novella say about the mohajir identity?
It shows that mohajirs live physically in Pakistan but mentally remain in
India. Their sense of home is deeply fractured.
·
How
does the author describe Karachi’s resemblance to Lucknow?
He finds Karachi filled with places, people, and language reminiscent of
Lucknow. It creates a dreamlike continuity between the two cities.
·
Why
is Sain Baba significant in the story?
He symbolizes the internal refugee in Pakistan. Though a native of Sindh,
poverty forces him to keep searching for his “Pakistan.”
·
What
happens to Deewane Maulvi Sahab after the tragedy?
A bomb blast kills his family and jolts him into reality. He realizes he is in
Karachi but soon creates a new illusion to cope.
·
What
does the grandson Salim represent in the story?
Salim represents the next generation born in Karachi. He sees Karachi as
Lucknow, unaware of the ancestral homeland.
·
What
message did the German Indologist convey to the author?
She identified with the story emotionally, relating it to her experience of the
Berlin Wall. This showed the universal relevance of displacement
Five-Mark Questions and Answers
1. Describe
the central metaphor of ‘sleepwalking’ in the novella.
The metaphor of sleepwalking captures the state of mind of the mohajirs in
Karachi who live in a suspended reality. They act, speak, and think as though
they are still in pre-Partition India. This metaphor emphasizes the emotional
paralysis and inability to accept the post-Partition present. The people are
not just migrants; they are dreamers who refuse to wake up from the past.
Through this metaphor, Pāl underscores the deep psychological scars left by
historical trauma.
2.
Explain the role
of Deewane Maulvi Sahab in the story.
Deewane Maulvi Sahab is a tragic yet sympathetic figure who represents the psychological
cost of migration. He insists he still lives in Lucknow, and this delusion
protects him from the reality of loss. When his family dies in a bomb blast,
the shock briefly restores his sanity, but he then slips into a new
delusion—that he is visiting Karachi and must return to Lucknow. His character
reflects how memory and imagination can become tools for survival amid trauma.
Pāl uses him as both a literal and symbolic figure of Partition-induced
madness.
3.
Discuss the
representation of women through the characters of Mirasen and Achhi Begum.
Mirasen and Achhi Begum reflect different emotional responses to Partition.
Mirasen, a rape survivor left behind in Punjab, finds solace in being reunited
with her people—even if it is only symbolic. Achhi Begum, however, is haunted
by fear of “Pakistani corridors” in Karachi. While Mirasen’s tragedy ends with
comfort, Achhi Begum’s life is ruled by paranoia. Through both women, Pāl shows
how women internalized Partition trauma differently but deeply.
4.
How does the
novella explore the theme of homeland and identity?
The novella presents homeland as both a physical place and a mental construct.
For mohajirs, the homeland remains in India, even though they physically reside
in Pakistan. Characters like Ishaq Mirza understand this illusion, while
others, like the Maulvi, live within it. The story shows how identity is torn
between two geographies and how the past clings to the present. This fragmented
identity is the core of mohajir suffering.
5.
Why is emotional
authenticity more important than historical accuracy in Pāl’s view?
Pāl believes that the emotional truth of Partition carries more weight than
factual recounting. His own refugee experience enables him to feel and depict
the anguish of dislocation. When a German reader weeps over the manuscript, it
proves the universality of such emotional truths. Facts may provide context,
but it is emotion that gives life to literature. Thus, authenticity in Sleepwalkers arises from shared human
experience.
Essay Question
Write an essay on how Jogindar Pāl’s “On Writing
Sleepwalkers” explores the emotional and psychological effects of Partition.
Introduction
Jogindar Pāl’s reflective essay “On Writing Sleepwalkers” provides the
background and thematic core of his novella Khwabrau (Sleepwalkers).
Through vivid memories, personal trauma, and literary imagination, Pāl explores
the emotional and psychological wounds of Partition, especially as
experienced by mohajirs—Indian Muslims who migrated to Pakistan.
1. The Metaphor of Sleepwalking
The idea of people moving through life as if in a
dream—sleepwalkers—perfectly captures the surreal disconnection between body
and memory. The migrants live in Karachi but believe they are still in Lucknow
or Amroha. This state of denial reflects how traumatic displacement can
fracture time and space.
2. The Role of Personal Memory
Pāl’s own migration from Sialkot to India shapes his sympathetic view.
He recounts how, like Deewane Maulvi Sahab, he was forced into premature
adulthood due to crisis. This blend of fiction and autobiography strengthens
the emotional authenticity of the novella.
3. Characters as Symbolic Figures
Each character reflects a dimension of Partition trauma:
- Deewane
Maulvi represents denial and madness.
- Mirasen
reflects gendered suffering.
- Achhi
Begum illustrates the internal fear of the migrant experience.
- Sain
Baba shows how even locals can become internal refugees.
4. The Next Generation and Hope
Children like Salim, who accept Karachi as their Lucknow, suggest a new
identity is forming. However, this too carries the risk of future dislocation,
as Ishaq Mirza fears they may face another migration. The novella is thus both
a lament and a warning.
5. Literature as Shared Emotional History
Pāl’s encounter with a German reader proves that displacement stories
are universal. Whether in Berlin or Karachi, the pain of division is deeply
human. Thus, Sleepwalkers transcends regional history to become a global
narrative of memory and identity.
Conclusion
“On Writing Sleepwalkers” is more than an author’s note—it is a profound
meditation on loss, memory, and the search for belonging. Jogindar Pāl
transforms personal and collective grief into a timeless literary expression.
Through emotionally resonant storytelling, he makes Partition not just an
Indian story, but a human one.
Posts
Sir, this is a novel/novella but not a play
ReplyDeletethank you sir
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