Life in a city just after partition
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Sports
  • Business
  • More
    • RSS in News
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Sports
  • Business
  • More
    • RSS in News
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • RSS in News
  • Subscribe
Home General

Life in a city just after partition

Archive Manager by WEB DESK
Jan 8, 2013, 12:00 am IST
in General
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterTelegramEmail

Between Clay and Dust, Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Aleph Book Co., Pp 215, Rs 450.00

Manju Gupta

THERE is a short novel, which leaves a lasting impact on the mind as it describes a city just after Partition. Though the story is very tourching, it is the style of presentation of the text that makes it more powerful.
Set against the backdrop of Partition of the country, the novel presents a glimpse of the life led by the two protagonists who are in the twilight of their lives – One is Ramzi and the other is Gohar Jan. They live in the ruins of the inner city, which has witnessed its destruction not because of the effects of Partition, but because most of its inhabitants have left for greener pastures and the fierce demand for construction material during the last few years is making builders pull down one building after another and pack off with the material used.

Here lives Ustad Ramzi, the head of a pehelwan clan and the custodian of a wrestler’s akhara. A man of frugal speech and austere habits, he appears stern and imposing and does not believe in accepting the futility and emptiness of life. Instead he continuously tries to give it a meaning, a purpose. He has chosen to remain a celibate to achieve perfection in his art and shut his mind to thoughts of women. Fifteen years earlier, he had won the wrestling title in the land – Ustad-e-Zaman after struggling to defend his clan against its rivals. With the abolition of princely states and nawabs and rajas, Ustad Ramzi’s world is shaken as there are no patrons of the wrestling bouts left. New challengers to eminence of his clan have now arisen, their followers having melted away and the adoring crowds long gone.

However, Ustad Ramzi’s unrelenting adherence to continuance of the sport makes his akhara a hallowed place. Adjacent to his akhara is a private cemetery where lies his own unfilled gave made several years earlier. He exults in the anticipation that the day he is laid there, he too would have conformed to that of his elders’ existence and become a part of it. As he has grown old, he assigns certain duties of maintaining the akhara to his younger brother Tamami, though very reluctantly as he is aware of his brother’s fickle nature and heedless ways.
(Aleph Book Co., 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110 002)

Download Organiser App
ShareTweetSendShareSend
Previous News

In the Delhi slum home of gang-rape accused 'We are good people'

Next News

Deafening secular silence on Owaisi’s outrage

Related News

UP: 36 arrested, 3 FIRs registered in Kanpur violence

#FridayFrenzy: Man who allegedly funded June 3 Kanpur violence arrested

China’s Premier Li Keqiang issues third warning over economic growth amid COVID-19 outbreak

President Xi’s presence in Hong Kong would seek to send important signals

Assam: Kabul Khan along with 3 others arrested for damaging river embankment leading to a devastating flood in Cachar

Assam: Kabul Khan along with 3 others arrested for damaging river embankment leading to a devastating flood in Cachar

“It’s made at the behest of the British to plunder people”: Outrage over Kerala Minister’s remarks against Constitution

“It’s made at the behest of the British to plunder people”: Outrage over Kerala Minister’s remarks against Constitution

Govt to give a mega push to ‘Justice at the door-steps’ programme

Supreme Court went beyond “Laxman Rekha,” says the open letter to CJI N V Ramana 

Eknath Shinde: Man who stole the March

Eknath Shinde: Man who stole the March

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

UP: 36 arrested, 3 FIRs registered in Kanpur violence

#FridayFrenzy: Man who allegedly funded June 3 Kanpur violence arrested

China’s Premier Li Keqiang issues third warning over economic growth amid COVID-19 outbreak

President Xi’s presence in Hong Kong would seek to send important signals

Assam: Kabul Khan along with 3 others arrested for damaging river embankment leading to a devastating flood in Cachar

Assam: Kabul Khan along with 3 others arrested for damaging river embankment leading to a devastating flood in Cachar

“It’s made at the behest of the British to plunder people”: Outrage over Kerala Minister’s remarks against Constitution

“It’s made at the behest of the British to plunder people”: Outrage over Kerala Minister’s remarks against Constitution

Govt to give a mega push to ‘Justice at the door-steps’ programme

Supreme Court went beyond “Laxman Rekha,” says the open letter to CJI N V Ramana 

Eknath Shinde: Man who stole the March

Eknath Shinde: Man who stole the March

Jauhar University case: ED summons SP leader Azam Khan, his wife and son

Jauhar University case: ED summons SP leader Azam Khan, his wife and son

Tamil Nadu: Call for partition & separate statehood a new normal in DMK rule

Tamil Nadu: Call for partition & separate statehood a new normal in DMK rule

Discomforted Chinese nationals under Xi Jinping’s oppressive governance seeking asylum abroad

Discomforted Chinese nationals under Xi Jinping’s oppressive governance seeking asylum abroad

Gujarat Riots: The Archetypal Elite of the pre-Modi Era

Gujarat Riots: The Archetypal Elite of the pre-Modi Era

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping Policy

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • Special Report
  • Sci & Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Education
  • Books
  • Interviews
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Obituary
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Refund and Cancellation

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies