Tamas

The British Partition of Indian had countless disastrous consequences, many of which are rendered in heartbreaking fashion in Bhisham Sahni’s novel, Tamas. Sahni lived through the 1947 riots depicted in the book. In hindsight, Partition was enforced in a thoughtless, naïve fashion. Essentially, it was a division of the British Indian Empire intended to separate Hindus and Muslims. The creation of Pakistan, which was to be the home of India’s Muslim population, was a direct result of Partition, while India’s borders were intended to contain the vast majority of the Hindu populace. Of course, relocating millions of people was not easily accomplished.

As a result of Partition, millions of people were required to migrate to a new homeland—chosen by foreign colonizers who did not necessarily have their best interests at heart. The religious and political conflicts between Hindus and Muslims had always been in evidence, but now the divide was thrown into stark relief by the arbitrary lines drawn on maps by the British. Muslims and Hindus were reminded, through the adjustments on the map, that according to their rulers they were too different to coexist in peace. This was not the case: many people lived in harmony despite the challenges, both before Partition and after.

The riots of 1947 were the defining stain of Partition, and the subject of Tamas. As the novel begins, a young man named Nathu kills a pig in exchange for five rupees. He is told the pig will be used for veterinary purposes. The next morning, when a pig is found on the steps of a Mosque, the local Muslims kill a cow in retaliation. As tensions mount, so does the suspicion and fear in the city, as neighbors begin to turn on each other. Violence is not far behind, and soon the city is engulfed by riots.

Tamas is unconventional in that it has no central character. The chapters may occasionally revisit someone to whom the reader who has been introduced, or may focus solely on new characters who will never be seen again after the chapter ends. Indians of every race, political background, and religious creed suffered grievously during the riots. In many ways, India still lives with the aftermath of Partition and the 1947 riots. The author provides a panorama of characters on all sides of the conflict. There are Muslims and Hindus who want peace, and those who prefer war. There are instances of great mercy and tolerance contrasted with the despicable acts of The Deputy Commissioner Richard, the British administrator who has stewardship of the village where the riots take place and who is shown as an ambivalent, indifferent guardian. As he postpones making a decision, the riots worsen, eventually leading to horrific scenes of rape, murder, and mass suicide.

The riots are eventually quelled when Richard calls in air support from the military, something he could have done at any point, including before the riots began. In the aftermath, as refugee camps begin to form, it is obvious that little has been learned. A man who is given the task of counting the dead and the missing quickly grows immune to the tragic stories of those who suffered in the riots. He wants only to do his job, much as Richard (and the imperialist government he represents) wanted to do his. A world reduced to bureaucratic tasks is a world without empathy. This is the world that Sahni depicts in Tamas. It is an emotionally devastating novel, but a necessary one.