TOBA TEK SINGH - A NEW PERSPECTIVE
TOBA TEK SINGH - A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Why I Hate The Month Of March.
Report
Toba Tek Singh – A New Perspective
Why I hate the month of March.
Introduction
The objective of this assignment is
to reimagine Toba Tek Singh, from Manto’s story, in a more creative light as an
entity that has a particular history. The Partition was a time of chaos and
violence and left two countries and its citizens scarred ever since. Taking
Toba Tek Singh as a geographical location, the village where Bishan Singh
hailed from, I chose to view this period from the eyes of Roop Kaur, his
daughter, an elusive character mentioned only a few times in the story.
Justification of the Creative Mode
of Expression
I chose to tell Roop’s story through
a podcast episode for a channel called “The Swaddle” where she comes on a guest
to share her experiences for their “Partition Stories” series. The medium of a
podcast felt apt as I wanted to keep Roop faceless but with character. One can
hear her voice as she recites her piece and go through the emotions and
experiences together than to just watch her perform. To convey what she had to
say effectively, which would be for everyone to listen actively and understand
her, instead of focusing on her appearance and facial expressions, a podcast
episode would serve well as it is short, easy to listen to anywhere and
something that is trending and easily accessible for free online.
Within the podcast episode itself, there
is Roop’s poetry, written in free verse, which she recites to the listeners.
Poetry allows a concise form of expression that in my opinion, leaves a harder,
more emotional punch because it involves choosing fewer words that are exactly
right for that emotion instead of going round in circles.
The ending comments of the episode
also mention a YouTube video which features an interview with Roop. Making use of
the popular trend of a cliffhanger, I ended the episode asking the listeners to
wait for another episode, still leaving something behind for their imagination
and interpretation.
Why a Creative Mode of Expression is
Important in Historical Reimagination
A creative mode of expression enables
the individual to express themselves even if they are unable to express
themselves through common modes such as language. It provides a space for them
to put their thoughts and emotions into pieces of art where their whole focus
is on it. In a historical context, creative expression provides a voice to those
usually left unheard and forgotten.
It is sad to admit that the
attention spans of today are extremely short and it is difficult to hold it for
more than a few seconds. Things must be fast and entertaining for it to work in
this world. A creative expression of historical events or a historical
reimagination would allow it to reach a wider audience and longer retention. For
example, when one says “Anthony and Cleopatra,” the first thing comes to mind
is Shakespeare’s play and not them as actual historical figures.
Describe the Historical Context
Selected and Who was Involved or Affected?
When I read the story for the first
time, the hesitation that Fazl-Uddin showed when talking of Roop and her being
the only other thing that Bishan Singh was able to recognize by name apart from
Toba Tek Singh, caught my eye. Every time I read the story after, that part
always snagged my attention.
I have always loved fanfiction,
especially the kind where the side characters are given voices and stories of
their own. My desire to know what exactly happened to Roop culminated in me
writing my own fanfiction of sorts. I started from the beginning, what Toba Tek
Singh meant to her, what she loved about it, who she loved in it, who and what
she left behind.
Toba Tek Singh as the village is
what I chose as the setting for the majority of the poem as I wanted to explore
her relationship with her birthplace. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells of
the place are described from the perspective of 80-year-old Roop, where there
are only a few distinctive details left in her memory, to give her a more
unique, more realistic character.
There are two main male characters
in her life – her first love, Amaan-Uddin, who is the son of Fazl-Uddin and
close in age to her, and her father, Bishan Singh, a man who has been as
elusive in her life as she was in his story. Roop’s relationships with these
men are given more depth through the depictions of what they mean to her.
The religious and communal
traditions of the time are only hinted at once in the beginning where they have
to meet in the corner of the orchard and towards the end where she hoped that
her father would have accepted her union with Amaan, pointing out that they
knew that their love was “forbidden.” I created Amaan’s character to explore
these conditions and what it could have meant to two teenagers in love stuck in
the midst of a brutal partition and uprooting.
Roop’s mother was also mentioned on
the train to show what it must have been like for a woman who had to leave
behind her husband and all he left her for the sake of her child’s safety. Roop
feels a deep love and respect for her mother, observant of her moods and
knowing when to give her mother space to grieve alone.
Possible Future Ramifications: What
Could Have Been Different?
The obvious is a situation where the
Partition never happened. The Partition was a period of pain and bloodshed, a
scar that will stay forever in the histories of two countries and its people. Jinnah
and Gandhi may have initiated it with the purpose to end the riots that raged
across the land. A line drawn in the sand; a line drawn on the map. A clash of
egos that left several million people in the lurch with nothing to fend for
themselves, where is the justice?
In the context of this piece, there
are many questions that arise. What would have happened to Bishan Singh and
Roop and their family? Would Bishan and his wife ever reunite? Would Roop get
her father back? What would have happened to Roop and Amaan? Would their love
prove successful?
In an ideal world and my need for a
happy ending, I would like to imagine that, in an alternate universe, Bishan
Singh, Roop and their family are happy, healthy and together.
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