| 31 May 2010
Book: A Journey Interrupted: Being Indian In Pakistan
Author: Farzana Versey
Publisher: Harper Collins, India.
Price: Rs 295
Year of Publication: 2008
Reviewed by: Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
The Partition of the sub-continent has discerned in the culmination of separation of Identities as well as driving a sharp wedge which segregates the distinguished identities completely. The independence of India and Creation of Pakistan has raised a lot of vexed and perplex questions which still remain unanswered! Can’t the two religious adherents co-exist together? Is religion the only criterion for defining identity? Can various identities and religions go hand in hand? Is morality, religion and identity linked or distinguished from each other? Is the expression of Identity necessary? Does inhabiting a different land despite adhering to the same faith make you somewhat distinct?
These are the fateful queries that partition raised and whose answer still haunts us! A lot has been written about identities whether Ethnic or Religious, but in this present book Farzana Versey raises some distinct and distinguished insights into this complex problem of identity. Though this book is neither a research work undertaken by the author under the auspices of a grand university and seasoned researcher nor is it a conventional travelogue, though one may find certain traits of travel writing in it.
Farzana relates her various journeys she undertook on different occasions while visiting Pakistan. It offers us deeper insight about the social, political, cultural, ethnic, religious and economic life of Pakistanis their views, opinions and solutions to the problems baffling them from a wide a wide cross section of society from a common dhabawala to driver and from an Intellectual to an Activist. Among these simmering views she is herself confronted with Identity Crises as she finds her nationality at times conflicting with her religion as understood by the Paki-Mind so Farzana is sometimes caught between a Devil and Deep-Sea.
The book is divided into three parts and the last one deals with the Political Situation which has pulled the State of Pakistan into a quagmire. The clash between the fundamentalists and state has been lucidly depicted by the fact of Lal Masjid(Red Mosque) incident and their revenge by assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and some musing over future have also been entertained by the author.
The conflict between Modernity and Conventionality, Pluralism and Conservativism, Orthodoxy and Liberalism, Feminism and Womenhood, Extremism and Moderation, Peace and Violence and a perpetual strife among them has been discussed through the examples and incidents of a wide strata of society. The book makes a good read and helps the reader formulate dissent and question various norms and doctrines and the underlying strife’s going on which only need ignition to burst, making the state come to its senses.
The book would have been more ground breaking had the author been more comparative in her analysis of Identity in India and Pakistan as the Muslims in India are labeled as “Disloyal” and “Pakistan Mongers” while in Pakistan they are looked as “Indian Agents” and “Kaafirs”. This question of loyalty under suspicion reducing the likes of Farzana to “Teetwal Ka Kuta”(The Dog Of Teetwal) to use the term of Saadat Hussain Manto.
Though in spite of this shortcoming still the book is timely as well as it delves into the Pakistani mind and traces the chasms in its recent history. Hope Farzana would in future enlighten and make us think more solemnly on the Question of Identity.