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Partition Dialogues: Memories of a Lost Home
This volume is a collection of interviews with notable writers who have lived through the Partition and have represented it in their fiction. Writers like Bhisham Sahni, Krishna Sobti, Kamleshwar, Krishna Baldev Vaid, Bapsi Sidhwa, and Intizar Husain present a host of insights not always
included in their work. Bhalla extensive introduction introduces the idea of home and freedom, and how the two are interlinked.
included in their work. Bhalla extensive introduction introduces the idea of home and freedom, and how the two are interlinked.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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August 2, 2026
The author speaks to six fiction authors who wrote about Partition to understand the real stories behind the ones they wrote. There are four from India – Bhisham Sahni (Tamas, Pali, Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai), Krishna Sobti (Zindaginama, Sikka Badal Gaya), Krishna Baldev Vaid (Guzara Hua Zamana) and Kamleshwar (Kitne Pakistan)– and two from Pakistan – Intizar Husain (Basti) and Bapsi Sidhwa (Ice-Candy Man).
The book begins with 50-plus pages of the author’s ‘reflections on partition fiction’ and notes; it's very academic, and I breezed through it to get to the meat, of which there was very little.
Only Krishna Sobti, whose writing I so admire as also her integrity as a person, lived up to my expectations; hers was the most interesting – she connected what she wrote about with the real events during and after Partition. The interviews could have been more structured (or are we becoming lazy readers?)
My takeaways from reading this are that even in undivided India, where Hindus and Muslims lived together, were good neighbours, traded with each other, played and went to study and celebrated festivals together, in many homes, there was an unspoken understanding that food may not be shared, and this did not offend either community. It was the politicians, even at that time, who were the rabble-rousers. Also, the one thing that my generation always wondered about was the silence of the survivors about their lives in Pakistan. Each of these authors took their time to come to that point in their lives where they could look back at the events of Partition with some degree of objectivity.
The book begins with 50-plus pages of the author’s ‘reflections on partition fiction’ and notes; it's very academic, and I breezed through it to get to the meat, of which there was very little.
Only Krishna Sobti, whose writing I so admire as also her integrity as a person, lived up to my expectations; hers was the most interesting – she connected what she wrote about with the real events during and after Partition. The interviews could have been more structured (or are we becoming lazy readers?)
My takeaways from reading this are that even in undivided India, where Hindus and Muslims lived together, were good neighbours, traded with each other, played and went to study and celebrated festivals together, in many homes, there was an unspoken understanding that food may not be shared, and this did not offend either community. It was the politicians, even at that time, who were the rabble-rousers. Also, the one thing that my generation always wondered about was the silence of the survivors about their lives in Pakistan. Each of these authors took their time to come to that point in their lives where they could look back at the events of Partition with some degree of objectivity.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review