"The Refugee" by K.A. Abbas
Summary,
The Refugee by K.A. Abbas is a poignant short story that explores the harrowing effects of the partition of India in 1947 through the experiences of displaced individuals. The narrative revolves around an old woman and old her husband who is a refugee, symbolizing the suffering and displacement that millions experienced during this traumatic historical event.
"The Refugee" by K.A Abbas revolves around a women called Manji at the time of the partition of India and Pakistan. It talks about the hardships, endurance, sacrifice and predicaments that Manji and so many countless people had to face during such times.
The story also portrays Manji's change of lifestyle from a contented and wealthy woman before the partition to a miserable poor woman after the partition. The story in overall presents us a picture of the consequences of the partition and mostly the lives of the women affected by it.
Maanji is the mother of the author’s Sikh friend. Before Partition, life was so beautiful and contentful to Maanji. She lived in Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan) in a two-storied house. She had steady income from many rented shops and harvest from her own land.
She had a buffalo and so milk, curd and butter were available in surplus. Being a Sikh, She distributed butter milk to all her neighbourhood and won the love and affection of all her Muslim neighbours. The elder Muslim women called her Behanji (sister) while the younger ones called her Maanji or Chachi (mother) affectionately.
Her fevorite fruits included pears and apricots and apples, grapes, melons and above all baggoogoshas since according to her these fruits were not to be found anywhere in Bombay. Rawalpindi was the whole world for her.
The news about impending Partition in newspapers worried many Sikhs and Hindus in West Punjab (now in Pakistan) but not Maanji. Many warned her that it was dangerous for a Sikh to live there and even her own son in Bombay asked her to come there.
But she strongly believed that her Muslim neighbours were friendly to her and all of them were her own children. In front of Maanji’s house, a tongawallah (horseman) was stabbed to death because he was a Hindu. They also went on stabbing the poor horse and killed it that had “neither religion nor caste.” This made Maanji to abandon her home and neighbours in Rawalpindi and move to Bombay as a refugee.
In Rawalpindi, she had two male servants and a maid but here she has to cook, wash, clean, and do everything herself, living in a single room. All her life’s savings and possessions are lost but not her hospitality. She suffered a lot but never cursed anyone for that.
There was no anger or self-pity in her silent heart against anyone. Despite the passage of time, the old woman cannot forget her home in Pakistan. She recalls every detail of it with precision — from the courtyard to the rooms, to the people she left behind. The narrative delves deep into her psyche, showing how the trauma of being uprooted has left her emotionally paralyzed.
Through "The Refugee" , K.A. Abbas captures the emotional devastation of losing one's home and the difficulty of rebuilding a life after such a profound loss. The story is a powerful commentary on the human cost of political events like partition and remains relevant in its depiction of the refugee experience.
Themes
Displacement and Identity: The old woman’s identity is deeply tied to her home in Pakistan. By losing her home, she feels she has lost a part of herself.
Trauma of Partition: The story reflects the emotional and psychological trauma experienced by millions of people who were displaced during the partition of India. Through the old woman’s character, Abbas highlights the deep wounds caused by forced migration and the sense of loss that lingers.
Memory and Nostalgia: The old woman’s memories of her home are all she has left, and she clings to them with a desperation that borders on obsession. Her nostalgia is a coping mechanism for her loss but also a source of pain.
Indifference to Suffering: The host family’s attitude towards the old woman reflects a broader societal indifference to the suffering of refugees. Although they provide her with physical shelter, they fail to offer her emotional support or understanding.
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