One of the finest works of partition fiction
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Published as Ice Candy Man and Cracking India (and made into a movie called Earth) the book tells the story of the partition. Initially I was put of by the fact that we had a child narrator, but Lenny's insights and interpretations of the events around her can be almost hilarious and work very well in what is otherwise an almost violent read. Much has been made of the pro-Pakistani slant to the book, it's a bias that's hard to deny but it is an almost impossible to task to find literature on the partition, both from fact or fiction that is truly objective. Sidwa presents a view point and it is a view point shared by many and therefore should be read for that reason alone. As a work of literature this is almost with equal and is the finest piece of partition fiction I have read to date. It's not a tale of politicians, but of people and how they react to the events unfolding. Central to the story are the many men of all religions courting Lenny's Ayah, we meet the Ice Candy Man, the masseur, the butcher all vie for her affections. The book, though it takes a few chapters to get going soon becomes impossible to put down, the mixture of humour and violence can leave one laughing one minute and almost reduced to tears the next. A must read.
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well written but not accurate
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miss sidwa claims this to be a historical account but she was only a child herself back then. some people here have said that as a parsi she was an unbiased observer, but the fact is that this book is the outcome of the post-partition prejudices of pakistan which she grew up in and obviously absorbed. one reviewer correctly pointed out that whilst the depiction of muslims in the book is sympathetic that of the hindu and sikh characters is far from so (all the hindus are depicted as cowhardly, weak and conniving and all the sikhs as oafish, mosterous brutes). the portraits of everyday white characters are equally as crude. the history is censored- no mention of any build up, or the 'direct action days' of the muslim league etc etc. there is no balance of 'both sides of the story'. she totally omits any context and throws in a chronologicaly inaccurate and wholly fictional encounter with gandhi. infact the historical liberties she has taken in this book are quite disturbing. and so if you are interested in actually understanding the partition and the events around it i suggest you find a good history book by a truely unbiased observer, to supplement this or any other fiction you read. however miss sidwa IS a good writer with a gift for aesthetics. the book DOES have some fascinating insights into human nature. putting the flaws aside Bapsi Sidhwa is a bold and gifted writer.
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warmly felt novel -- but one reviewer is laughable
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Sidhwa's book is a warm depiction of one child's experience with an atrocious moment in history. But what I want to discuss is the comment below, by V. Sharma. It's ridiculous to say: '...this would be akin to Jews in America demanding a separate state -- it would never happen.' Excuse me? Since the reviewer does not live in this world, let me state the obvious: Israel IS a separate Jewish state that came into existence in 1948 (one year after the Partition of India), and that today would not exist, certainly not as the political and nuclear power it is, if it weren't for Americans, both Jews and non-Jews. It's unfortunate that in this day and age, when the war against Palestinians has killed, displaced, and tortured millions, murders that are in large part being funded by American taxpayers, this needs to be pointed out. Pakistan and Israel are both separate states that were made on the basis of religion. However, since the Jewish faith is innate (that is, there is a Jewish race, you cannot become Jewish by conversion) while Islam is not race-based (anyone can become a Muslim), the two states do not have much else in common. As human rights activists keep pointing out, Israel practices Apartheid: state-sanctioned supremacy of one race over another, i.e., Jews over Arabs.
The Partition of India was an awful event, and I agree with Sharma that it is simplistic to blame Hindus or Sikhs. But that is all I can agree with. Bapsi Sidhwa does not blame them. And Sharma should not blame Muslims either. The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, had innitially wanted Muslims in India to have provincial autonomy, not a separate state, but because the Indian Congress (which was entirely Hindu) did not agree, his goals -- fortunately or unfortunately, that I can't say -- switched to a separate state. I know Pakistanis and Indians who say that if Congress had allowed space for Muslims within it, Partition would not have occurred. Some would even argue that it is Hindus who wanted the Partition, not Muslims. The bottom line is: Clearly, there is a lot to this episode that still needs to be learned so there is no point blaming any one side. That is why Sidhwa's book (she herself is Parsi -- not Hindu, Muslim or Sikh) is so valuable. It is refreshingly unprejudiced.
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This author's relative obscurity is inexplicable.
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Bapsi Sidhwa's Cracking India will expand and alter your view of India, Pakistan, and the British Raj. Using a child-narrator, a literary device over-employed and often unsuccessful, this author has found the perfect vehicle for conveying the heart-breaking story of the Partition of India in l947, without being coy and without descending into bathos. Lenny, as the child of a Parsee family, roams freely through the Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, and Parsee society of her household and neighborhood in Lahore. Because she is lame and receiving private schooling, she is at home when momentous events and important conversations occur, and because she is very young and has no ethnic biases, she observes the disintegration of her society with the puzzlement of an outsider. An active, loving person, Lenny makes us see the personal and emotional costs of the founding of Pakistan, especially to women and children. Whether your interest is historical, literary, or feminist, Cracking India will illuminate the dangers and tragedies of creating artificial geographical boundaries. Mary Whipple
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To read the book you need an open mind
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Many books have been wriiten about the partition of India in 1947. But this is the first book,where the story is told from a young child's point of view. The books revolves around Lenny, a young Parsee girl, who turns eight years old in 1947. The religious strife in the country, make her realize the frailities and unpredictability of human nature. Like every book on Partition, this book too remains unbaised. It does not hold one person or community responsible. It is truly unfortunate, that some people feel that the author is racial and prejudice. It is amusing to see that people who write this, fail to see their own preduices. It is about time that people realize, We are all to be blamed. To say the 'Hindu-Sikhs are not to be blamed for the partition or vis-a vis is not only ignorance, but a way to justify actions. It is about time we realize that this event took place because the people of our country allowed themselves to be swayed by the people in power. Innocent people died because of their beliefs. We should learn from the mistakes of the past and make sure that it is not repeated in the present or near future. Instead of blaming each other, we should find a constructive way of living in harmony
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