Monika Browarczyk

How to Speak of the Unspeakable?

Introduction

How to speak of the unspeakable?. Explore how Hindi novels from 1950s-2016 narrate the unspeakable violence against women during the Partition of British India, examining trauma and censorship in South Asia.

Abstract

To date generations of people from South Asia grapple with traumatic experiences of havoc and violence prior to, during and in the aftermath of the Partition of British India. Writings in Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, and English, i.e. in languages spoken in the regions mostly affected by the turmoil of 1947, reflect the painful process of coming to terms with these experiences and of possible reconciliation with consequences of “the long shadow of partition” (Bhutalia 2015). Violence against women, often gruesome and unspeakable, was a facet of the Partition that occurred repeatedly but whose testimony and records were either censored and/or silenced by survivors and newly established states for diverse individual, communal and “nation-building” reasons (Bhutalia 1998). In my paper I would like to examine how Hindi novels dating from the end of the 1950s to 2016 narrate instances of partition violence against women. With focus on Yashpal’s Jhūṭ hā sac of 1958, Bhishm Sahni’s Tamas of 1974 and Krishna Sobti’s Gujrāt pākistān se gujrāt hindustān tak of 2016 I scrutinize various

Review

This paper tackles a profoundly important and sensitive subject: the lingering trauma of the Partition of British India, specifically focusing on the unspeakable violence perpetrated against women. The abstract clearly articulates the historical context, acknowledging that generations continue to grapple with these experiences, often suppressed by individual, communal, and state-level censorship or silence. By asking "How to Speak of the Unspeakable?", the title immediately draws attention to the methodological and ethical challenges inherent in representing such egregious acts, setting the stage for a nuanced exploration of literary approaches to historical trauma. The proposed methodology is robust, centering on an examination of Hindi novels spanning a significant period from the late 1950s to 2016. The selection of Yashpal’s *Jhūṭ hā sac*, Bhishm Sahni’s *Tamas*, and Krishna Sobti’s *Gujrāt pākistān se gujrāt hindustān tak* offers a compelling cross-section of literary engagement with Partition violence across different decades. This chronological scope promises to reveal evolving narrative strategies and societal perceptions regarding the portrayal of gendered violence, moving from earlier attempts to later, potentially more explicit or reflective, articulations. The emphasis on how these novels *narrate* these instances is key, suggesting an analytical approach that delves into literary technique as much as historical representation. Overall, this paper appears poised to make a significant contribution to Partition studies, gender studies, and literary criticism. By focusing on Hindi literature, it offers valuable insights into a crucial linguistic and cultural sphere often overlooked in broader discussions dominated by English or Urdu. The examination of how writers grapple with the 'unspeakable' – violence against women being a particularly censored facet – promises to illuminate both the limitations and the liberatory potential of literary expression in coming to terms with collective trauma and in fostering paths towards reconciliation. This promises to be a timely and essential intervention into a difficult but necessary conversation.

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