Roots by Ismat Chugtai, Indian Literatures in English, 3rd Year 6th Semester, B.A English Literature, Syllabus, University of Madras

B.A English Literature

3^rd Year 6^th Semester

Indian Literatures in English

UNIT 4. Short Story

4.1 “Roots” by Ismat Chugtai

About Writer:

Ismat Chugtai was an Urdu writer, an educator and an icon of women's empowerment. But, above all else, she was unapologetic and outspoken.

Ismat Chughtai was born on August 15, 1915, into a middle-class familv in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh. She was emerged as one of the most popular Muslim women writers in India. She understood the complexities of a woman's mind, and her work reflected the different shades of the woman of her time. She was, without a doubt, the grande dame of modern Urdu fiction.

The ninth of ten children, Ismat was born into an affluent family. Her father, Mirza Qaseem Beg Chaghtai, was a civil servant, whose work took the family to cities like Jodhpur, Agra and Aligarh. Ismat grew up spending most of her time with her brothers as all her sisters were already married. In 1983, she mentioned in an interview to Manushi magazine: “I do not think men and women are two different kinds of beings. Even as a child, I always insisted on doing everything that my brothers did."

Chughtai began writing in her early teens, stories that she claimed were around her and just waiting to be penned. She was inspired by her elder brother, Mirza Azim Beg Chughtai, who was a noted novelist who used playful humour in his books. Often teased by her friends for her fascination with Irish playwright Bernard Shaw, Chughtai gradually started reading Western writers during her early education at The Women’s School (now The Women’s College) at Aligarh Muslim University. Her literary career began with the publication of her short story Fasadi (The Trouble Maker) in a literary journal called Saqui in 1938. The story was so well written that many of her critics claimed her brother Azim Baig Chughtai had ghost-written it for her!

Chughtai's first novella Ziddi was published in 1941. It was a sharp critique on the sexual exploitation of young, female domestic help by their masters’ sons. While she was a member of the Progressive Writers’ Association, she refused to toe the ‘official line’. In her autobiography, Kagaz Hi Hai Pairahan, Chughtai wrote, “When the policy of the Party (PWA), rigidly concluded that Progressive literature is only that which is written about the Peasant and the Labourer, I disagreed. I cannot know and empathize with the Peasant class as closely as I can feel the pain of the middle and the lower class. And I have never written on hearsay, never according to any set rules, and never have I followed the orders of any party or association. Independent thinking has always been my nature and still is.”

Ismat wrote eloquently on the issues of women of lower and lower middle class. Ismat knew about the issues and problems of women of her era and took keen interest in highlighting these through her short stories. She laments about the wretchedness and plight of women and of being uneducated. She wants to see women free from any male bondage and suppression.

Chughtai passed away on Oct 24, 1991.

 

About Story:

Jadein [Roots], a short story written by Ismat Chughtai, is a fictional take on the impact of the Partition on interpersonal relationships, memory as well as the idea of ‘home’ and ‘community’. The narrative, which is seen from the perspective of an aged woman ‘Amma’, is an insight into how women experienced the Partition.

The story is set in Marwar, just before the declaration of Independence of India and Pakistan, where migrations have already begun taking place. However, despite constant persuasion by her family members, Amma refuses to pack up her belongings and set off for another land. Evoking her emotional connection to where she was born, she is convinced that she should not leave with her family members. However, the reader gains an insight into the brutality of the experience as she experiences the pain and anguish of separation from her family members. At this point, her neighbors, Roopchand and his wife are a source of solace and comfort for her. Roopchand, who is unable to take the stomach this entire episode, decides to go to the station and bring Amma’s family back to their home. The story is an artful depiction of the resilience of love and mutual respect among persons, which survived a Partition that sought to create differences and divides. The story also depicts love between Hindus and Muslims not ready for partition.

Born at the beginning of the twentieth-century, Ismat Chughtai was an Urdu-language author and filmmaker, renowned for her absorbing narratives, unconventional characters, and a musicality to her prose that has immortalized her in the literary history of the Indian subcontinent. A member of the Progressive Writers Movement, Chughtai often portrays strong, well-sketched out women characters in her works, which are notorious for their strong narratives that question social norms.

Text:

 Everyone's faces were blown away. Even the food was not cooked in the house. Today was the sixth day. The children left school, sat at home, creating chaos in their own lives and that of the whole family. The same fighting, the same hustle and bustle, as if it had not come. The scoundrels don't even care that the British left and while leaving, inflicted such a deep wound that would continue to fester for years. India has been tortured with such cruel hands and weapons that thousands of arteries have been cut, rivers of blood are flowing. No one is strong enough to stitch.

For some days the atmosphere of the city was getting so dirty that all the Muslims of the city were sitting under house arrest. The houses were locked and the police guarded outside. And in this way the pieces of liver were left to be spread on the chest. By the way, there was peace in the Civil Lines, as it happens. This filth jumps more where these children are. Where there is poverty, the hooves of religion ride on the horse of ignorance. And these heaps have been scrapped. Moreover, the number of people coming from Punjab was increasing day by day due to which fear was increasing in the hearts of the minorities. Heaps of filth were being scraped off fast and foul smell had crept up to the clean roads.

There were even open demonstrations at two places. But the Hindus and the Muslims of Marwar State are so similar to each other that even outsiders can identify them by name, face or clothes with great difficulty. The minorities from outside, who could be easily identified, slipped away from the borders of Pakistan only after getting the smell of 15th August. The old residents of the state were saved, so they neither had that much understanding nor did they have that much status that someone would have sat and explained the problems of Pakistan and India to them. Those who had to understand, had understood and they had also become safe. The rest who had gone after hearing that wheat for four annas and bread worth four annas is available, they were looting. Because after going there, he also came to know that even one rupee is needed to buy four seers of wheat. And for a hand-long roti, you have to pay full chavanni. And these rupees and grains were neither found in any shop nor grew in the fields. Getting these was as difficult as running for survival. When the decision was taken to evict the minorities from the open areas, a big difficulty came to the fore. The Thakurs clearly said that sir, the people are so mixed that there is a need for staff to evict the Muslims. Which is a wasteful expenditure. By the way, if you want to buy a piece of land for the refugees, they can be evacuated. The animals still live. When asked to clean the forest.

Now there are only a few families left who were either among the disciples of the Maharaja and where is the question of their departure. And those who were about to leave, their beds were being tied. Our family also used to fall in the same category. Wasn't in a hurry But they came and created panic. Still no one gave much importance. She doesn't even crawl on anyone's ear as a louse and doesn't get tied up for years. Elder brother was about to leave, he was defeated by saying so what did Mian Chhaba do that he decided to write 'Pakistan Zindabad' on the wall of the school. Roopchand ji's children opposed this and wrote 'Akhand Bharat' instead. The conclusion is that the shoe and the promise of erasing each other from the earth went away. The matter escalated. Even the police came and the few Muslims who were left were packed in lorries and sent to their homes.

   Now listen, as soon as the children came home, the mothers who had always surrendered them to cholera and epidemics ran out of affection and hugged them. And some day it would have happened that Roopchand ji's children would come after a fight, then the bride's sister-in-law would apply ointment with her shoes that repentance would be good and she would be picked up and sent to Roopchand to give him a mixture of castor oil and coconut, because Roopchand ji was not only our family doctor, he was also an old friend of father. Doctor's friendship with father, his sons with brothers, daughters-in-law with our brothers, and the new sapling with the new sapling had a gnawing friendship. The present three generations of both the families were so close to each other that no one could have imagined that there would be a rift in this love after the partition of India. Whereas in both the families Muslim League, Congressmen and Mahasabha were present. Religious and political debates also used to happen fiercely, but just like a football or cricket match. Here father was a Congressman, on the other side Doctor Saheb and elder brother were League, on the other side Gyanchand Mahasabhai, here middle brother was communist and on the other side Gulabchand was Socialist and then according to this the wives and children of the men also belonged to this party. Usually, when there was a debate, the Congress would always have the upper hand, communists and socialists used to abuse, but the Congress used to enter. Mahasabha and Legi would have been saved. Although these two would have always been together, they would have been enemies of each other, yet both would have attacked the Congress together. Communists and socialists used to abuse but entered into Congress itself. Mahasabha and Legi would have been saved. Although these two would have always been together, they would have been enemies of each other, yet both would have attacked the Congress together. Communists and socialists used to abuse but entered into Congress itself. Mahasabha and Legi would have been saved. Although these two would have always been together, they would have been enemies of each other, yet both would have attacked the Congress together.

But on the other hand, the strength of the Muslim League was increasing for some years and on the other hand of the Mahasabha. The Congress has completely lost its way. Under the care of the elder brother, all the plants of the house, leaving only one or two non-partisan Congressmen, stood firm like the National Guard. Here, a small group of Sevak Sangh stood firm under the leadership of Gyan Chand. But love remained the same as before. "I will marry my Lallu to Munni only." Mahasabha used to say to Gyanchand's father, "I will bring gold anklets.

" We do.

And here the National Guard would write "Pakistan Zindabad" on the walls and the Sevak Sangh team would spoil it and write "Akhand Bharat". This is the incident of that time when the transaction of Pakistan was a laughing matter.

Abba and Roopchand listen to all this and smile and then start tying intentions to make everyone one. Amma and Chachi away from politics used to talk about coriander, turmeric and daughters' weddings and daughters-in-law used to try to steal each other's fashion, along with salt-pepper, medicines were also ordered from Doctor Saheb's place. Every day someone sneezed and he ran to the doctor or where someone fell ill and Amma started making rotis filled with pulses and sent a message to the doctor saying that if you want food, come. Now the doctor has come holding the hands of his grandsons.

While walking, the wife used to say, "Don't eat food, listen."

The fun used to come only when Amma's health was bad and Amma used to tremble.

"No brother, no, I will not get treatment from this clown." But who would leave the doctor at home and go to call him from the city. As soon as the doctor called, he would come running, "If you cook the casserole alone, you will fall ill," he would shout.

"You understand others as you eat," Amma used to buzz from behind the curtain.

"Hey brother, this is an excuse for illness, you just send the word, I will come. Why do you create this pretense.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' don don'''''''''''''' are are is'''''''''''''''''''''''''', Abba would have been smiling.

 When he used to come to see a patient, all the patients of the house would stand up. If someone is carrying his stomach, then someone's boil got peeled. Someone's ear is ripe and someone's nose is swollen.

What's the matter, Deputy? I will give poison to some. Have you considered me as a 'salotari' that animals all over the world broke down.

And where a new child was about to be born, he would say, "There is a free doctor, let him be born, to put ticks on the chest of the bastard."

But as soon as the pain started, he would go round our verandah from his verandah. He used to scare everyone with his screams. It is difficult even for the residents of the locality to come.

But as soon as the child's first sound reached their ears, they would come from the verandah to the door, from door to door inside the room and father would also come along with them. The women used to go behind the scenes cursing and beating.

Seeing the child's pulse, he pats his mother's back, 'Wah my lioness,' and starts bathing the child by cutting its umbilical cord. Abba used to work as a clumsy nurse out of nervousness. Then Amma would start shouting.

"Look, God's man is amazing that the mother gets yellow in the house." Sensing the situation, both of them used to run out like scolded children.

Now, when Abba was attacked by paralysis, Roopchand ji had retired from the hospital and his entire practice was confined to his and our house only. Many other doctors were doing the treatment, but only the doctor used to stay awake with the nurse and Amma, and from the time he came after burying Abba, apart from family love, he also realized the responsibility. Used to run to school to waive the children's fees. Gyanchand's speech was kept closed for the dowry of girls and earrings. No special work of the house would have been done without the opinion of the doctor. When the question of adding two rooms arose by demolishing the western corner, it was demolished with the advice of the doctor.

"Get two rooms above it," he suggested and she agreed. Fajan F. a. I was not ready to take science, Doctor sahib took a pill and the matter got cold. Farida returned home after fighting with her husband, her husband went to the doctor and the next day when her middle daughter-in-law Sheela came after getting married, the quarrel between the nanny also ended. The poor thing ran away from the hospital. The fee is a far away thing, and on the sixth day she came with a kurta-cap.

But today when Chhabba came after fighting, she was received as if a brave man had come after fighting in the field. Everyone wanted to know the description of his bravery and Amma remained dumb in front of many soldiers.

Not from today, but from August 15, when the tricolor flag was hoisted at Doctor Saheb's house and the League flag was hung at his house, his tongue became silent from the same day. A long gap had been built between these flags. Seeing whose terrible depth with her sad eyes, Amma shuddered. Then the number of refugees started increasing. When the elder daughter-in-law came back from Bahawalpur after looting the goods and somehow saving her life, the width of the chasm increased further. Then when Nirmala's in-laws came from Rawalpindi in an unconscious state, the pythons started hissing in this ditch. When the younger sister-in-law sent her child's belly to be seen, Sheela sister-in-law chased the servant away.

And no one started a debate on this matter, all the people of the house stopped completely. Elder sister-in-law forgot her fits of hysteria and started tying clothes. "Don't touch my trunk" Amma's tongue finally opened and everyone was stunned.

"Will you not go?" elder brother said angrily.

Naujmoi, I should go to die in Sindh. Allah Mariyas are roaming around in burqas and pyjamas."

"Then go to Dhaka near Sanjhale.

"There, like a Bengali, she will eat rice with her hands,'' Sanjhali's mother-in-law Mamani Bi taunted.

"Then let's go to Rawalpindi to Farida's place," said Khala.

"Repentance, may Allah not make the soil dirty in the hands of Pak Punjabis. The tongues of the Donjkhis (dwellers of hell) have been erased."

"O aunt, you have got the same problem that I should not know your house sitting under the tree, under the height. Ai Bi, this bitter squirrel has been called by the king. Lo brother sent a trembling elephant.

Chak-chak, he sent a black-black horse, Chak-chak, he kicked the bushes..."

The atmosphere was poisonous, yet something was said. My mother's face lit up a bit.

"Are children talking like this?" Sardar Ali of the National Guard said.

"Those who have no head or feet, what is their intention to stay here and die."

"You people go now, where will I go in my last moments."

"So in the last moments, will you get the infidels made?" Khala Bi used to count the bundles. And in the bundles, ranging from gold and silver ornaments, there was even the powder of bitter gourds, dry fenugreek, and fuller's earth. She was carrying these things with such a heart as if Pakistan's asterling balance would decrease. Three times the elder brother burnt his old bundles and threw them away. But she screams as if if this wealth of hers does not go away, then Pakistan will remain poor. Then they were forced to tie cotton bags to the children who had drowned in the death. Utensils were filled in sacks. The straps of the beds were opened and tied in the jhalangs, and in no time the assembled house was converted into crooked bales and bogs. Now the goods have got feet. Sitting down to relax for a while, he will get up and start dancing again. But Amma's trunk remained as it was.

"Aapa's intention is to die here, so who can stop him," Bhai Sahib said in the end.

And my innocent-faced Amma kept staring at the sky with wandering eyes, as if she herself was asking herself, who will kill her? and when?

"Amma has gone mad. His intelligence is not at his place at this age,'' the middle brother whispered in his ear.

Do they know that the infidels have tortured the innocent even more. If we have our own country, then life and property will be protected."

If my reticent Amma was quick to speak, she would surely have said, "What bird's name is our country? People! Where is that our country? The soil in which I was born, in which I grew up and grew up, is not my country, then how can it be my country where I go and settle down for four days? And then who knows, someone may remove him from there too. Where do you go and establish a new country? Now I am sitting here as a morning lamp.

A small gust came and the country's quarrel ended and this game of devastation and settlement is not even sweet. There was a day when Mughals left their country and came to establish a new country. Today again let's go to settle the country, the country did not become the shoe of the foot, it was not tight enough that I threw it off and then put on the other.'' But Amma remained silent. Now his face seemed more tired than before. As if she is sitting tired after searching for the country for hundreds of years and has lost herself in this search.

Amma remained grounded in her place like the root of a banyan tree remains standing in a storm. But when daughters, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, grandchildren, the whole crowd came out of the gate and boarded lorries under the protection of the police, their hearts began to break into pieces. With restless eyes, he looked helplessly across the ditch. The house in the middle of the road seemed so far away like a piece of cloud in the dust before the break of dawn.

Roopchand ji's verandah was deserted. One or two children came out, but were dragged back by holding hands, but Amma's tearful eyes looked at their eyes. Those who were getting wet behind the cracks of the door. When the lorries flew away with the whole house blowing dust, then the dead shame on the left side breathed. The door opened and Roopchand ji went out like a thief to look at the empty house in front of him with heavy movements and for a while he kept searching for the faces scattered in the dust and then his unsuccessful eyes wandered back to the earth in a criminal style through this ruined door, sunk in.

When Amma stood in the courtyard after handing over the wealth of her whole life to God, then her old heart withered like a small child in fear as if ghosts would come from all sides and grab her. They took support of the pillars after wandering. When I saw in front, my heart came to my mouth. This was the room that she had entered by crossing in the arms of the bridegroom. It was here that the veil was lifted from the face of the innocent bride with fearful eyes and who had written slavery for life. The first daughter was born in the room in the front corner and the memory of the elder daughter immediately flashed in her heart. His umbilical cord was buried there in the corner. Not one but ten cords were buried. And ten souls took their first breath here. Ten flesh and bone idols, ten human beings had taken birth in this holy room. From this holy womb which he had left today. Like she was an old Kajli whom they all left after getting entangled in thorns. In search of peace and tranquility, The room was still resounding with the cute aa-gu-a-gu of the little celebrities behind the four seers of wheat. She ran into the room spreading her lap, but her lap remained empty. The lap which the brides used to touch with purity and put their hand to the womb was empty today. The room was lying vacant and was belching. She returned furiously. But she could not return the steps of Kalpana that she had left. She staggered into another room. This is where the life partner had turned away after spending fifty years.

The dead body wrapped in a shroud was kept here in front of the door, the whole family was standing around. Those were the lucky ones who left their life partner lying in the lap of their loved ones. Which today became unclaimed like the dead body of Bakfan. The feet replied and sat there where these trembling hands had lit the lamp by the head of Meet for many years. But today there was no oil in the lamp and the wick had also gone out. In front, Roopchand was walking fast in his verandah. They were abusing their wives and children, servants, the government and the deserted road in front of them, bricks and stones, knives and knives, even the whole world was cowering in front of their barrage of abuses. And especially this empty house which was standing across the road was teasing them. As if he himself has played brick by brick with his own hands. He wanted to knock something out of his head. Wanted to throw it away with the help of full power. But after failing, he got annoyed.

Then suddenly their abusing stopped. The walk stopped and he left sitting in the motor.

night fell. When there was silence on the corner of the street, Roopchand ji's wife came inside like a thief from the back door with two serving plates kept upside down. Both the old women silently sat opposite each other. The tongues remained closed but the eyes were saying everything. The food of both the plates was kept as it was. When women gossip about someone, their tongues come out like scissors. But where emotions attacked and the mouth got locked.

Don't know for how long throughout the night the memories kept on attacking suddenly after being alone. Don't know if everything gets destroyed on the way. Nowadays, entire rails are being cut. For 50 years, I had prepared agriculture by irrigating it with blood, and today they left the country in search of a new land in whatever condition it was. The younger daughter-in-law has a whole month, don't know in which forest the mother's house should be built. He left home, family, job, business and left everything. in the new country. The eagles and crows must have left something. Or will they return with a frown and those who come back will get a chance to take root again or not, who knows whether this old lady will survive till their return or not.

Amma had become a stone statue. Where was the sleep, the whole night the old body trembled seeing the mutilated dead bodies of daughters, the naked procession of young daughters-in-law and the rags of grandchildren flying. Don't know when the nap attacked. It appeared as if there was a commotion around the world at the door. Life may not be dear, but even a lamp without oil trembles while extinguishing and a simple death is no less cruel when it appears from above as a ghost of a human being. I have heard that even old people are dragged on the streets by holding their hair. Even the bones are visible by peeling the skin and then the same torments of the world appear, thinking of which the angels of hell turn pale.

The thunder of knocking was increasing. Yamraj was in a hurry and then automatically all the doors started opening, the lights lit up as if someone's voice came from the bottom of the well. Perhaps the elder boy was calling, otherwise it was the voice of the younger and middle one from the ruined corner of the other world. . So everyone got their own country? So early? Sanjhla, small, clearly standing behind him, daughters-in-law carrying children in their arms.

Then suddenly the whole house came alive, all the souls woke up and sorrows started gathering around the mother. Small and big hands started touching with love. Buds suddenly burst forth in the dry lips. All the senses were scattered with happiness and drowned in the darkness.

When the eyes opened, familiar fingers were crawling on the veins.

"Hey sister-in-law, call me just like that, I will come. Why do you create this pretence,'' Roopchand ji was saying from behind the curtain.

"And sister-in-law, get the fees paid today. Look, I have caught your worthless boys from Loni Junction.

The miscreants used to run away from somewhere. They didn't believe even the superintendent of police."

Then tears welled up on the old man's lips. She got up and sat down. Kept silent for a while. Then two hot pearls rolled down and fell on Roopchand ji's wrinkled hand.

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