An Analysis of Communal Violence and Hope in Bhisham Sahni's Tamas

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of Bhisham Sahni's novel "Tamas," which depicts the communal violence surrounding the partition of India. The essay explores the historical context, including the events of the 1947 riots and the political machinations that fueled the conflict. It delves into the meaning of "tamas" as darkness, representing corruption, brutality, and unethical behavior. The essay examines the novel's characters, such as Shahnawaz and Rajo, who offer a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. It discusses the role of religion and politics in exacerbating tensions, the suffering of individuals, particularly women, and the lasting impact of the partition. The essay also highlights the author's optimism, suggesting that light emerges after periods of darkness and conflict. The essay also touches on the role of political leaders, the British government, and the resulting human disaster of displacement and violence. Ultimately, the essay explores the themes of intolerance, the fragility of secular democracy, and the enduring consequences of communal strife.

Running Head: ENGLISH LITERATURE
English Literature
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH LITERATURE
Introduction
The author tries to bring home reality that fury of madness is not last and in the midst of
the shroud of darkness and dangers of madness, there exists a beam of hope; as the saying goes,
“Every cloud has a silver lining”. The title of the novel, “Tamas”, itself recommends an endeavor
to portray and denounce the numbness and murkiness associated with communal ferocity, right
before the partition of India (Sahni, 1). Bhisham Sahni's novel “Tamas” [The Darkness], is set in
a little village in the North West outskirts area [which is now situated in Pakistan], where the
slaughtering of a pig, contemplated to be a sin by the Muslims, and also slaughtering of a cow
[this animal is deemed sacred by the Hindus], gives rise to communal riots (Sahni, 1).
Paradoxically, once the butchery has run its course, the very individuals who were subtly behind
the twin unholy and sinful triggers, move about, pleading to restore peace.
Discussion
The meaning of tamas is 'darkness'. It represents the era, which was totally shrouded in
the darkness of corruption, unethical behaviour and brutality (Rao, 11). It has further
implications that talk of the degraded 'gunas' or traits (Chattopadhyay, 1). The entire narrative of
partition and its serious effect on the people indeed is reflected in Bhisham Sahni's “Tamas”.
The novel opens with murdering a pig, in a grimy fire-lit hovel; this turns into a metaphor of
debased mindset of the public, elevating the savagery and fiendishness. The conclusion turns into
a metaphor of the achievable hope, in the midst of rottenness, pitilessness and vindictiveness
(Wallenius and Bhat, 55). The occasions portrayed in “Tamas” depend on obvious records of
the 1947 riots, which Sahni witnessed in Rawalpindi (Khan, 87). The topic of communal uproars
has rendered “Tamas” (The Darkness) to be a standout amongst the contentious works in Indian

2ENGLISH LITERATURE
narratives. The theme of this novel revolves around filthy politics in pre-independence era,
which aimed at topographical division with the aid of division of religion.
The shocking scene of the communal upheavals and distressed individuals were
exceptionally pathetic. The choice of political leaders to partition India, was consequently sad
and shared hatred from both the sides of frontier was exceptionally appalling and dishonorable.
The execution of the arrangement of partition neither was done with readiness nor with
premonition and it prompted a grave human disaster. A train of dead groups of Muslims reached
Pakistan from India bearing the message on the train compartments- 'a gift from India'.
Consequently, Muslims returned two trains stacked of murdered Sikhs and Hindus with the
message 'a present from Pakistan' (Deswal, 7). The occasion of division led to the migration of
twelve million occupants. Thousands were butchered in the halfway to their obscure destinations
in another nation.
“Tamas” recollects the four days of communal viciousness through the eyes of various
characters in the book and their appalling encounters. It uncovers how lawmakers utilize guiltless
individuals to cause communal uproars –the Congress party members debate among themselves
for power, the non-violence movement is mocked at by the alleged patriots, and the dormant yet
profoundly intrigued British government constitutes a part of this massacre (Sharma, 492). The
fire of communal discord spreads in the town. “Tamas”, is a mirror of intolerant society, and
mirrors the fragility of the roots of secular democracy.
“Tamas” cruelly reminds that lawmakers are the initial step towards madness of
humankind. Every politician is self-absorbed, irrespective of which religion [Muslim, Hindu or
Sikh] the person belongs to. The occasions after the uproars, delineating hundreds of towns

3ENGLISH LITERATURE
suffocated, bring shame to humanism, demonstrating how British accomplished the divide and
rule policy effectively. Bhisham Sahni additionally demonstrates how religious morals can bring
about devastation in a tranquil city. The general population driven by their feelings and
sentiments of retaliation slay each other. The part of the religion in politics is so very well
accentuated and featured that it turns into the focal thought of the novel.
The scenario after the uproars is troubling where numerous characters relate their stories
in the relief camp. The women captured by the mass are sexually beleaguered and executed.
Some of the women murdered their own kids and after that executed themselves to escape from
the hordes. The women who had been abducted by the crowds lived in consistent dread, distress
and anxiety. Mental sufferings of the general population deadened their minds. The individuals
who had been compellingly transformed, lost their relatives, their religion and in particular their
self-regard and lived with inferiority complex in the other group. Each of these sufferings have
been demonstrated clearly and mindfully set by the creator in the novel. Nevertheless, the lack of
the women’s perspectives is striking, as no female character is completely developed and the
horror that the women had experienced during the partition is not vividly projected. The women
characters in the narrative only exist in the shadow of the overwhelming topics of governmental
issues, religion and communalism. The novel brought up some essential issues like how religion
could turn out to be such an antihuman power. Which components in religion could incite a
gathering of women to indulge in such craze that they chose to indulge in self-immolation rather
than enduring corporeal mortification? What influenced rational human beings to turn into
beasts? Regardless of all these key inquiries, the writer is optimistic about illumination after
darkness. Sahni trusted that, light is present towards the concluding part of the long passage of

4ENGLISH LITERATURE
darkness. Expectations of Bhisham Sahni are just in light of the fact that after partition and
independence of India, after dark parts of the history, light shined through.
The huge creature of savagery and impropriety was stirred all of a sudden in the brains of
such individuals who were at that point of communal frenzy of psyche. The people possessing
authority, the religious pioneers and the political associations were not in a position to resolve
the upheaval and antagonistic vibe between major religious groups and to keep up serene climate
in the public arena (Pawar and Aurangabad, 3). However, there existed an unassuming trust in
humankind in the form of certain notable characters, such as Shahnawaz and Rajo (Breto, 4). The
demonstrations of a few characters resemble “a silver line in the darkness of clouds”. Sahni
claims that individuals from a similar religious group possess different characteristics. It is
amusing to take note of the fact that Murad Ali, a communist and the one promoter of communal
savagery, has dark complexion, is of short stature and has small infiltrating eyes in total.
Moreover, Shahnawaz, the voice of rational soundness helping his Hindu brethren amid riots, is
thoughtful and great looking. On the contrary, Milkhi, a Brahmin, resembled a messy, disgusting
reptile. Sahni outlined Gandhian characters and reasoning. The General and Bakshiji are the
agent of Gandhian belief system (Singh, 317). The General expected to control the revolting and
was shot to death simultaneously. He was an image of Gandhi's belief of non-violence. The
admirers of peace continued living in both Muslim and Hindu people group in that hour of
emergency. Mounting pressure in story of “Tamas” is assuaged by liberal demonstrations of
tranquility admirers of the contemporary society. The above-mentioned individuals had faith in
mankind, because of such individuals and their cognizant endeavors, the deluded society
recuperated as of the disorder excited owing to communal riots.

5ENGLISH LITERATURE
Novel “Tamas” is one frightful sight of particular pre-partition disputes and partition of India
(Dey, 7). The unexpected episode of partition formed by eminent lawmakers and British was a
landmark occasion in the record of world. Forty million individuals belonging to India, were
shocked by the division of the nation (Rao, 22). A great many individuals needed to cross the
borders unwillingly; the greater part of them could not reach their uncertain destination,
slaughtered in the mid-ways. A great many women conferred suicide to ensure their
immaculateness and purity. Certain girls and women were assaulted, raped and murdered. The
sight was extremely awful and forsaken. The uproars amongst Hindu and Muslim people group
were wild; the fire of shared disdain could not stop regardless of the recurrent pleadings of
concerned authorities. The novel “Tamas” is the microcosmic representation of the communal
uproars in India. The entire country was amidst uproars and gore. Politicians sought after their
tricks to obtain their own particular targets. Leaders of the land- the Britishers, were not anxious
to cease the riot, since they derived pleasure from the sights of Hindu-Muslim opposition, since
it was the objective of their manipulation. The country, India, has endured a considerable
measure due to riots; it also endured a lot because of the despicable politics of communal
authorities of that particular nation. The Politicians and political gatherings could not predict the
agony and torments of individuals, which resulted owing to their decision-making, lacking
foreknowledge. The individuals from India, predominantly in divided territories of Punjab,
Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir, were experiencing the massacre. The individuals got caught up
in hurricane of communal political affairs.
Conclusion
The excellent part of “Tamas” is that it covers every one of the areas situated in
variegated places of the Indian society, ranging from fire to darkness. It demonstrates the

6ENGLISH LITERATURE
casualties in the town, village, youthful, and aged Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs and English. The creator
keenly presents the characters and capably delineates the physical and the psychological
enduring of the casualties through several metaphors of darkness and fire. An account of
authentic elements immerses all the individual stories. “Tamas” can be likewise clarified as the
delineation of darkness of communal fire and narrow mindedness prevalent in the minds of the
individuals.

7ENGLISH LITERATURE
References
Breto, Isabel Alonso. "Violences: Around and Inside." Indialogs 3.Violences (2016): 3-6.
Chattopadhyay, Subhasis. "Partition lies, Advaita Vedanta and Bhisham Sahni’s Tamas." (2016).
Deswal, Prateek. "Communalism and the Politics of the Sacred: A Study of Tamas by Bhisham
Sahni." Language in India 15.2 (2015).
Dey, Arunima. "Women as Martyrs: Mass Suicides at Thoa Khalsa During the Partition of
India." Indialogs 3 (2015): 7-17.
Khan, Afrinul Haque. "Text, Representation and Revision: Re-visioning Partition Violence in
Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan and Bhisham Sahni’s Tamas." Indialogs 3.Violences
(2016): 81-97.
Pawar, Sadashiv, and Kannad Aurangabad. "Partition Perspectives in B. Sahnis Tamas." (2014).
Rao, V. Pala Prasada. "The Refugees' Predicament: A Select Study of Indian Fiction." Ars
Artium (2016): 11.
Rao, V. Pala Prasada. "The Roots of Religious Intolerance: A Select Study of the Indian
Novels." Paragon International Publishers (2017): 22.
Sahni, Bhisham. Tamas. Penguin Books India, 2008.
Sharma, Manoj. "CINEMATIC REPRESENTATIONS OF PARTITION OF INDIA." PEOPLE:
International Journal of Social Sciences 3.3 (2017).

8ENGLISH LITERATURE
Singh, Madhu. "Altered Realities, New Experiences: Bhisham Sahni, Nirmal Verma, and the
“Nayi Kahani” Movement." Comparative Literature Studies 53.2 (2016): 312-333.
Wallenius, Marja-Liisa, and K. S. Bhat. "The concept of'otherness' in partition narratives of
Finland and India." (2017).