The Holocaust Event of Partition and Role of Culture in the works of Kartar Singh Duggal and Ranjit Powar

Abstract

The catastrophic event of partition redefined the culture of love and harmony among the various religions. The partition represented the formation of a new Punjab that struggled with the cultural deterioration and cultural decadency. Kartar Singh Duggal’s Abducted Not illustrates the amendments in the culture after the partition. Ranjit Powar’s Dusk Over The Mustard Fields shows the flip side of Punjab which is unnoticed by society, the suppression faced by the colonized culturally and socially.  The research raises the questions of identity and culture of Punjab. The chaos and dilemma after partition gave a new definition to the word culture. This study discussed the role of culture under the colonial power and how is it developed after the partition. Culture is the discourse which constitutes the role of colonizer and colonized, men and women, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. The study of binary oppositions forces us to open the threads of culture that assigned the new identity to the victims of partition. The theoretical approach through the work of Homi K. Bhabha The Location of Culture allows the readers to critique the culture beyond the boundaries. Bhabha is of the opinion that western tradition by default possessed the claim of power to comprehend the world mysteries and hold the right to control. In order to have deep insight in the structure of power and control Bhabha’s arguments are critiqued in the work of Kartdar Singh Duggal and Ranjit Powar.