Mano Majra: Exploring Political Realities in Khushwant Singh's Work within the Gandhian Framework

Abstract

This study examines the complex link between literature and politics by analyzing Khushwant Singh's critically renowned book Mano Majra which is set against the backdrop of India's Gandhian period. Published in 1956, the story depicts a devastating picture of a tiny Punjabi hamlet during the turbulent 1947 partition period. With an emphasis on the Gandhian ideals and their impact on the people and events in the novel, we examine in this research how Khushwant Singh's story offers a microcosm of the greater political environment of pre- and post-independence India. This research also looks at how the lives of the characters in the novel were impacted by political events like the partition of India, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and the Quit India Movement. It explores the ways in which these historical occurrences affect the protagonists' particular trajectories, illuminating the intricate interactions between human decisions and the larger political dynamics at work. This research paper explores the manner in which Mano Majra mirrors the political unrest of its day by closely examining the text and using literary and historical analysis. It contends that Khushwant Singh deftly balances the political and personal, providing an engaging story that both sums up the spirit of the Gandhian period and poses important queries regarding the continued applicability of Gandhian principles in modern-day India.