‘Rivers of Thirst’ by Joginder Paul is an elegy for a world lost to the tides of history

I grew up in a city where a significant portion of the population had migrated from West Punjab, carrying with them the indelible scars of Partition. Stories of 1947 — the epoch of division and disarray — were part of my everyday milieu. This monumental tragedy disrupted lives, fractured communities and tore apart a civilisation, leaving wounds that have yet to fully heal. Amidst the narratives of loss and survival, literature became a refuge, a space where collective anguish found expression.

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One of the most evocative voices in this domain is Joginder Paul, a writer born in 1925 in Sialkot, now in Pakistan. Paul witnessed first-hand the trauma of Partition. His literary journey began early, with his first story published in Saqui in 1945. After Partition, he resettled in Ambala as a refugee in his own country, teaching English while pursuing his passion for writing. His debut collection, ‘Dharti Ka Kaal’ (1962), was followed by acclaimed works such as ‘Khula’ (1989) and ‘Khwabrau’ (1991). This collection, ‘Rivers of Thirst’, comprises 15 of his short stories and an excerpt from his novel ‘Khwabrau’, offering a glimpse into his exploration of borders, identities and the human condition.

Paul’s connection to Sialkot permeates through his work. For him, home was not just a physical space but a repository of memories and heritage. This longing for the ancestral land shapes his experimental storytelling. His narratives, often fragmented and abstract, reflect the dislocation of his inner world — a psyche perpetually grappling with loss and longing.

The collection opens with ‘Jo Hai So Hai’, a tale that unravels through a monologue as the protagonist journeys by train. The train’s relentless motion mirrors his fractured sense of self — “Because the train is moving so fast, my inner wholeness lies broken within me. The feeling that I am just a moment, from beginning to end, is also being snatched away from me.”

The story’s conclusion leaves a haunting resonance: “Yes — oh, yes! Everyone is to go there.” This tale, like much of Paul’s work, eschews traditional storytelling for a more introspective and experimental approach.

Paul’s fragmented narratives align with the modernist and postmodernist literary movements, evoking the works of James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and Lydia Davis. His style challenges readers to navigate the ambiguity of his stories, much like the fractured realities of those displaced by Partition.

One of the most harrowing stories in the collection, ‘Dera Baba Nanak’, portrays the grotesque reality of Partition. The protagonist, arriving at the border as a refugee, finds streets littered with dismembered bodies. An unhinged man, unable to reconcile with his religious identity, fixates on a severed body part, pondering whether it belongs to him. In his madness, he assembles the scattered remains into a monstrous figure, only to flee in terror. This narrative lays bare the absurdity and brutality of communal violence.

In ‘Pataal’, Paul captures the internalisation of fear through the perspective of a child. Confined indoors during curfew, the boy pleads with his father:

“Abba Jaan, I want to go out.”

“There is a curfew outside, son.”

“Curfew must be lonely, Abba. Please go out, save him. Bring Curfew inside.”

This poignant exchange underscores how fear seeps into the psyche, creating curfews of the mind even when the external threat subsides.

The volume includes an introduction and afterword by editors Sukrita Paul Kumar and Rushaan Kumar, who provide invaluable context and insights. Sukrita Paul highlights her father’s exploration of themes like pain, loss, and the philosophical dimensions of borders and identity.

Although Paul’s work may lack the accessibility and narrative ease of Partition’s literary icons like Saadat Hasan Manto or Bhisham Sahni, his voice is distinct. His fragmented, introspective storytelling offers a profound reflection on displacement, making his work an essential addition to the literature of Partition.

‘Rivers of Thirst’ is more than a collection of stories — it is an elegy for a world lost to the tides of history. Paul’s narratives, with their unconventional forms and philosophical undertones, challenge readers to confront the lingering trauma of Partition.

This translation, though challenging, is a vital contribution to our understanding of that epochal moment, bridging the chasm between memory and history.

— The writer is an author and publisher