The
present, as represented in Basti, is
placed as a direct antecedent to the 1971 partition, which is told through the consciousness
of the protagonist and historian, Zakir. His constant reminiscing seems to indicate
to the reader a search for meaning in the past, or a higher ideal to fish out
and connect to the abject present. His recollections gravitate around different
moments of partition (or conquest) in India, and sometimes indicate a posited
purity or creativity expected as a consequent of partition. Put in relation to
the Prophet Muhammad’s Hijrat, it
seems as if the main characters struggle from letting go of this expectation-
the expectation of finding salvation in their new home. The only character who
escapes the consequent suffering and apathy is Sabirah, precisely because of
her denial of this posited purity in mobility.
As
the narrator details partition, it is interesting that he leaves out scenes of
violence and strife, usually ever present in other stories of Partition. Instead,
the protagonist represents it as something pure, perhaps even continuous and
timeless. As he remembers the first days of partition, Zakir notes, “woh din issay bohat pakeeza nazar aaya”.
His memory, thus represents the aftermath of partition as something pure and
creative: “issay iss nayi zameen per
chalnay meh kitni la’azat mil rahi thi”. Unlike other literary narratives, Basti excludes stories of mass
migration, suffering and war in the partition representation. In fact, the
event comes across as something calm and peaceful, “Roz kohi kaflaa shahr meh dakhil hota aur galiyon muhalon meh bikhar
jaata”. It is precisely Zakir’s inaccurate representation of partition that
leads him to a state of basti-lessness,
from which he suffers and subsists in inaction and apathy.
In
contrast to Zakir’s longing for a creative renewal of Muslim culture in India,
or a glimmering hope of setting roots in Pakistan, Sabirah emerges as the only
character who is actually content with her basti.
This is perhaps because of her purposive selection of Delhi as a home on her
terms- without any reference to where her religion, family, creed or culture
should take her. This struggle to move in sync with their creeds is probably
the reason behind Zakir’s persistent discomfort in his basti: “…abhi tak who samajh
nahi paya tha ke kisi baray sanehah ko kis tor mehsoos kia jata hai”. Instead
of expecting a renewed purity or creativity as a result of partition, Sabirah
finds contentment in not questioning her basti.
While Zakir constantly meanders into his forest to find meaning, Sabirah
refuses to look for her basti in the
past, rebuking people who expect her to do so- “…aap ney phir ghalat ilaqay mein qadam rakh dia hai”.
It
is quite probable that Zakir’s apathy emerges from this restlessness, from
which only Sabirah gets a genuine reprieve.
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