A Postcolonial Study of the Train as a Vibrational Force of Identity, Culture, and Hybridity in Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan

Abstract

This paper examines how the train is used as a symbol of vibrating force that shapes and disrupts identity, culture, and hybridity through a postcolonial lens. In Train to Pakistan (Singh, 1956), the train is not only a mode of transportation but also a carrier of mixed identity and cultural hybridity. It is employed as a metaphor for the transformation and deconstruction of various communal identities, owing to the movement of passengers from different communities in the same train. The train carries Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus, following the same route with multiple mindsets and ideas between Faqiranwalla and Mano Majra. The main purpose of this research is to illustrate how the train, as a postcolonial metaphor, becomes both a unifying and dividing force. It brings together identities and cultures into shared spaces, while at the same time exposing the ruptures and traumas that Partition created. The study revolves around how the involvement of powerful outsiders plays a vital role in shaping the identities and cultures of these communities. It also highlights the trauma vibrating back and forth during the Partition between Muslims and Hindus. The train plays a vital role in harmony and disharmony of various communities. Although, with the passage of time, these trains turned into destructive forces. The train turning highlights the destruction with emergence of modernity.

Key terms: Culture; Hybridity; Identity; Train; Transformation