The Partition Notebooks
a Review Essay
Palavras-chave:
Relações Internacionais, Independência, Conflitos, Religiões, Cultura, Recursos hídricos, História, Perspectivas, Caxemira (Índia e Paquistão), índia, PaquistãoResumo
History is a pitiless science. Under the historian’s gaze, new information can turn yesterday’s hero into today’s villain. This is true of India’s partition. It did not follow the script. India’s freedom was not a fairly tale of struggle and victory. Partition was tainted with blood. A dark past makes the definitive judgment on Partition difficult. If we scruff the taint, events appear different. Starting from the early twentieth century, these three works navigate the slippery pathways to Partition, neither eulogising nor demonising the protagonists. The figures they write about might disappoint some, but triumphs and follies shadow all human life. Two of the authors are former diplomats, and the third is a civil servant. Practitioners are prudent, familiar with good and bad decisions. Being expert in the art of the possible, the authors calm the debate. Doshi’s work won him the Hindu Prize for Fiction 2016. Raghavan’s is contemporary history, and Bhatnagar’s is commentary. Doshi deals with the past (1904-1937), Raghavan with the present (1947-2008), and Bhatnagar with past and present (1906- 2017). Writing on the same epoch tempts singling out the better author. But being different genres, there is reason to avoid a score sheet. A practitioner’s views count, regardless of the quality of literary craft, and we should leave it at that.
