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@article{184204,
        author = {Dr.Sanjay Kumar},
        title = {Religious and Cultural Conflict in Amrita Pritam’s Pinjar},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {4},
        pages = {318-322},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=184204},
        abstract = {Amrita Pritam’s Pinjar (1950) provides a haunting literary exploration of the 1947 Partition of India, focusing on its profound effects on women and the fabric of communal life. Set amidst the chaos and violence that accompanied the division of India into Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh states, the novel centers on Puro, a Hindu woman abducted by Rashid, a Muslim man. Through Puro’s story, Pritam brings to life the anguish, displacement, and dehumanization suffered by countless women during this tumultuous historical moment.
In the 2003 English translation by Khushwant Singh, Pritam’s narrative powerfully exposes how personal trauma and historical forces are inseparable. Puro’s abduction is not just an isolated act of violence; it mirrors the widespread abductions, forced conversions, and sexual violence that scarred the lives of many women during Partition. As Puro is stripped of her name, agency, and familial ties, her struggle poignantly embodies the loss of identity and belonging that millions experienced amid the collapse of traditional boundaries and the imposition of new, hostile lines of difference.
The novel also scrutinizes patriarchal values that compound women’s suffering, revealing how both religious and gendered hierarchies perpetuate cycles of violence and silence. Yet, Pinjar is not entirely devoid of hope. Through moments of empathy—such as fleeting solidarity between women across religious divides or Rashid’s eventual remorse—Pritam gestures toward the possibility of reconciliation and shared humanity, even in the aftermath of atrocity. Pinjar emerges as a searing critique of sectarianism and a testament to human endurance. It captures how individual pain is both shaped by and shapes collective history, ensuring that the memory and legacy of Partition remain vivid in the cultural and ethical consciousness of South Asia.},
        keywords = {Amrita Pritam, cultural conflict, gender, Pinjar, Partition of India, religious conflict, trauma},
        month = {September},
        }