Truths told in tales

Children's fiction that portrays the freedom movement and partition are few and far between.

The night diary

To many children, the events of the Indian Independence Movement and the Partition of India might seem like they happened in the distant past. In reality, they are so recent that many of those children have surviving grandparents and great-grandparents whose lives were actually shaped through those very events.

Although history textbooks talk quite a bit about all this, fiction for children that deals with the freedom movement and partition are few and far between. As I have said before in these columns, personal stories, real or fictional, do more to inform and touch the reader than a mere list of dry facts. A fictional narrative evokes pictures, images, and hence, sentiments that bring out the circumstances, and indeed, the horrors of the events that are an integral part of our history.

At some point in my reading journey, I discovered to my chagrin that I had probably read more children’s books on the Holocaust than about India’s Independence. So, along with my daughter, I set out to fill that lacuna, bit by bit, and here’s our journey so far:

Mukand and Riaz by Nina Sabnani. Originally an animated movie, it was later turned into a book. This is the touching real story of two boys living in Karachi, who are separated during partition. The images use textiles and applique work to beautiful effect.

In Chachaji’s Cup by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Soumya Sitaraman, a boy is fascinated with Chachaji’s cup — what is so special about it? What is its history?

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is a 2019 Newbery Honor Book. Nisha travels on foot from Pakistan to India with her family in search of a new home. The book brings out the pain of leaving your home, walking miles without food and water and the uncertainty of what you’ll find on the other end.

Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar is a nuanced and much-needed glimpse into the little and big events that shook and shaped the country during its journey towards independence, seen through the eyes of a young girl.

I am yet to work my way through my list of books that include A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master, Neela: Victory Song by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and The Narayanapur Incident by Shashi Deshpande.

If you are looking for non-fiction books, which might give you something extra that textbooks don’t, here are some options: A Flag, A Song and a Pinch of Salt, which is about freedom fighters, and Saffron, White and Green: The Amazing Story of India’s Independence, are both written by Subhadra Sen Gupta.

The Puffin Lives series has short biographies of a number of freedom fighters (among other important Indians). We still need to hear many more of the untold stories of the independence movement and the partition. Meanwhile, this should be a good beginning towards making this Independence Day more meaningful.

The author got a master’s degree in energy engineering and worked in the IT industry until her daughter dragged out the writer lurking inside her. She has written eight books for children and can be reached at www.shruthi-rao.com

GobbledyBook is a fortnightly column that gives you a peek into the wondrous world of children’s books. Hop on! Or as Alice did, plunge into the rabbit hole.