Analysis Of Manto's Short Story 'Khol Do !'

It is a fact that pain and suffering come along with the genesis of every new life in this world. Similarly, the birth of an independent Indian subcontinent has also its own painful consequences. In fact, its history is a history of violence and bloodshed. The course of millions of lives changed on that fateful summer of 1947 when the two-nation theory came into its full effect. The division was based on the premise that two separate nations were needed for two essentially separate communal identities—“Hindus” and “Muslims.” The myopic strategies of some politically-inspired bigots led to the unprecedented severe civil war in the subcontinent. In the palpable commotion of communal hatred and killing frenzy, the collateral damage to human values

Manto’s Urdu short-story “Khol Do!” (translated in English as “Open It!”) recounts one poignant event out of hundreds of thousands of events related to that traumatic experience. Like all other Partition stories of Manto, it also depicts the unbearable anguish, savagery and trauma of the Partition. It is one of the most powerful narratives which deal with the division of the country and its aftermath. It provides a unique perspective about the atrocities of that

The story opens when Sirajuddin comes to his senses after remaining unconscious for a day. He finds himself in Mughalpura refugee camp. He does not remember how he survived the slaughter back in Amritsar when he, along with his family, was trying to get the train to Mughalpura. He only recollects that his wife was killed and disemboweled by rioters. He also recalls that how he and his daughter, Sakina, fled towards the railway station in order to save themselves. There are chances that either she lost her way to the station or got killed in the riots on the train or in the least probability she is alive and safe somewhere between Amritsar and