Lajwanti By Rajinder Singh Bedi | Lajwanti Summary & Analysis

Table of Contents

Introduction

“Lajwanti” By Rajinder Singh Bedi is about a happily married couple who suffered in the riots that resulted in the partition of India. During the partition, tens of thousands of Hindus and Muslims were forced to pack and leave, because suddenly India was divided on the basis of religion. Families who had been living on the ‘Wrong’ side of the border for generations had to migrate, at the moment of notice to their ‘homeland’. In the midst of all this pain, anguish and separation, displaced people began attacking the ‘enemies’ through thefts, violence and abduction, as was the case with the protagonist Sundar Lal and his wife Lajwanti, who was abducted.

About Author

Rajinder Singh Bedi is considered one of the greatest 20th-century progressive writers of Urdu fiction, and second most prominent writer after Sadat Hasan Manto. He is most known for his haunting tales of partition of the India. His Urdu Novel, translated into English as ‘I Take This Woman’ by Khuswant Singh received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1965. He also worked in Hindi cinema as a film director, screenwriter and dialogue writer. If his memory, the Government of Punjab has started a ‘Rajinder Singh Bedi Award’ in the field of Urdu Literature.

Significance of The Title Lajwanti

Lajwanti is a Punjabi word for ‘Touch-me-not’, the flower that withers its leaves upon human contact. This leaf represents all those women who suffered Trauma and Violence during partition. The title also refers to ‘Lajwant’ the protagonist of the story, was a dark-skinned, thin girl, delicate as the Lajwanti leaf and she also suffered in the riots resulting in the partition of India. So the title of the story is significant.

Summary & Analysis of The Story

During the partition of India, both side’s many women were abducted, including Lajwanti, the protagonist of the story. To bring back the abducted women the campaign was started by the residents of ‘Mula Shakoor’. They set up a committee named ‘Rehabilitate them in your heart’. Sunder Lal, an abusive husband, whose own wife Lajwanti went missing during the conflict was elected as a secretary of the committee.

The committee was formed because many women who came back were rejected by their families and told to commit suicide because they were tarnished and no longer acceptable in the community.

Lajwanti was a dark skin, girl who was as delicate as the Lajwanti leaf. She was also suffering from this conflict and was abducted. Sunder Lal had asked the people to treat these girls as each female deserves. A woman named Masdula Sara Bai brought some women back, but unfortunately, Laju was not there with her. But Sunder Lal never gave up and once again moved on to find his Laju. At the same time, there were also some men who were refusing to accept their wives.

Narayan who was the leader of various Hindus was against this committee. He believed that no women who had been raped or abducted should be ‘Bring Back’. He always used to give examples for this incident related to Ramayana, ‘How did Lord Ram not accept Sita? Sunder Lal gets angry after hearing the statement of Narayan and an argument takes place between the two.

Suddenly one morning Lal Chand who lives in the same village congratulates Sunder Lal stating that he saw Laju. Sunder Lal did not believe him, he said that she must be someone else. But with the confidence of Lal Chand convinced him that it was Laju. Lal Chand had started to give him descriptions like a tattoo on her chin and another on her neck. Yes, Yes, Sunder Lal replied and said a third tattoo on her forehead.

One day Pakistan delivered 16 women and received 16 in back. Sunder Lal was getting ready to visit the border town of Amritsar, after reaching there he slowly moved to Chauki Kalan the place for the delivery of many abducted women.

Luckily Laju stood in front of him. She was dressed up like a Muslim woman. She had become like more fairer and healthier than before. After returning home Sunder Lal ignored all the voices which were against them. He was happy that he got his wife back to their home. Now Laju started feeling a little bit relaxed because of Sunerlal’s gentle behaviour.

Sunder Lal also neglected her feelings and the pain that she had gone through. Once Lajwanti started talking about Jumma with whom she was there. Sunder Lal asked Laju, was he good to you, and he didn’t beat you? In answer to that Laju replied that he was never hard on me and I was very afraid of him.

Lajwanti also says that you used to beat me but I never felt afraid of you. Sunder Lal is ashamed of herself for ill-treating her.

Conclusion

Thus, Lajwanti by Rajinder Singh Bedi explores the plight of helpless women who were abducted on both sides of the
newly-etched border and their subsequent rehabilitation. The author points out the stark and shameful reality of Rehabilitation. The author points out the stark and shameful reality of the Rehabilitation process. Overall, Lajwanti is the story of some women who were abducted and got some acceptance some got ignored.