• Deiphishisha Chyne
• Nabanita Saha

The partition of 1947 resulted in unprecedented blood-shed and migration of people from India to Pakistan and vice versa, leaving deep psychological and cultural scars on both sides of the newly formed borders. To this day, it remains one of the most tragic events in global history. Its consequences were not only political but also deeply socio-cultural. The partition resulted in forced displacement of millions, uprooted families from their homes and severed their ties from their familiar environments, leaving lasting scars of trauma, a profound sense of dislocation, and the irreparable loss of identity and cultural roots. This paper provides a detailed analysis of postcolonial reading of Saadat Hasan Manto’s short story “Toba Tek Singh” which represents displacement, loss and trauma of the inmates of mental asylum during partition. An attempt is made to demonstrate how Manto through stark realism and deeply empathetic portrayals, captures the pain of uprooted lives, fractured identities, and the absurdity of man-made borders. The paper further examines the victims’ elusive quest for identity and belonging in a divided subcontinent, highlighting Manto’s critique of nationalism and the psychological toll of displacement.

Partition of 1947, Identity Crisis, Displacement, Saadat Hasan Manto, Cultural Trauma, Nationalism

"LANDS OF NOWHERE: IDENTITY, INSANITY, AND BELONGING IN MANTO’S TOBA TEK SINGH", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 11, page no.d363-d367, November-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2411340.pdf

"LANDS OF NOWHERE: IDENTITY, INSANITY, AND BELONGING IN MANTO’S TOBA TEK SINGH", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 11, page no. ppd363-d367, November-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2411340.pdf