Author(s): Debapriya Sarkar

Abstract: The paper describes how the sufferance of partition has stripped the attackers and the victims equally of their emotional stability. The "Khol Do" short story particularly focuses on the gendered aspect of partition violence. The story moves forward to unfold the slow detriment of human sentiments in both the perpetrator’s mind and the survivor’s too. The paper explores how the apathetic behaviour stemmed from the mad violence that traumatised or ravaged the sensibilities of the common folks. It goes on to investigate how nation-building resulted in human massacre and disrupted the emotional equilibrium of the common people of India.Ref

Keywords: emotional sensibility, gendered violence, human apathy, violence.

Article Info: Received: 26 Jun 2022; Received in revised form: 17 Jul 2022; Accepted: 22 Jul 2022; Available online: 27 Jul 2022

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.74.13