The Refugee, an Anguish of Million

The partition of India left a dark and ineradicable mark in the history of India, which created painful anguish among millions of people, especially in Bengal and Punjab. The sea change about the independence of India made an inexplicable turn of events in the annals of history. The spirit of brotherhood and the generation of human values collapsed suddenly with the advent of independence in the country. This socio-political aspect touched upon the playwright Asif Currimbhoy in making the play The Refugee. Currimbhoy tried to generate compassion through human suffering in and around Bengal, especially in Calcutta. The present play, The Refugee, draws the parallel between Yassin, the young refugee from East Pakistan, and Sen Gupta, a refugee to India from East Pakistan many years earlier. In the beginning, Yassin is cloudy and undecipherable with his indecisive acts towards the cause. On the other hand, Sen Gupta crossed borders many years earlier as a refugee, and he is now well settled in India with his friendly attitude and hardworking nature. Surprisingly, both are at present unperturbed towards the worsened situation of millions of refugees, who are in the camps and outside of the house of Sen Gupta and who need to be addressed by the concern. This play is about the anguish of millions of refugees. It is an act of resolution of dilemma in irony about the influx of refugees growing in number.