Balbir Parwana

Jalandhar, Punjab, India

Balbir Parwana’s novel ‘Rauleyan Vele’ (‘In the Time of Unrest’) chronicles the profound and lasting impact of the 1947 Partition of Punjab through the journey of a documentary filmmaker and researcher, Gurpreet. The narrative unfolds as Gurpreet travels across the region, collecting firsthand oral testimonies and forgotten historical details from elders who lived through the tumultuous time of dislocation, destruction, and death. The novel weaves together individual stories of Abida and her father Bashir Muhammad, Biker Singh, and Harnam Singh Bajwa with broader historical reflections, creating a rich tapestry of human tragedy, fragmented communities, and psychological scars. 

The narrative is fresh. The descriptions of the landscape are vivid. The inner struggle of characters around identity and belonging are compelling. For them Partition is not a political event of the past; it is ongoing and continues to shape contemporary human relations, both locally within Punjab and in the diaspora. Their longing to see and feel the soil of their birthplaces contributes to an immersive reading experience.