Reflection of Identity Crisis in the Novel “Chalta Musafir”: In Perspective of Colonial Impact

Abstract

The article under study presents an analysis of the colonial impacts on the post-colonial sub-continent in the light of the novel “Chalta Musafir” written by Altaf Fatima. The migrants of 1947 had to go through so many political and social problems. The novel has shown these impacts by depicting the life journey of Muslims of district Bihaar who migrated to East Pakistan during the partition of India. The research method used in the article is qualitative applying the technique of content analysis. Contents of the novel have been analyzed in the light of the impacts of the colonialism which resulted in the „loss of identity‟ to the Bihaari migrants. Muzammil (and his family) has lost all the factors of identity i.e. the land, the property and the country. He was an Indian Muslim first (till 1947); then a Pakistani at East Pakistan (till 1971), and then a Bihaari Muhajir at Bangla Desh (after 1971). He lost his life in this journey and his son is going through an unending struggle in search of regaining the identity.