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Toba Tek Singh Questions

The document discusses the dilemma faced by inmates of an asylum in British India after the partition of India and Pakistan. Many inmates became distressed and changed their behavior upon learning they would be transported to one of the new countries. One inmate, Bishan Singh, grew violent when informed that his hometown of Toba Tek Singh was now in Pakistan, not India. He ultimately chose to sit down at the border between the two countries rather than live in either one. The document raises questions about the decisions made in transporting asylum inmates and the lack of information and literacy among the asylum guards.

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Shivani Gangadharan
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10K views1 page

Toba Tek Singh Questions

The document discusses the dilemma faced by inmates of an asylum in British India after the partition of India and Pakistan. Many inmates became distressed and changed their behavior upon learning they would be transported to one of the new countries. One inmate, Bishan Singh, grew violent when informed that his hometown of Toba Tek Singh was now in Pakistan, not India. He ultimately chose to sit down at the border between the two countries rather than live in either one. The document raises questions about the decisions made in transporting asylum inmates and the lack of information and literacy among the asylum guards.

Uploaded by

Shivani Gangadharan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. The inmates of the asylum were in a dilemma.

What was it
about?
2. A lot of the inmates showed a sudden change in behaviour by
climbing trees, refusing to bathe, etc. What does this tell us
about their feeling on being transported to India?
3. Even though he cared about his beloved, why was the lawyer
reluctant to go to India where she lived?
4. How did Bishan Singh prepare himself for the arrival of his
visitors? Why did he do that?
5. Bishan Singh loved receiving gifts and sweets from his “visits”.
Then why did he hand over the bag of sweets given by Fazal Din
to the guard?
6. Why did Bishan Singh turn violent upon hearing from the guard
that Toba Tek Singh was in Pakistan?
7. Bishan Singh chose the border to settle down. Why not the land
in either of the two countries?
8. Was it a right decision for the government of the two countries
to transport the inmates of the asylums?
9. What was the fear among the inmates of the European ward?
Should the government have arranged for them to be
transported to their countries as well?
10. Why wasn’t anyone able to answer the exact location of
Toba Tek Singh?
11. How would you describe the personality of Bishan Singh?
12. Why did people start calling him ‘Toba Tek Singh’?
13. Which two inmates had to be put in separate quarters
and why?
14. What does the lack of information and literacy amongst
the guards of the asylum tell us?
15. How did Bishan Singh respond when his family stopped
visiting him?

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