Page 48 - Train to Pakistan

the comrade’s name. The man should be reported to headquarters and taken to
task.
‘If we have no faith in God then we are like animals,’ said the Muslim

gravely. ‘All the world respects a religious man. Look at Gandhi! I hear he reads
the Koran Sharif and the Unjeel along with his Vedas and Shastras. People sing
his praise in the four corners of the earth. I have seen a picture in a newspaper of

Gandhi’s prayer meeting. It showed a lot of white men and women sitting cross-
legged. One white girl had her eyes shut. They said she was the Big Lord’s
daughter. You see, Meet Singh, even the English respect a man of religion.’

‘Of course, Chacha. Whatever you say is right to the sixteenth anna of the
rupee,’ agreed Meet Singh, rubbing his belly.
Iqbal felt his temper rise. ‘They are a race of four-twenties,’ he said

vehemently. [Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code defines the offence of
cheating.] ‘Do not believe what they say.’
Once again he felt his venom had missed its mark. But the Big Lord’s

daughter sitting cross-legged with her eyes shut for the benefit of press
photographers, and the Big Lord himself—the handsome, Hindustani-speaking
cousin of the King, who loved India like the missionaries—was always too much

for Iqbal.
‘I have lived in their country many years. They are nice as human beings.
Politically they are the world’s biggest four-twenties. They would not have

spread their domain all over the world if they had been honest. That, however, is
irrelevant,’ added Iqbal. It was time to change the subject. ‘What is important is:

what is going to happen now?’
‘We know what is happening,’ the lambardar answered with some heat. ‘The
winds of destruction are blowing across the land. All we hear is kill, kill. The
only ones who enjoy freedom are thieves, robbers and cutthroats.’ Then he

added calmly: ‘We were better off under the British. At least there was security.’
There was an uneasy silence. An engine was shunting up and down the

railway line rearranging its load of goods wagons. The Muslim changed the
subject.
‘That is the goods train. It must be late. Babu Sahib, you are tired; we must let
you rest. If you need us, we will be always at your service.’

They all got up. Iqbal shook hands with his visitors without showing any trace
of anger. Meet Singh conducted the lambardar and the Muslim down to the