Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Khushwant Singh
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Literature based questions are common in general knowledge and humanities oriented exams. Train to Pakistan is a famous Indian novel that explores the human impact of the partition of India and Pakistan. This question checks whether you know the correct author of this work, which is frequently referred to in discussions on Indo Pakistani history, modern Indian literature, and partition narratives.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall major Indian English authors and link them with their most famous works. Khushwant Singh is a noted writer and journalist who wrote extensively about Indian society, politics, and partition. Train to Pakistan is one of his best known novels, often studied in schools and universities. The other authors listed wrote different kinds of popular fiction or short stories but are not associated with this particular partition novel.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the genre and time period of Train to Pakistan. It is a mid twentieth century novel on partition.
Step 2: Recall Indian authors strongly associated with partition literature. Khushwant Singh is one of the key names in this field.
Step 3: Link the title Train to Pakistan to Khushwant Singh, who used the train journey and a border village as powerful symbols of the violence and trauma of partition.
Step 4: Check whether any of the other listed authors are known for this theme. Jhumpa Lahiri writes mainly about diaspora experiences, Amish Tripathi writes mythological fantasy, and Ravinder Singh writes contemporary romance.
Step 5: Conclude that the only option matching the known authorship of Train to Pakistan is Khushwant Singh.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can mentally list some other famous works by Khushwant Singh, such as Delhi: A Novel and his essays on Indian politics and society. You may also recall that Train to Pakistan appears in many school and college reading lists under his name. By contrast, Jhumpa Lahiri is best known for The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies, Amish Tripathi for the Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra series, and Ravinder Singh for books like I Too Had a Love Story, none of which deal with partition trains or border violence in the same way.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to confuse popular modern authors with classic writers from an earlier period. Another mistake is to select Jhumpa Lahiri simply because her name is strongly associated with Indian English writing, even though her themes are different. To avoid such confusion, create mental connections between each author and at least one signature work: for example, Khushwant Singh with Train to Pakistan, Jhumpa Lahiri with The Namesake, and Amish Tripathi with the Shiva Trilogy. This mapping makes it much easier to handle literature based MCQs.
Final Answer:
The novel Train to Pakistan was written by Khushwant Singh.
Discussion & Comments