Tonga Scene in Garam Hawa (Independence)

The second tonga scene in Garam Hawa reveals how independence has become part of the communal life in India. Without state’s directives coming from the top, people have arrived at their own terms of trade, which as discussed in class, do not favor the Muslims. The sequence starts with the tonga driver saying that he’ll take 2 rupees for “cham cham galli.” This charge is considerably higher from what Salim Mirza normally pays for the same route: “ye kya baat hui? Hum to hamesha aath aaney dete hain.” The tonga driver replies that “tumhara time khatam ho gya hai. Aath aaney mien jaana hai to Pakistan jao.” This marks not only the continuous stifling of the Muslim experience but also the expanding Hindu control and dominance in India. Further, it also projects the understanding of Pakistan as being the ideal home for the Muslim. 

Pyaarelaal tries to resist the driver saying that: “Hindustan Pakistan karna hai to tonga kyun chalatey ho? Leadery karo leadery.” This remark is interesting because it points to how people, especially Muslims, view the narrative of imposing partition of the Hindus and Muslims as being reserved for the politicians. But the driver, much like the lenders and contractors, seem to be representing themselves when they decide economical matters with the Muslims.

The sequence ends with Salim Mirza saying to pyaarelaal: “chalo pyaarelal. Nayi nayi azaadi milli hai. Sab uska apne apne dhang se matlab nikal rhe hain.” This dialogue appears to have a double meaning. Firstly it means that people are interpreting their new-found independence in their own ways. It also probably implies that people are using independence for their own gains (matlab serving the two meanings in Urdu: meaning and purpose). Either way, Salim Mirza it seems, is not supportive of the independence which seems to have led to such a growing divide between the community.