Section 1 Summary: Pages 1-51

    Train to Pakistan, is set in a time period where there was a civil dispute between the Muslims and Hindus. During this period, there is a town, Mano Majra, situated at the border of Pakistan and India with Muslim and Sikh inhabitants. In the beginning of the story, a turbulent atmosphere is portrayed as Hindus and Muslims being in constant fights with one another. A conflict can be seen where Jugga, a burly Sikh budmash, is in love with a Muslim girl, Nooran, in Mano Majra. However, the community despises Jugga because of robbers murdering and looting Mano Majra looking for him. The couples then split apart and Nooran goes back to her blind father in Mano Majra, while Jugga travels away from the village, fearing that he might be prosecuted by the robbers and community members. The next day, a deputy commissioner, Hukum Chand, approaches the village in a large car with intentions to kick out of the Muslims in Mano Majra in order to bring peace within the area. However, his corrupt side can be seen where he drinks too much whisky and entices a young teenage girl to have sexual activities. His role in the village is to be aware of the situation between the Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. His intentions are good but they are corrupted as he tries to wash away his guilty conscience by drinking copious amounts of whiskey. Later, another main character is introduced, Iqbal Singh. Iqbal Singh arrives at the town by train on train tracks adjacent to the town. Unlike the robust and uneducated Jugga, Iqbal is an educated social worker. He is an atheist and he has a brief yet deep conversation with one of the workers in the guest temple he is staying in. He then travels around the temple and shares his cynical thoughts with himself.

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