Title: Five rivers on fire
Description: Ethnic violence spirals out of control as Britain leaves the Indian subcontinent after World War II, dividing the country into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. Fazal, a proud tender-hearted Muslim shopkeeper living in a small Punjabi village stands dazed in front of his Hindu friend's shop, reduced to ashes by Muslim vigilantes. A few months later his ten year old son Karim is torn apart from his Sikh friend Makhan as his family is forced to flee India. The two friends grow up; one in Pakistan, the other in India embarking on military careers and espionage while their countries remain in perpetual conflict.
Subjects: Fiction, Ethnic relations, Religion, Politics and government
Places: South Asia, India
Time periods: 20th century