Child of the Divide (2006)

By Sudha Bhuchar
Adapted from the short story Pali by Bhisham Sahni

When his fingers slip away from his father’s hand, one boy’s destiny changes forever.

In the chaos of border crossing between India and the newly formed Pakistan, a small Hindu boy called Pali suddenly finds himself lost and alone.  A childless couple take him in, and soon he is given a new name and a new faith – Islam.  In his changed world, he learns to find love and forge friendships.  But seven years later, when fate reunites him with his real parents, he must decide whether he is the boy he was born, the boy he was brought up to be, or simply a child of the divide.

Tamasha’s first play for children is a gripping and vitally relevant story of love and loss, friendship and belonging – for any young person who wants to be accepted just as they are.

Child of the Divide was commissioned by Tamasha and first performed as a co-production with Polka Theatre, where it premiered on 5 May 2006.

Child of the Divide was originally published by Methuen in 2006