Show how the city of Chandrapore signifies the estranged relationship between the ruling class (Britishers) and the subjects (Indians)

Question: Show how the city of Chandrapore signifies the estranged relationship between the ruling class (Britishers) and the subjects (Indians).

Answer: The novel A Passage to India opens with a short description of Chandrapore and an overview of the surrounding countryside. At first, we gain an impression of the town as dirty and unattractive, lying along the banks of the Ganges. However, from ground level, the river does not appear holy or impressive; rather, it seems ordinary and nondescript. The city itself is uninteresting, partly because there is no proper ghat for bathing.

Within the city, a clear division exists between the European and the Indian localities. The railway line separates the two sections, symbolizing racial and social segregation. The European quarter, situated on higher ground near the civil station, includes the club, hospital, and other official buildings. Eurasians (people of mixed European and Asian descent) live on the rise near this area. From there, Chandrapore appears like a garden, pleasant and orderly. In contrast, the Indian part of the city is crowded, unattractive, and disorderly. The Marabar Hills lie about twenty miles to the south, and the city seems almost merged with the natural landscape. The description suggests that in India, the vastness and permanence of nature—earth and sky—are the only certainties, while human arrangements and distinctions are temporary and illusory.

Chandrapore, though a small city, represents a miniature version of India. It symbolizes the estranged relationship between the British rulers and the Indian subjects. The physical separation of the city reflects the emotional and social distance between the two communities. The British rulers live comfortably and consider themselves superior, but their arrogance and contempt for the Indians deepen the divide. As a result, their attempt to impose order and civilization fails to create genuine understanding or harmony. Thus, Chandrapore becomes a powerful symbol of the racial tension and alienation that characterize the colonial relationship.