Civil Lines – Jaswant Singh Kanwal

Civil Lines is a powerful, urban-centric novel by the iconic pioneer of Punjabi realism, Jaswant Singh Kanwal. Moving away from his famous rural landscapes, Kanwal delivers a sharp, sensitive critique of the upper-middle class that emerged after the British Raj. The story masterfully captures the tension between individual ideals and societal pressures, portraying a world where political instability, bureaucracy, and moral decay threaten to crush the honest common man. A brilliant, thought-provoking classic on the hidden cost of modern progress.