Mohajirs and Color symbolism

The term mohajir refers exclusively to the Muslim migrant population from India and not to migrant Hindu or Sikh migrant populations.More than fifty years after Partition the mohajir community in Pakistan still sees itself as being displaced; this insecurity is rooted in the perception of the mohajir as an outsider by the native population of the country.

Symbolism of color green: Sufiya’s mother, Bilquis Kemal, can be seen as emblematic of the Muslim nation during and soon after partition - “naked, holding her green dupatta of modesty”(63) - the dupatta(scarf) is another example of Rushdie’s use of culturally coded symbols in the novel, which in this case signifies the modesty, shame, and honor of women. 

The color of the dupatta can be seen as a reference to Pakistan’s national flag.

Historical references in character's names

Raza Hyder’s name is an allusion to the despotic “maharaja”(king) of Mysore, Hyder Ali who ruled over the south Indian state of present-day Karnataka, and also refers more generally to the British rule.

Iskandar Harappa - The surname ‘Harappa’ glosses the archaeological site of the ‘Harappan

civilization that borders Bhutto’s family estate in the Sind province and is a ‘subtle reference to Bhutto’s reign of terror’. 

‘Iskander’ alludes to ‘Alexander the Great’, a figure both powerful and profligate who ‘invaded the part of India that is now Pakistan in 326 BC’, but it also refers to ‘the real-life ex-major-general Iskander Mirza’ as a way of casting aspersions on Bhutto’s democratic credentials.