In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to honour the lives lost and the injustices suffered during the partition of the Indian subcontinent. It serves as a reminder to current and previous generations of the sacrifices made by generations who witnessed this historic event.
The Partition of India and Pakistan
The Indian Independence Act of 1947 gave birth to two independent states; India and Pakistan. The process of this partition was anything but easy. The nation-state of Pakistan was to be carved out on the basis of religion. All the Muslim population that inhabited the Indian subcontinent was expected to move into Pakistan territory overnight. The same applied for people following other faiths too, Hindus were expected to move to India and the Sikhs, too, experienced insurmountable violence. The states of Bengal and Punjab suffered tremendously since most of their geographical area was divided between the two countries on the basis of Muslim-dominated and Hindu-dominated districts. The partitions cause the displacement of around 20 million people from both sides and more than a million deaths. The deep scars left by the partition are felt till date. The Kashmir dispute also has its roots in the partition.
The Legacy of the Partition
Partition Horrors Remembrance Day pays tribute to all those who lost their lives to the Partition. It is to educate people on our history and keep the memory of it all alive. To honour their legacy, the Indian government, as part of the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, is holding an exhibition across various states showcasing the horrors of the Partition. The exhibition would be in popular public spaces like railway stations, post offices, malls and government offices to have maximum reach and create a greater impact. The exhibition has been curated by the Indian Council of Historical Research and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts showcasing this pivotal historical event through evocative imagery. The aim is to make people aware of the injustices suffered in the past so that they are never repeated again. This will serve as an important device in education and prevention of such atrocities.
The partition is often compared to the Holocaust, since both events witnessed collective trauma and loss of life. The Holocaust has been widely documented and memorialised in museums,books and movies, whereas the partition does not have a single state-sponsored museum dedicated to exploring the trauma it caused. The declaration of 14th August as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is a crucial step towards changing that. It is important to acknowledge the deep rooted pain and agony caused by the event which altered the Indian subcontinent forever. Confronting our painful past is essential for healing from it and moving forward.
