Why you should read ‘Remnants of a Separation’

Growing up in India, all of us have learnt about the British Raj, the Indian Freedom Struggle, and India’s subsequent Independence. We all read names of freedom fighters, the dates on which the most important events took place, and the courage and bravery of the people. However, sometimes we tend to forget that a lot of people that were alive in 1947 are still alive today. They aren’t freedom fighters, but the scores of common people that witnessed, and were a part of, the Partition of India.

It was a regular day, about a year ago, and I was scrolling through the explore page on Instagram, when I came across the profile of Aanchal Malhotra. Her bio said that she was an oral historian, which was a profession I’d never heard of before, so that intrigued me further. I scrolled through her Instagram photos and found out that she was writing a book! Her book was going to be called ‘Remnants of a Separation – A History of Partition through Material Memory’. The moment I read that, I began following her. I’m an avid reader, and I love history, so I knew that her book would be something I’d enjoy reading.

A post shared by Aanchal Malhotra (@aanch_m) on Aug 10, 2017 at 12:37pm PDTEver since we started learning history in school, I’d enjoyed the subject. It is very interesting to know about the events that shaped the world we live in today. The Partition of India and Pakistan is no different. I don’t think we realise how poignant this moment in history is, how much it is part of our own personal history. It is hard to believe sometimes, even though it is true, that India and Pakistan used to be one country, because our lives would have been considerably different if they still were. I spend a lot of time pondering about how things would be if the Partition hadn’t taken place. Would there be so much enmity between Hindus and Muslims? Would there be only happy stories associated with Independence, when the British finally left? Would as many people have horrible memories etched in their minds, memories they can’t erase?

When I read that in the book there were interviews with people who’d had to leave their homes and migrate, and the things they brought with them, and the memories associated with said things, I was majorly interested. It was a fresh perspective, one that I had never heard of or read about. As I said before, we tend to forget that some of these people, although not numerous, are still alive. What we learn in history books, they have lived, and survived. The horrors of the Partition are not explicitly described in a textbook, but in this novel, there are some gruesome details about things that I cannot fathom.

A post shared by Aanchal Malhotra (@aanch_m) on Feb 20, 2018 at 8:59am PSTSo, when my friend asked me what I would like for my birthday, I asked for this book. When it finally arrived, I dived into it and was completely immersed from the get-go. This book was unlike any I had read before, and I’ve read a lot of books. It was enriching, interesting, and heartbreaking, all at the same time. In fact, it was the first book that made me cry (chapter 13, to be precise). These stories were of people who were forced to leave their homes, just so they could be alive. They knew that they would never see their homes again, although they always hoped that they would return. That their departure was temporary. That things would get better.

Most of these people had to leave their homes in the spur of the moment, so they couldn’t carry much, just the bare necessities. However, there were some very special objects that they couldn’t leave behind. For some it was jewellery, for others, clothing. These objects remain special to them to this day. They are the only connection that they have to their ‘homeland’, wherever that might be. It was a part of their identity, a reminder of their childhood and the hardships they faced for survival.
Another epiphany that I had while reading this book is that we tend to think of pre and post Partition as two disconnected phases of the history of India. They are completely different periods of history, yes, but they are still two sides of the same coin.

A post shared by Aanchal Malhotra (@aanch_m) on Aug 29, 2018 at 10:28am PDTThese objects are now considered as family heirlooms, and will be passed on to future generations as well. We have to understand how much history a shawl, or a set of pearls, can have, because these are the things that we can hold on to. The things that connect us to the history of our nation. The story of the Partition is a story of millions of people, and their sacrifices, struggles and pain. I think it is our duty to remember how important that is. It is our duty to honour these people, because one day in the near future, they won’t be around, and the stories about the Partition will go with them as well. Aanchal Malhotra endeavours to keep these stories alive, these stories that we must never, ever forget. I know for a fact that I couldn’t just abandon my home, never return again and be unsure of my future. So, remember to honour your ancestors (from either side of the border), and never forget how lucky you are to live in a free nation, how many ever problems we might have.

This post is dedicated to all those that lost their lives during the Partition, and to those that continue to live with the horrific memories of the momentous event that changed our world forever.
 

Buy the book here!

A post shared by Aanchal Malhotra (@aanch_m) on Sep 10, 2017 at 10:56am PDTA post shared by Aanchal Malhotra (@aanch_m) on Apr 23, 2018 at 3:56am PDT