Partition

BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / (Re)visit to the alleys of contestation, narratives, and memories that the Partition left behind

The book discusses the lack of sensitivity among policymakers in acknowledging the distinct socio-cultural differences and linguistic and community identities of the refugees that often got merged. It explores how different categories of refugees received different treatments.

THE SHELF / Stories that move you

In keeping with the spirit of Partition of 1947, we have compiled a list of stories that deal with movements and migrations,

Into the intersection of identity & violence

It is worth considering that, according to historian Yuval Noah Harari, we may not be able to fully evade violence, as our evolutionary past has instilled certain inclinations within us that could be linked to violence.

'Independence': A painfully poignant Partition story

Divakaruni has a message to send with this novel. To her, independence entails not just liberation or freedom from subjugation, it also means doing the right thing for oneself and for the people around us.

Anuradha Roy's book of longing and belonging

In Hindu mythology, the figure of the flaming, underwater horse has been repeatedly used to represent balance and harmony—a state in which both the elements of fire and water can coexist.

A refugee's tale in Calcutta

Unlike many of the war refugees from Bangladesh in Calcutta, he felt no urge to be involved in the war. He had fled the country to save his life, not to participate in the fight.

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Family of feelings: Iffat Nawaz's 'Shurjo's Clan'

Part memoir, part magical realism, this is a story about identity and the idea of home.

BOOK EXCERPT: NONFICTION / Toward Ladyland: On the life and work of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

Her 1903 piece “Alonkar na badge of slavery” marked the start of Rokeya’s explicitly feminist writing.

INTERVIEW / In Iffat Nawaz’s debut novel, 1971 is not an open wound

Shurjo’s Clan uses magic realism to conjure Shurjomukhi’s freedom fighter uncles, who were martyred in Sylhet’s tea gardens during the 1971 Liberation War, and her grandmother, who took her own life shortly after the 1947 Partition. 

May 3, 2024
May 3, 2024

(Re)visit to the alleys of contestation, narratives, and memories that the Partition left behind

The book discusses the lack of sensitivity among policymakers in acknowledging the distinct socio-cultural differences and linguistic and community identities of the refugees that often got merged. It explores how different categories of refugees received different treatments.

August 17, 2023
August 17, 2023

Stories that move you

In keeping with the spirit of Partition of 1947, we have compiled a list of stories that deal with movements and migrations,

June 22, 2023
June 22, 2023

Into the intersection of identity & violence

It is worth considering that, according to historian Yuval Noah Harari, we may not be able to fully evade violence, as our evolutionary past has instilled certain inclinations within us that could be linked to violence.

June 22, 2023
June 22, 2023

'Independence': A painfully poignant Partition story

Divakaruni has a message to send with this novel. To her, independence entails not just liberation or freedom from subjugation, it also means doing the right thing for oneself and for the people around us.

May 25, 2023
May 25, 2023

Anuradha Roy's book of longing and belonging

In Hindu mythology, the figure of the flaming, underwater horse has been repeatedly used to represent balance and harmony—a state in which both the elements of fire and water can coexist.

March 23, 2023
March 23, 2023

A refugee's tale in Calcutta

Unlike many of the war refugees from Bangladesh in Calcutta, he felt no urge to be involved in the war. He had fled the country to save his life, not to participate in the fight.

January 26, 2023
January 26, 2023

Family of feelings: Iffat Nawaz's 'Shurjo's Clan'

Part memoir, part magical realism, this is a story about identity and the idea of home.

December 8, 2022
December 8, 2022

Toward Ladyland: On the life and work of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

Her 1903 piece “Alonkar na badge of slavery” marked the start of Rokeya’s explicitly feminist writing.

November 18, 2022
November 18, 2022

In Iffat Nawaz’s debut novel, 1971 is not an open wound

Shurjo’s Clan uses magic realism to conjure Shurjomukhi’s freedom fighter uncles, who were martyred in Sylhet’s tea gardens during the 1971 Liberation War, and her grandmother, who took her own life shortly after the 1947 Partition. 

November 12, 2022
November 12, 2022

An encounter with Sandeep Ray

"I have lifted from these stories. I’ve stolen from these stories. But you know, I’ve remade the characters so they don’t directly relate to anyone’s biography. But I cannot deny that a lot of the anecdotes, events and arc of the story come from certain family experiences", states Sandeep Ray.