The Department of Political Science in collaboration with the Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies (SNCWS) organised an interactive commemoration of the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on 14th August, 2023 in the M N Meenai Seminar Room, Department of Political Science. JMI Vice Chancellor Prof. Najma Akhtar (Padma Shri) inaugurated the event. It was a packed house of over a hundred (100) Participants – both off and online (with nearly fifty of the HRDC Refresher Course on Human Rights and Social Inclusion joining).
A photo exhibition with the gracious support of the Prem Chand Archives and & Literary Centre, JMI related to incidents leading up to India’s partition in the foyer of the department of Political Science was followed by an interactive Panel discussion on the Partition.
Prof Bulbul Dhar James, The Head of the Department of Political Science in collaboration with the SNCWS,JMI introduced the theme of the partition of India as - a story of unprecedented human displacement and forced migration, the extensive and brutal communal violence, that sought not only to destroy peoples’ lives but to remove cultural and physical presence of the ‘other’ group. The fact remains that the regions that saw the tragic unfolding of this violence had seen the very same communities co-existing for centuries. Punjab, Bihar, the United Provinces and of course Bengal are some examples where co-existence had been a way of life. The crisis on the trains – the very evocative symbolic picture that is a watermark on our Poster - is well known, she said.
From those who were waiting for the train came the evocative words: We dreamt success seeing the rails, but the same tracks snatched the very dreams the Vice Chancellor, Prof Najma Akhtar, spoke about the repercussions and trauma as a result of partition are felt and experienced till date. She pointed out that Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi last year announced that August 14 would be observed as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day with the hope that “the day would keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment”.
A Panel discussion with Resource Person, Dr. Sanjay Kumar former India Country Director and President of Harvard Club presented a Harward study on migration and Partition setting the stage for Ms. Pallavi Brara is a Research Scholar of Culture and Literature, besides being a Professor of French language at Alliance francaise, Elle est passionnée about the study of the multidirectional nature of Social memory as well as the reconstruction of Collective memories of conflict in World Literature. The latter focussed on ‘Reconciliation’ through reconstruction of Collective memory in Krishna Sobti’s Zindaginama (1979) and haunting account of the Partition.
What followed was a very interactive discussion Feedback, Question and Answer session by the students and the Faculty, with a vote of thanks by Dr. SRTP Raju. The programme ended with informal discussion on this very emotional issue continuing long after the event ended.
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