The year 1947 is a landmark year in India's history. It is when India got its long-sought independence from the British regime after a tyrannical rule of almost 200 years. This freedom entailed the sacrifices of millions of people. Some well-talked about and some unknown that got lost in the pages of history, nonetheless as important. But as is nature's way, every good thing comes with a price. The Britishers left us with a parting gift in the form of Partition of the country, the huge price for freedom. The country was divided along religious lines to form the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of India. It was not only the division of land but also of people, families, friendships, emotions. What followed was one of the darkest times in Indian history. Next few months after the partition saw large scale violence and a mass exodus of people from both sides of the newly drawn border.
In Remnants of a Separation, Aanchal Malhotra has accomplished in bringing to the fore the pain, grief and suffering of the refugees. She dug deep into the dark recesses of the forgotten past and found tales of tribulations and resilience, tales of standing tall in times of adversity and of hope. People had to flee from their homes in the dead of night leaving everything behind. From their worldly possessions to their lives and much-loved homeland, everything was left behind. All they managed to carry along were few bare necessities and some items of sentimental value. The author has tried to use these tangible objects to stir the suppressed memories and unravel the past.
"But, unknowingly in some cases, transference of such memory does occur into alternative means of recollection, for instance, into inanimate objects. Belongings that were taken across the newly created border at the time of the Partition carry with them the memory of that migration, however subtly, however unexplored. The object, thus, serves as a catalyst for memory, a trigger for remembering as well as a portal into the past."
After the partition, during this migration, people carried with them valuables, hidden within folds of clothing, utensils, objects of no apparent value except the sentimental one. All of them had some kind of material memories. These are the memories that attach themselves to and live in the objects which when retrieved brings out a plethora of emotions.
In Remnants of a Separation, the author has managed to record and preserve the oral history which is usually passed from generation to generation. The oral history and memories are in danger of getting lost. With time, the new generation is losing touch with their origins. Such books are needed to ground us. She has given it a personal touch by including anecdotes from her own family. A must-read for one and all.
