What Partition Took Away

I grew up with stories from my grandmother about the vast stretches of agricultural land our family once owned in Bangladesh before Partition. She would often talk about my grandfather, a respected schoolteacher, who remained there until his last breath. She took pride in the fact that he had passed away on his own soil, even as the world around them was being torn apart.

Her language was different, thick with a dialect that stood out. She was often called 'Kath Bangal ( a person who has come from Bangladesh) ,' a label that we, as children, playfully teased her about. But she remained carefree, unbothered by our jokes. I would sleep beside her as a child, listening to the stories of how she crossed the border with two sons and five daughters on a stormy night. A former student of my grandfather helped them navigate to safety, a guardian in a moment of crisis. At that age, I found the story cinematic—like something out of a grand adventure. I was too young to grasp its weight, but now, when I reflect on it, I see it for what it was: an ordeal of survival, displacement, and immense loss.

The Wounds of Partition

Loss of Homeland and Identity

For many elders, Partition meant an irreversible loss of home and identity. Uprooted from familiar lands, they were forced to start over as refugees in a country that was meant to be theirs yet felt foreign. The longing for what was left behind—ancestral homes, shared histories, and the comfort of familiarity—never faded. 

Cultural and Linguistic Displacement

Language, traditions, and even food carried the scars of migration. Many elders found themselves labeled as outsiders in their new homes, their dialects mocked, their cultural practices seen as different. The invisible borders drawn within communities added to their sense of alienation.

Separation of Families and Generational Trauma

Partition did not just divide land; it tore families apart. Many never saw their loved ones again—some perished in riots, some chose to stay, while others simply disappeared in the chaos. The grief of such loss was often buried deep, passed down through silent sorrow and untold stories. As The Other Side of Silence by Urvashi Butalia reveals:

"For those who lived through it, Partition was not a single moment in history, but a wound that never quite healed, a shadow that followed them all their lives."

Economic Hardships and Social Stigma

The economic blow of Partition was immense. Those who had once owned land or businesses found themselves struggling to survive. Elders, who had spent their early life in stability, suddenly had to start from scratch, often facing the stigma of being ‘refugees’ in their new land.

Psychological and Emotional Toll

Many who lived through Partition carried invisible scars. The trauma of loss, violence, and displacement affected them in ways that were never formally acknowledged. They endured nightmares, silent grief, and an unspoken fear of instability that never quite left them. 

As Bhisham Sahni wrote in Tamas:

"The partition of a country also partitions its people’s minds and hearts. And when that happens, it takes generations to mend."

Conclusion: Remembering, Not Forgetting

Our elders are the living witnesses of history. They have seen a country being rebuilt from scratch, from chaos and uncertainty to independence and growth. Their stories are not just personal memories; they are fragments of a larger history that shaped nations. What they endured, what they lost, and how they survived form a precious legacy of resilience and perseverance.