From the Ashes of 1947

This book revisits the partition of the British Indian province of Punjab its attendant violence and as a consequence the divided and dislocated Punjabi lives. Navigating nostalgia and trauma dreams and laments identity(s) and homeland(s) it explores the partition of the very idea of Punjabiyat. It was Punjab (along with Bengal) that was divided to create the new nations of India and Pakistan. In subsequent years religious and linguistic sub-divisions followed - arguably no other region of the sub-continent has had its linguistic and ethnic history submerged within respective national and religious identity(s). None paid the price of partition like the pluralistic pre-partition Punjab. This work analyses the dissonance distortion and dilution witnessed by Punjab and presents a detailed narrative of its past.ContentsList of photographs maps and tables; List of excerpts; List of abbreviations; Glossary; Acknowledgements; Preface: memories create history; 1. Partitioned lands partitioned histories; 2. The treasure within the five rivers; 3. Handing over the reigns; 4. Violence migration and the making of the refugee; 5. Sacred Malerkotla; 6. Migrating to the promised land: a tale of two cities; 7. From refugee to citizen; 8. Cleansing hearts and minds; 9. Lost innocence and sold honour; 10. Dreams memories and legacies; Bibliography; Index.