The Partition by Ryan Ahuja
Posted on October 15, 2007
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India is a country that has undergone much political and geographical turmoil in the past 60 years. As an individual of Indian descent and Hindu religious ties, my life has inevitably been affected by these events and my ethnic and cultural ties to the country have been shaped as a result. One particular event was the creation of the Independent Republic of India in 1947, when India and Pakistan became separate independent entities. My family, on both my mother and father’s sides, lived in West Punjab (modern day Pakistan). After the creation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, many Hindus living in the area were faced with violence, oppression, and hatred. West Punjab became a very dangerous area for non-Muslims and as a result, my family moved east into modern-day India. This was not done very easily however, as I lost many family members to violence and mass murder in the first few months following the August partition.
As a result, my ethnicity is Indian but I also have extensive cultural ties to Pakistan based on the fact that all of my relatives that were born before 1947 lived there during the early part of their lives. In contemporary America, it is unfortunate that Hindus and Muslims do not get along well due to past history and violence following the partition. Although I find it absurd, hatred still exists and it is primarily concentrated in my generation. However, I grew up around individuals of both religions and I attempt to differentiate myself from others by respecting and embracing Islam in the same way that I do Hinduism. I even have many cultural similarities with Pakistani Muslims that are of Punjabi descent, even more than I do with individuals from other states in India. As a result, I feel as though I have gained a greater appreciation for Punjabi culture, which encompasses both India and Pakistan.
Unfortunately, much of my family information and ancestry history has been lost due to the mass murders that occurred following the partition, and thus one major project I have been working on is attempting to recover my family history. This is particularly difficult, however, due to the fact that I do not speak Hindi or Punjabi. It is therefore difficult to communicate with my relatives due to the fact that they speak no English. One day I hope to find out more about them and hopefully I may even uncover some old photographs of the deceased members if they exist. In essence, my life has become a conglomeration of elements of India and Pakistan as a result of the partition, and I always attempt to reap the benefits associated with the cultural elements of both countries. I am continuously grateful that both countries now exist as independent entities with less persistent violence than there was in the past.
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