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the misdeed what they have done with other communities. But only with martyrdom of
Gandhiji, finally this massacre ended.

Regional Variations in Partition:

• The partition brought carnage and thousand of lives were lost.
• In Punjab, there was a mass displacement of Hindu and Sikh population from Pakistani
side to Indian side and displacement of Punjabi Muslims to Pakistan from Indian side.
• Displacement of people in Punjab was very agonising. Property were looted, women were
killed, abducted and raped. There was large scale massacre.
• In Bengal, people moved across porous border, suffering was less concentrated and
agonising in Bengal in comparison to Punjab. There was also not total displacement of
Hindu and Muslim population in Bengal.
• Some Muslims families of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad also
migrated to Pakistan during 1950s and early 1960’s.
• Jinnah’s theory of two state based on religion failed when East Bengal separated it from
West Pakistan and become independent country as Bangladesh in 1971.
• In Punjab and Bengal there is huge similarity in both these states. Women and girls were
the prime target of persecution. Attacker treated women bodies as territory to be
conquered.
• Discoursing women of community was seen as dishonouring community.

Help, Humanity and Harmony:

• There is history’ of help, and humanity beneath the debris of violence and pain of
partition. Numerous stories are there when people took an extra effort to help the victims
of partition.
• Many stories of caring, sharing, empathy are present, stories of opening of new
opportunities and of triumph over trauma are also present.
• For e.g. the story of Khushdeva Singh, a Sikh doctor’s work, is one of the finest examples,
who helped many migrants whether of Muslim, Hindu or Sikh communities with affection.
He provided them shelter, food, security, etc in times of partition.

Oral Testimonies and History:

• Oral narratives, memoirs, diaries, family histories, first hand written accounts helped in
understanding the suffering of people during the time of partition.
• Lives of the affected people changed drastically between 1946-50. They bore immense,
psychological, emotional and social pain.
• Oral testimonies helps us to know about experience and memory in detail. It enabled
historians to write rich and vivid account of suffering and anguish of people. Official
record tells us about policy matters and high level decision of government and its
machinery.