Constructions Of Alternatives: Partition And Essay Example

process in its dynamic context. Further research is needed on both sides of the border to address this issue. Interviews have revealed that although communal harmony has been addressed, differences still arise. In the NWFP context, an important discovery was the coexistence of religious identity and community solidarity.

We spoke with Sikhs living in Bajaur, whose families settled there around 400 years ago and can still speak Hindko/Punjabi and Pushto fluently. They are considered part of the local community and are included in its religious norms. However, these people also feel alienated from the national context when local and national leaders treat them differently because their vote does not carry the same weight. The separate electorate system has marginalized them from mainstream politics, leading to discrimination by the state and local elite and creating a sense of negative difference.

Furthermore, the school system fosters feelings of isolation in children who cannot identify with the curriculum due to the erasure or derogation of their history and religion. This issue is particularly evident in Punjab, where communal differences and harmony are significant concerns. A thorough investigation of a village in Tehsil Shakargarh, which was home to Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians prior to partition, found that people coexisted peacefully despite strictly adhering to religious boundaries. In this village, caste rather than religion was the dominant identity, with Muslims and Sikhs from the same Jat bloodline holding the most power.

According to all the interviewees, there were no instances of harm towards any family members of either Muslim or Sikh communities within their own village or the twenty-four neighboring villages, regardless of their respective religions. The events leading to the displacement

of Sikhs from this particular village occurred as a result of an attack on a household located in a nearby Pathan village by a group of young men from the village who followed different religious beliefs. The attackers intended to kidnap a young woman from the household. The Pathans (who were identified by their ethnicity rather than their religion by the Muslim interviewees), retaliated. Although the Muslims successfully protected their Sikh relatives, the violence created an environment of insecurity that led to Sikhs moving across the new border which was just a few kilometers away.

The violence increased when Muslim immigrants arrived from across the border, bringing stories of violence committed by Sikhs and Hindus. Eyewitnesses reported military involvement in starting massacres on both sides of the border. One research participant stated that the objective was to "clear off" non-Muslims, who were not considered true Pakistanis. The chaos and upheaval caused by the Boundary Commission Award in August 1947 intensified the violence in Tehsil Shakargarh. Despite originally being declared part of Pakistan, District Gurdaspur was split between India and Pakistan, with only Tehsil Shakargarh remaining in Pakistan.

The research participants detailed that when Tehsil Shakargarh was cut off from the rest of District Gurdaspur, the Sikhs felt more vulnerable due to their decreased population in the district. Meanwhile, the Muslims in the remainder of Gurdaspur, who had felt secure in their declaration of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, were now on the wrong side of the border resulting in mass migration across the River Ravi- the new border between Tehsil Shakargarh and the rest of District Gurdaspur. The highlight of the research was being able to speak

with hesitant respondents who shared their experience, which further reinforced the focus of prior partition-related research endeavors.

Regarding this matter, our research has brought us closer to other researchers we have collaborated with in the past. These include Imtiaz Ahmed and Ameena Mohsin from the University of Dhaka, as well as Ashish Nandy and Chandrika Parmar from the Center for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi. Additionally, Dr. Masooma Hasan's expertise in partition research has been valuable to us as she worked on this topic for her PhD dissertation thirty years ago. She is currently working on converting her research into a book and has intimate knowledge of the national archives. We have also found interacting with other PhD students focusing on different aspects of partition helpful. This is important because we have discovered that much of the necessary material in the NWFP context has either been destroyed or not archived in the Frontier province. To access more records, we would have to go to the India Office Library in London, which is impossible at the moment. Therefore, having discussions with knowledgeable individuals regarding issues emerging from qualitative interviews is a valuable opportunity for us.

This project undertaken within SDPI has inspired other researchers to conduct similar research in different regions of the Punjab. The ultimate aim is to generate more fascinating research outcomes. The outcomes of this project are as follows: 1) A collection of 30 interviews translated into both English and their original language; 2) Two papers (currently being worked on) that will be included in the SDPI conflict and security working papers series and the Sustainable Development Conference proceedings; 3) Two presentations

delivered at the Sustainable Development Conference in October, based on the findings of the project.

There was a presentation at a regional and international conference on October 31-November 2, 2002, and another presentation at other events. Two articles will also be published in the University of Dhaka journal, Theoretical Perspectives. Despite no reports of human fatalities, Tehsil Shakargarh, the main area in the Punjab, has suffered losses in terms of injured individuals, animal deaths, crop damages, and livelihood impacts.