In this episode I have the pleasure to talk to Aanchal Malhotra, author of ‘Remnants of Partition’, a book that brings sounds, sights and smells to life, exploring memories of partition through conversations about objects which were carried across the new frontiers.
In re-telling these stories numerous complex tales are entwined amongst one another creating a beautifully intricate tapestry of a time before, during and after Partition.
The way in which Aanchal retells the memories of those she talks to will strike almost every emotional chord you have.
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As always here is a time stamped breakdown of the conversation:
00:00 - Introduction
05:54 - Aanchal's family history
14:12 - Partition & migration
16:00 - Partition & freedom
17:09 - How the book brings nuance to a generalised narrative of Partition
19:30 - Do you think the predisposition to look at Partition through the lens of violence is a colonial hangover?
25:55 - Aanchal's family & books
29:30 - What spurned you to write the book?
32:38 - Why are there two different titles of the book? Whilst you were going through your research was there any surprises or hurdles?
39:13 - Discussing objects and rationalising what you would take with you in an emergency like Partition.
40:42 - People's assumptions behind picking the items they did when they crossed borders
41:32 - What for you was the one item(s) that stood out the most and why? (The Crocodile Head)
47:38 - Importance of the soil of your respective homeland
51:09 - Was there anything else you picked up in terms of similarities and differences between the people you spoke to?
57:31 - Did you have to learn as you went along or was there a technique or practice you used when engaging with your interviewees?
01:04:30 - How did the whole process from research to publishing impact yourself and what has the feedback been like?
01:07:40 - Why do you think pre-partition harmony mutated into the communal violence that is synonymous with Partition?
01:13:10 - Is there anything else you wanted to include or go over?
01:14:40 - Where you can get your copy of Remnants of Partition / Remnants of a Separation
