Migration of Sindhi Community in Partitioned India

Abstract

Sindhis are the linguistic minority of Indo- Aryan group in free India. Every minority study has a dominant political resonance. Sindhis too have this kind of concern; hence this research article is focused on the Partition of India, its after-effects, migration and oral histories of women and refugees. Sindhis are known as migrant community and labelled refugee after partition of India while this community belong to the oldest civilization of the world. The Partition of India is regarded as a localized displacement between two countries. But it truly was much more than that. It was a human juncture and I think the world underestimates the effects of Partition and how many people were affected by it. This research is not trying to tell the story of all refugees who lived through Partition, but it can still offer information that enriches knowledge of Partition. This study aims to uplift the experiences and stories of refugees who lived through Partition.

The Partition and its independence generated two states and peoples, thus reconsidering the concepts of ‘us’ and ‘them’ in the region. While this extremely important event continues to figure out the patterns of inter-state relations in the subcontinent, it is their ability to affect national identities within the country in the 21st century that remains especially compelling. Partition has also altered the Indian identity. The families who were replaced by Partition carry the remembrance of violence and their homeland with them and oral histories of a life which they shared are means to preserve their memories.

This research offers a way to begin to understand and consider the connections of gender and minority experiences of Partition and Indian nationalism. By making extensive use of archived material and oral histories and working on the historical aspects of identity and community, the importance of this work is to emphasize the processive dimension of identity building and the transformation of the community.

This paper findings show that those who have experienced partition expressed the belief that the political environment is far beyond their control and that they hardly chose to leave their homes and establish their lives elsewhere. Oral histories can specifically convey a narrative of displacement and what it meant to develop new lives, homes and political affiliations in a context that was restructured as home.