Abstract
During the Partition of India in August 1947, the majority of the Muslim population in and around the intended township of Preet Nagar in East Punjab left for Pakistan. Pre-Partition, united Punjab had a Muslim population of 53.2 per cent, which dropped to below 1 per cent in the Indian section of Punjab immediately after Partition (Bigelow 2012, 412). Refugees flowing between the newly formed nations would help to change the cultural landscape of the newly partitioned state of Punjab, split between India and Pakistan. The hastily planned population exchange was disastrously mismanaged as violence erupted along religious lines. India and Pakistan did not receive any relief or intervention from the international agencies designed to aid refugees, as they had not yet come into existence (Khan 2007, 64). Urvashi Butalia's work in recording and collecting the experiences of this generation of refugees has become foundational for contemporary historiographies of Partition.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Creativity and Resistance in a Hostile World |
| Editors | Sarita Malik, Churnjeet Mahn, Michael Pierse, Ben Rogaly |
| Place of Publication | Manchester |
| Publisher | Manchester University Press |
| Chapter | 6 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781526152855 |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Dec 2020 |
Keywords
- Preet Nagar
- creativity
- resistance
