Remembering Partition: Violence, Nationalism and History in India (Contemporary South Asia, Series Number 7)

Through an investigation of the violence that marked the partition of British India in 1947, this book analyses questions of history and memory, the nationalisation of populations and their pasts, and the ways in which violent events are remembered (or forgotten) in order to ensure the unity of the collective subject - community or nation. Stressing the continuous entanglement of 'event' and 'interpretation', the author emphasises both the enormity of the violence of 1947 and its shifting meanings and contours. The book provides a sustained critique of the procedures of history-writing and nationalist myth-making on the question of violence, and examines how local forms of sociality are constituted and reconstituted, by the experience and representation of violent events. It concludes with a comment on the different kinds of political community that may still be imagined even in the wake of Partition and events like it. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 15 Questions of violence, nationhood and history......Page 17 ‘Official’ history and its other......Page 20 The history of ‘history’......Page 23 A note on the term ‘Partition’......Page 29 New nations, new histories......Page 31 What this book is (not) about......Page 33 Elections, commissions, protest and strife......Page 37 The first ‘partition’......Page 41 The second ‘partition’......Page 47 The third ‘partition’......Page 51 The uncertainty of it all......Page 55 3 Historians’ history......Page 61 National traditions and national pasts......Page 62 The acorn for the oak......Page 64 Violence and civilisation......Page 68 The ‘ahistoricity’ of violence......Page 72 The requirements of a history of Partition......Page 74 A final word......Page 81 4 The evidence of the historian......Page 83 Primary discourse: the signature of rumour......Page 85 First Information Reports......Page 90 Secondary discourse: rumour politicised......Page 95 The genealogy of Thoa Khalsa......Page 100 The question of casualties: a note on tertiary discourse......Page 104 5 Folding the local into the national: Garhmukhteshwar, November 1946......Page 108 The ‘bare facts’ of a ‘riot’......Page 110 Explanations and omissions......Page 112 The Congress’s position......Page 117 The Muslim League’s response......Page 120 The colonial account......Page 124 Nationalist historiography at work......Page 130 6 Folding the national into the local: Delhi 1947–1948......Page 137 Old and new inhabitants......Page 138 Two views of Partition and Independence......Page 140 The divided city......Page 144 Religious affiliation as national affiliation......Page 148 September 1947......Page 150 Conceiving the new political community......Page 155 A leader refuses his consent......Page 158 Exile – at home or abroad......Page 162 7 Disciplining difference......Page 168 The search for a one-nation nation......Page 169 The natural nation......Page 170 The needs of a modern state......Page 176 The return of the native......Page 180 The illusion of choice......Page 184 The morality of memory-history......Page 191 Violence ‘out there’......Page 193 It did not matter in those days whether you had killed someone or not.........Page 199 A life that has gone......Page 200 The community lives on......Page 204 Escaping – ‘somehow, anyhow’......Page 207 The ambiguous community......Page 211 Where is ‘home’ now?......Page 215 A final word......Page 219 CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS, DOCUMENTS, SPEECHES AND MEMOIRS......Page 222 OTHER SECONDARY WORKS......Page 223 Index......Page 228 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgements 12 Abbreviations 15 1 By way of introduction 17 Questions of violence, nationhood and history 17 ‘Official’ history and its other 20 The history of ‘history’ 23 A note on the term ‘Partition’ 29 New nations, new histories 31 What this book is (not) about 33 2 The three partitions of 1947 37 Elections, commissions, protest and strife 37 The first ‘partition’ 41 The second ‘partition’ 47 The third ‘partition’ 51 The uncertainty of it all 55 3 Historians’ history 61 National traditions and national pasts 62 The acorn for the oak 64 Violence and civilisation 68 The ‘ahistoricity’ of violence 72 The requirements of a history of Partition 74 A final word 81 4 The evidence of the historian 83 Primary discourse: the signature of rumour 85 First Information Reports 90 Secondary discourse: rumour politicised 95 The genealogy of Thoa Khalsa 100 The question of casualties: a note on tertiary discourse 104 5 Folding the local into the national: Garhmukhteshwar, November 1946 108 The ‘bare facts’ of a ‘riot’ 110 Explanations and omissions 112 The Congress’s position 117 The Muslim League’s response 120 The colonial account 124 Nationalist historiography at work 130 6 Folding the national into the local: Delhi 1947–1948 137 Old and new inhabitants 138 Two views of Partition and Independence 140 The divided city 144 Religious affiliation as national affiliation 148 September 1947 150 Conceiving the new political community 155 A leader refuses his consent 158 Exile – at home or abroad 162 7 Disciplining difference 168 The search for a one-nation nation 169 The natural nation 170 The needs of a modern state 176 The return of the native 180 The illusion of choice 184 8 Constructing community 191 The morality of memory-history 191 Violence ‘out there’ 193 It did not matter in those days whether you had killed someone or not... 199 A life that has gone 200 The community lives on 204 Escaping – ‘somehow, anyhow’ 207 The ambiguous community 211 Where is ‘home’ now? 215 A final word 219 Select bibliography 222 CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS, DOCUMENTS, SPEECHES AND MEMOIRS 222 FICTION RELATING TO PARTITION 223 OTHER SECONDARY WORKS 223 Index 228 Gyan Pandey's latest book is a compelling examination of the violence that marked the partition of India in 1947, and how the preceding events have been documented. In the process, the author provides a critique of history-writing and nationalist myth-making. He also investigates how local forms of community are established by the way in which violent events are remembered and written about. The book will be of interest to historians of South Asia, to sociologists and to anyone concerned with the Indian subaltern story. Gyan Pandey's book is a compelling examination of the violence that marked the Partition of India and how it is remembered. It is also a critique of history-writing and nationalist myth-making. This is a book for historians of South Asia, sociologists, and all those concerned with the Indian subaltern story This book focuses on a moment of rupture and genocidal violence, marking the termination of one regime and the inauguration of two new ones.