Reliving the horrors and trauma of Partition

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is a unique and exclusive exhibition on the Partition of India, which is organised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art (IGNCA) in collaboration with 'Partition Museum' (established by 'The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust') and National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the Minister for Culture and Tourism, G Kishan Reddy, on August 14. The day was also declared as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Independence and Partition, the 15-day exhibition at NGMA displays significant historical moments leading up to the Partition and its aftermath. It is based mostly on oral histories of Partition survivors and their families, as well as memorabilia donated by them, alongside historical documents, photographs, media reports and documentary evidence which were gathered over the years by the 'Partition Museum' from different parts of the world.

The exhibition includes displays of original sculptures of Amarnath Sehgal, Deberish Mukherjee and S L Parsher. A yawn woven together is hung over to showcase the trauma of division with only two colours, that is, white and red. The video clip of overcrowded trains; photographs of people stranded and dead bodies near railway tracks and docks; images of migrants through the sea and ways of cremation and refugee camps is heart-throbbing.

The exhibition is well curated with a flow of incidents and evidential props in the form of a collection of migrant stories. The migrants' collection includes letter correspondents, ration cards, stamps, household utensils, furniture parts, clothing and jewellery.

The visitors appreciated the setting up of the exhibition with such a diverse and extensive collection. They were guided through the exhibition by the chair of TAACHT and the 'Partition Museum', Lady Kishwar Desai.