Partition Voices

Untold British Stories

By: Kavita Puri

Narrated by: Kavita Puri

Bloomsbury presents Partition Voices written and read by Kavita Puri.

UPDATED FOR THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PARTITION

‘Puri does profound and elegant work bringing forgotten narratives back to life. It’s hard to convey just how important this book is’ Sathnam Sanghera

‘The most humane account of partition I’ve read ... We need a candid conversation about our past and this is an essential starting point’ Nikesh Shukla, Observer

'Thanks to Ms. Puri and others, [that] silence is giving way to inquisitive—and assertive—voices. In Britain, at least, the partitioned have learned to speak frankly of the past—and to search for ways to reckon with it' Wall Street Journal
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Newly revised for the seventy-fifth anniversary of partition, Kavita Puri conducts a vital reappraisal of empire, revisiting the stories of those collected in the 2017 edition and reflecting on recent developments in the lives of those affected by partition.

The division of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into India and Pakistan saw millions uprooted and resulted in unspeakable violence. It happened far away, but it would shape modern Britain.

Dotted across homes in Britain are people who were witnesses to one of the most tumultuous events of the twentieth century. But their memory of partition has been shrouded in silence. In her eye-opening and timely work, Kavita Puri uncovers remarkable testimonies from former subjects of the Raj who are now British citizens – including her own father.

Weaving a tapestry of human experience over seven decades, Puri reveals a secret history of ruptured families and friendships, extraordinary journeys and daring rescue missions that reverberates with compassion and loss. It is a work that breaks the silence and confronts the difficult truths at the heart of Britain’s shared past with South Asia.

©2019 Kavita Puri (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

A captivating story of a bygone era

Until I met my Desi partner, I wasn't aware of any violence between Hindus and Muslims during partition. These stories are so powerful, I can almost see the places, people and events.

Hidden history

Poignant first-person accounts of forced migrations—and attendant barbarism—after WWII when all Muslims in India had to move to Pakistan and all Pakastani Hindus and Sikhs had to move to India .

Every school needs copies of this book

If the UK education system continues to exclude partition from the syllabus - at least include copies of this book for students to understand colonisation.