“History is boring but you made it so interesting for us. Wish we could learn other subjects like this as well.”- Aaman, student
‘You showed us how history is beyond dates.” – Meenakshi, student
“A very engaging experience. I particularly enjoyed the primary sources and the questions at the end that makes you think about the relevance of war.” Nithya, teacher
“Very informative and well-curated. Really glad that it allowed students a more rounded view of history.” – Aswathy, teacher
This is the kind of response we got for our pilot project White Pepper Black Pepper – India in WW1, under our Retihaas programme. Through this initiative, we identify a gap in the present history curriculum, tap into collections of museums, archives or libraries and establish a local connection to the historic event. The idea and the need for this programme came from our experience of conducting curated museum tours for schools. We found that most schools found it difficult to make more than one visit to a museum. The lack of time and resources also meant that teachers and students weren’t able to use the experience and information beyond that of the field trip. The engagement ended the moment the students left. So we thought: “why not take the museum to the students?”
This gave rise to the idea of a travelling exhibition—a physical, portable exhibition co-curated by the students and us. We designed the programme around the travelling exhibition engaging students for a more sustained amount of time.
The Largest Migration in Human History
This year, we will be focussing on the 1947 Partition. The project, Un·Divided Identities: Unknown Stories of the Partition, will provide a 360° perspective on one of the most defining events in the subcontinent. We know that Punjab and other parts of northern India were deeply impacted by the Partition. However, there is very little information on what happened down south.
During our initial research, we found that 7,785 people come to Bangalore and 581 to Mysore from across the present border. They were forced to leave their homes, make an arduous journey across the border and had to rebuild their lives. The impact of a violent and sudden displacement like this is longlasting. Memories are fragmented but the feelings stay. We are curious to know how an experience like this shapes a person. Is the trauma generational? Does it create a schism in one’s identity? How would one reconcile with the idea of home when you don’t really belong?
Also Read: Collections Corner: Partition Museum, Amritsar
Partition and the City
The discourse around the Partition thus far has focussed on the resulting violence and trauma; the human toll so to speak. There has been very little exploration into the cities where the displaced population settled. Any research focussed on the city hasn’t found its way to the mainstream. Through this project, we’d like to see what an event like the Partition does to a city and its people; how is the identity of a city, some 2000 kilometres away, impacted by this?
What we found fascinating about those who moved from Pakistan and settled in Bangalore is that this might be the first time we see a glimmer of choice and agency. The first wave of migrants to settled in Northern India were taken by surprise and moved quickly and without planning. Those who have moved to Bangalore seemed to have either pre-empted the chaos or took the time to plan their move. It’ll be interesting to see how access and agency change the individual’s narrative.
Un·Divided Identities
Using transdisciplinary tools, we’d like to understand and dissect the scale and chaotic ramifications of the Partition. Though the project uses research and educational tools for its explorations, this isn’t a scholarly activity. The uniqueness of the Retihaas programme is the fact that it uses seemingly traditional approaches to bring about creative expression.
During the year-long project, we will document stories of people who have made Bangalore and by extension the erstwhile Mysore State their home post-partition as well as those who witnessed the city change between 1947 and 1957. We will also design and conduct workshops in schools to make this important event in history relatable, relevant and reachable. The workshops will give students an insight into what that generation experienced while examining the concepts of home, identity, empathy and conflict resolution. Students will be introduced to interactive and non-traditional approaches to learning history.
Being inclusive is one of our core values. We’d like to reach out to different communities. Students are not just consumers but also co-creators. The Sindhis, Punjabis, Kutch Memons and senior citizens who lived during that era, too, find a voice in our community engagement sessions. To sum up the whole project I would like to say that it is an effort to look at history and learn from the past so that we make informed decisions in the present that leads to a more inclusive and tolerant future.
~ENDS~
Our work relies on your support. If you have stories or information about the Partition that you think will be relevant to our work, please reach out to us at info@rereeti.org. We’d love for you to be a part of this journey.
The Largest Migration in Human History
This year, we will be focussing on the 1947 Partition. The project, Un·Divided Identities: Unknown Stories of the Partition, will provide a 360° perspective on one of the most defining events in the subcontinent. We know that Punjab and other parts of northern India were deeply impacted by the Partition. However, there is very little information on what happened down south.
During our initial research, we found that 7,785 people come to Bangalore and 581 to Mysore from across the present border. They were forced to leave their homes, make an arduous journey across the border and had to rebuild their lives. The impact of a violent and sudden displacement like this is longlasting. Memories are fragmented but the feelings stay. We are curious to know how an experience like this shapes a person. Is the trauma generational? Does it create a schism in one’s identity? How would one reconcile with the idea of home when you don’t really belong?
Also Read: Collections Corner: Partition Museum, Amritsar
Partition and the City
The discourse around the Partition thus far has focussed on the resulting violence and trauma; the human toll so to speak. There has been very little exploration into the cities where the displaced population settled. Any research focussed on the city hasn’t found its way to the mainstream. Through this project, we’d like to see what an event like the Partition does to a city and its people; how is the identity of a city, some 2000 kilometres away, impacted by this?
What we found fascinating about those who moved from Pakistan and settled in Bangalore is that this might be the first time we see a glimmer of choice and agency. The first wave of migrants to settled in Northern India were taken by surprise and moved quickly and without planning. Those who have moved to Bangalore seemed to have either pre-empted the chaos or took the time to plan their move. It’ll be interesting to see how access and agency change the individual’s narrative.
Un·Divided Identities
Using transdisciplinary tools, we’d like to understand and dissect the scale and chaotic ramifications of the Partition. Though the project uses research and educational tools for its explorations, this isn’t a scholarly activity. The uniqueness of the Retihaas programme is the fact that it uses seemingly traditional approaches to bring about creative expression.
During the year-long project, we will document stories of people who have made Bangalore and by extension the erstwhile Mysore State their home post-partition as well as those who witnessed the city change between 1947 and 1957. We will also design and conduct workshops in schools to make this important event in history relatable, relevant and reachable. The workshops will give students an insight into what that generation experienced while examining the concepts of home, identity, empathy and conflict resolution. Students will be introduced to interactive and non-traditional approaches to learning history.
Being inclusive is one of our core values. We’d like to reach out to different communities. Students are not just consumers but also co-creators. The Sindhis, Punjabis, Kutch Memons and senior citizens who lived during that era, too, find a voice in our community engagement sessions. To sum up the whole project I would like to say that it is an effort to look at history and learn from the past so that we make informed decisions in the present that leads to a more inclusive and tolerant future.
~ENDS~
Our work relies on your support. If you have stories or information about the Partition that you think will be relevant to our work, please reach out to us at info@rereeti.org. We’d love for you to be a part of this journey.
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