original reporting on the partition of india
February 22, 2011 1:28 PM Subscribe
Where can I find original footage or news clippings covering the partition of India?
My dad was born in Delhi in 1940 (roughly, so say his documents... he thinks it was more like 1942). He and his family were Muslim refugees fleeing violence in India during the 1947 partition, and were among the millions who sought migration into newly created Pakistan. He has some recollection of the partition - taking cover at the Purana Qila fort, the violence and chaos, and eventually settling in Karachi. About 2 years ago, he made a spontaneous decision to go back to Delhi for the first time in over 60 years. Since then, he's become really interested in trying to read up on reporting of the partition as it was actually happening (i.e., not historical reflection, memoirs, etc).
We're in different cities, so things that I can send him would be ideal (he does make some use of the internets, but his usage is pretty limited). Original video, photographs, or news in English or Urdu would be great to share with him.
My dad was born in Delhi in 1940 (roughly, so say his documents... he thinks it was more like 1942). He and his family were Muslim refugees fleeing violence in India during the 1947 partition, and were among the millions who sought migration into newly created Pakistan. He has some recollection of the partition - taking cover at the Purana Qila fort, the violence and chaos, and eventually settling in Karachi. About 2 years ago, he made a spontaneous decision to go back to Delhi for the first time in over 60 years. Since then, he's become really interested in trying to read up on reporting of the partition as it was actually happening (i.e., not historical reflection, memoirs, etc).
We're in different cities, so things that I can send him would be ideal (he does make some use of the internets, but his usage is pretty limited). Original video, photographs, or news in English or Urdu would be great to share with him.
Best answer: Some photos here. And there is the Google News archive for 1947.
posted by vidur at 3:32 PM on February 22, 2011
posted by vidur at 3:32 PM on February 22, 2011
How about good old-fashioned microfilm, at the library? A librarian can assist you if you've never used it. You should be able to print out news articles that you can send to your dad.
posted by imalaowai at 5:42 PM on February 22, 2011
posted by imalaowai at 5:42 PM on February 22, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks all, for the suggestions! I've compiled a bunch of things and sent them to my dad. Not sure if he's taken a look yet, as this is definitely a very emotional but important subject for him.
For those that come across this later and might have relatives or friends who experienced the partition, a friend sent me this link - "The 1947 Partition Archive" - an oral narrative project seeking to preserve testimonies of people who experienced things first hand. My siblings and I are going to try and get our dad involved, and hopefully this is of interest to other friends and relatives of survivors seeking to preserve their story.
posted by raztaj at 9:11 AM on March 23, 2011
For those that come across this later and might have relatives or friends who experienced the partition, a friend sent me this link - "The 1947 Partition Archive" - an oral narrative project seeking to preserve testimonies of people who experienced things first hand. My siblings and I are going to try and get our dad involved, and hopefully this is of interest to other friends and relatives of survivors seeking to preserve their story.
posted by raztaj at 9:11 AM on March 23, 2011
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posted by timsteil at 2:50 PM on February 22, 2011