Legacy of Partition
Guidance for interviews and/or completing the form
Interviewees are encouraged to tell their own stories in their own way. These notes are for guidance purposes only.
Interviewees are to be asked by interviewers if they can kindly lend us any family memorabilia, photographs, diaries, letters, newspaper cuttings, etc., for copying.
We recognize that even 60 years later these issues may remain very emotive and upsetting to individuals. We do not seek to be ‘voyeurs’ of people’s pain and suffering. We want to record and document the true feelings and sufferings of people during these terrible events so that they are known for the future historical record.
1. Information about the intervieweeFull name, parents’ names, age at the time of Partition
2. Before the Partition of the sub-Continent on 14–15 August 1947.What was your own religious community?
Where did you live precisely?
Please describe your family’s wealth and social standing.
How close did you or your family live to people of other faiths?
What were relations like between the communities?
Had there been any violence between communities that you knew of directly (as against newspaper reports or rumours)?
3. At the time of Partition.At the time of Partition the precise boundaries between India and Pakistan were not announced until a few days later. What was the situation for you or your family?
What was it that made you or your family decide to leave?
Did you experience violence near to where you lived before you decided to move?
Did you or your family leave with others or leave alone - why?
4. The migration process.When precisely did you or your family leave?
What route was taken and what means of transport?
Did you encounter trouble or violence on the way, or hear stories about violence?
How did you cope with lack of water/food/health care?
Was your journey assisted by people either of your own or another community?
How long did the journey take?
Where did you end up? Was this where you expected to go or was it elsewhere?
5. The early stage of resettlement.Did you become an official ‘refugee’ in a refugee camp?
If so where and for how long?
What were conditions like in the refugee camp?
If you did not become an official refugee, what happened?
How did life compare with the life you had left behind you?
How and when did things begin to improve?
6. Later stages of resettlement.Did you remain in the same general area after the migration or did you move on?
What considerations led you to move on, if you did, or to stay put?
If you did move, when and how did you move?
Did you or your family gradually begin to prosper in your new circumstances, or not? What factors influenced this?
7. Coming to the UK and to Leicestershire.When did you come, and for what reasons?
Where did you settle? Why there?
Describe your first impressions of the UK/Leicestershire.
8. Looking back at your Migration after 60 years.Have you ever been back to where your home was before Partition?
If you did, was it a positive or negative experience – why?
If you have not gone back – why? Would you like to have done so?
If your family lost out at the expense of another religious community, how has this left you feeling? How strong are these feelings?
What are your views now about relations between the religious communities in the sub-continent?
What are your views now about relations between the religious communities in the UK?
What are your views about the political situation in the sub-continent?
Are there other points that we have not raised which you would like to address? Please feel free to do so.
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