The partition of India and Pakistan was the largest partition in the world. The atrocities it bore as people shuffled from one border to another were also immense. However, as those who now only read about partition, we are left unaware of many things. That is precisely why these rare pictures from partition and will leave you in awe.
1. Honouring The Sacrifices
This is a rare picture we don’t get to see in our history textbooks. This is what mass graves at the time used to look like. During partition, fights between all communities were rarely non-violent. There was no time or space, to dig up individual graves.
2. Losing The Future
As many older generations ran to either side to preserve their future, they also lost it in the form of their children. The migration was full of hardships and had the potential to turn a well-doing family into a poverty-stricken one. Children often didn’t survive.
3. Boarding A Train To Home
This unseen picture shows mass refugees trying to board a train somewhere. It’s not known whether to Pakistan or India. It is difficult to imagine that many might not have reached their destination. Yet, none of them did board thinking about that— they were determined.
4. Quaid-e-Azam’s Funeral
This is a truly rare picture in which Dina Wadia Jinnah is seen at her father’s funeral. Those surrounding her are all family and it is said, Quaid-e-Azam’s funeral attracted one of the biggest crowds this country has seen.
5. Home At Last
This is a picture of two tiny immigrants who had successfully found their way to Pakistan. Looking at them, one can see the hardship on their faces. The difficulty of the journey can also be judged by how emaciated they look. We wonder where these children are today!
6. Daughters of Pakistan
This is a rare picture of a crowd of women in Peshawar in 1947. It is surprising to see how all of them are clad in a niqab, no exceptions. Though this wasn’t the law, women during the partition chose to dress this way after they came to Pakistan. This is so that other men would not be able to identify them/violate them.
7. Generational Struggle
This may be a surprising picture to see but that is how many refugees lived. These squatter settlements made for them were of the worst condition known to mankind. The picture shows three generations of women, all struggling for Pakistan.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.