Saturday, April 05, 2008

Sindhi Reflections: Foreword by Mr L.K.Advani


Foreword

Nearly sixty years after the partition of India, looked at from the Sindhi Hindu perspective, it seems almost unreal that our community suffered so much, when what you get to see is educated, progressive and successful Sindhis today.

But like many tragedies that have happened—tragedies that have defined the existence of a people—the partition of our country too was a defining moment in history. This is true for Indians in general, but even more so for those that actually experienced being dispossessed of home and hearth, and of the trials that came their way in the years after the partition.

Sindhis in particular have another, unkind cut to be unhappy about, that being that while Bengal and Punjab were divided on August 14/15, Sindh was not. As a consequence, the distancing from our culture and language began to happen soon after the partition itself, something which is an unfortunate development.

And yet, it is amazing that our community has survived, and survived well. Like the Phoenix from the ashes, we have risen from being down and out, to a people who take the lead in commerce, and have fair representation in the Arts, in Medicine, in Engineering, and a variety of fields. And the upside is also that we are truly ‘transnational’.

Lata Jagtiani has attempted to bring together many people together on a stage, so to speak—people who had direct experiences of before, during and after the partition. This she has done mostly through interviews, and in some cases, through articles, biographies etc. I am sure students of history, as well as Sindhis in general will find this compendium of much value.

L.K. Advani

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