Successive Governments in Punjab may not have the history of hijacking acclaim. But the Congress, it seems, is taking the credit for providing a peep into the country’s past by inaugurating with much fanfare the Partition Museum conceived and introduced by former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
Sukhbir, during a media walk organised in October 2016 to unveil Amritsar’s beautified look, showcased the Partition Museum at Town Hall, which was under finalisation at that time.
Now, within a year after a change of guard in Punjab, the Congress Government is preparing for the launch of one-of-its-kind museum on August 17, to be commemorated as Partition Remembrance Day.
“‘The Museum will contribute significantly to further boosting tourism in Amritsar, which is one of India’s leading religious tourist destinations,”’ said Punjab Tourism and Culturak Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
He said the inauguration of Partition Museum, which would be attended by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, would be preceded by a unique online campaign ‘Chalo Amritsar -August 17, 2017 - for Partition Remembrance Day.
Sidhu said the Government would extend all support to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust, which is setting up the world’s Partition Museum at Town Hall in Amritsar, to mark the event on August 17 this year.
“‘Several high level national and international dignitaries, with a large number of NRIs from partition-affected families, are also expected to be present at the inauguration of the Museum, that will narrate the story of the triumph of the hope of the partition survivors over despair,”’ said noted author and columnist, and the Chair of the Trust, Kishwar Desai.
The inaugural event will be followed by an evening of Sufi music, under the Aegis of the Arts and literature Festival of Amritsar (AlFA), and a nostalgic recreation of the pre-1947 streets of Amritsar and lahore, with street food and other memorabilia.
The function will be open to the public. Teamworks, which organises the Jaipur literature Festival, will partner with The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust for the event.
“‘August 17 is the day when, 70 years ago, the Partition of India was announced in 1947, leading to one of the most traumatic events in the history of Punjab. The largest migration in history saw not just the division of the states of Punjab and Bengal, but also the colossal loss of homes, and lives,”’ Desai said.
She pointed the impact of this terrible event has never been recorded before in physical space and the Museum, as well as the accompanying events, will commemorate the memory of those ordinary and extraordinary people, particularly from Punjab and Bengal, who lost everything to the country’s partition, “‘but went on to build a new India with their indomitable spirit and resilience”’.
‘Chalo Amritsar - August 17, 2017’ campaign will be online and partition survivors, and their families from all around the world, will be requested to enroll so that they can be honoured on the occasion, said Desai.
She added that they will also be asked to send in their written or recorded memories so that these can be displayed in the Museum, along with the other exhibits.
“‘The survivors and their families could also send objects and related memorabilia to the Museum for inclusion, and the Museum has appealed to all Partition survivors and their families to share their personal archives and memories of those historic days, so that they can be preserved for posterity,”’ she added.
The Partition Museum will include official documents but will primarily showcase carefully curated stories from partition survivors.
Being created as a people’s museum, it has access to over 5000 items of oral histories, documents, artefacts, art objects, which will be displayed from time to time. The Museum is being set up through donations from corporates and individuals.
The Trust and its supporters include well known personalities such as author Kuldip Nayar, designer Ritu Kumar, academician lord Meghnad Desai, and screenplay writer Prasoon Joshi.
Its academic advisors include london School of Economics and Cambridge University, UK, and documents and exhibits are being contributed to it from various universities and archives in India and UK.