In August of 1947, the British government hastily drew a line across the map of India, splitting it in two as part of its plan for independence. With Partition declared, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim families who had lived peacefully as neighbors for generations were torn apart by the newly created atmosphere of hostility and suspicion. In search of safety, many Muslim families became refugees in the newly created country of Pakistan while Hindu and Sikh families traced the opposite journey towards the newly-independent nation of India. This unilateral colonial decision led to the largest migration in human history, with millions of people suddenly forced to leave their homes and large-scale loss of life.
Today, on the anniversary of the Independence of Pakistan, Author Saadia Faruqi shares the inspiration behind her middle grade novel, The Partition Project and why it is so important to continue to teach the Partition to children today.
