The Great Divide: Partition and its Aftermath

Overview

Saturday, October 5 • 2 PM • Lecture Hall • Free Admission

As a result of the political and economic aftermath of World War II, and in response to the surging anticolonial protests in South Asia, Britain decided to dissolve its empire. India gained independence in 1947. But this long-awaited moment of freedom was marred by violent carnage as British India was divided into the postcolonial nations of India and Pakistan. The process to finalize the borders to these new countries was rushed and included a population transfer of unprecedented magnitude; in less than three months an estimated 15 million people rushed to cross the hastily demarcated borders, and the new nations inherited an unimaginable refugee crisis. The partition and subsequent fallout left an indelible mark on the national consciousness of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Partition, therefore, is an ongoing event in many ways.

In this talk, Dr. Mou Banerjee will explore the legacy of this defining moment of the Indian subcontinent and how it continues to influence the Indian subcontinent’s politics, citizenship, and culture to the present day.

Dr. Mou Banerjee is Assistant Professor of History at UW–Madison. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Harvard University. She is a historian of modern South Asia. Her research interests include religion and politics in India, especially on the evolution of the concepts of private faith and political identity in the public sphere. Her first book, “The Disinherited: Christianity and Conversion in Colonial India, 1813-1907” is forthcoming in January 2025 from Harvard University Press.