In 2021, Aruna Kharod (UT Austin Ethnomusicology student) and SAIVA volunteer Megha Uppal collaborated to interview Indian elders from Central Texas who survived the 1947 Partition of Pakistan and India.
Based on these oral history interviews, we hosted an online event in August 2021 discussing the importance of music and songs of that era with Partition historian Dr. Radha Kapuria. It also featured a guest appearance from Dr. Guneeta Singh Bhalla, Director of the 1947 Partition Archive.
Please watch the video flashing above to learn more about the project's significance.
The event was well-attended by intergenerational community members, with 100+ live participants and 300+ views of the livestream recording.
This project was made possible by the generous support of the City of Austin Cultural Initiatives Grant.
Are you/do you know someone of South Asian origin born in or before 1947? Are you willing to share your memories of growing up during or after Partition, or of music during this time? If so, please contact Aruna at akharod@utexas.edu to set up an interview. We welcome elders from all South Asian nationalities, faiths, and backgrounds for a confidential and non-partisan conversation.
We hope to continue collecting these precious histories and welcome the chance to connect with you. Interviews can be conducted in Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, or English; interviews in other languages can be arranged as well.
Thank You !