DRAWING FROM PARTITION – NATIONAL ARCHIVES UK
I was recently commissioned by National Archives UK to create some illustrations in response to an oral testimony from someone whose family was displaced in 1946 due to growing tensions in British India.
Dehra Dun Valley by PINS © Bhupinder Singh, 2022 / Pinspired by Iqbal’s aunt’s testimony.
The Partition of British India occurred in August 1947 when the British government withdrew from India after almost two hundred years of British rule. The educational resource pack for schools / teachers which I contributed to, provides great in-depth information on the background of Partition and why it’s important to discuss and share stories of that time.
From the moment I heard the recording, it conjured up thoughts & feelings about life back then & how mad it must’ve been to get through such distress & division, especially having family myself who went through that time – the words I listened to painted vivid pictures for me, and hopefully I managed to convey a slight sense of things through the illustrations. It was a process I embraced & will no doubt be exploring more ways to narrate stories visually.
Mr Ansari House by PINS © Bhupinder Singh, 2022 / Pinspired by Iqbal’s aunt’s testimony.
Thankyou to Iqbal Singh (Partnerships Manager) who’s aunt provided the recording, Hannah Carter (Education Manager) & Eleanor Newbigin (Historian, SOAS University of London) for putting together the document which can be viewed HERE
