Digital Story Track 2

During the summer break in 2017, the speaker visited their hometown in Himachal Pradesh, India. They asked their grandmother about their ancestors, and she shared the story of her father. He worked in Pakistan and had a thriving carpentry business before the partition. When the partition happened, there was chaos and uncertainty. The speaker's great-grandfather was stuck in Pakistan, and the family thought he had been killed. Eventually, he returned with wounds and shared the hardships he faced during his journey. The partition had a deep impact on the family, and all the male members joined the Indian Army, except for the speaker's father who moved to Delhi and started his own business. The speaker reflects on the struggles their family went through and wonders about their own identity and sense of belonging. In 2017, during my summer break, I went to my hometown, situated in the outskirts of Himachal Pradesh, up north in India. I asked my grandmother, where did our ancestors come from and what was their life like? Then she told me the story about her father. He was working in Pakistan before partition occurred, while the family was living in India. He had a business in Carpentry, and the business was thriving, and he was thinking about moving his family, but just around that time, partition happened. It was a time of turmoil, no one knew which side to go, there were riots happening everywhere, people took to the streets, women were abducted, children were either lost or left behind. Her father was in Pakistan, days went by he didn't come, and then days turned into weeks. Family members thought he got killed in the riots. Suddenly one day, late at night, he was there. She told me he was covered with wounds all over, and afterwards, when he was recovering, she sat beside him and asked about his journey. He told her there were days when he didn't even have water, let alone food, and he was just hiding and running throughout his journey. And this change of scenario had a very deep impact in her family, as they lost their main occupation, and later on, all the male family members enlisted in Indian Army, moving from one place to another, never having a single home. Even my grandfather retired as captain, and eventually settling in our hometown, where he raised his family. Even the next generation served in Indian Army. However, my father was the only exception. He moved from his hometown to New Delhi, where he started his business from scratch, becoming an entrepreneur and making his name in the industry. I think he wanted to establish something with his own hands, eventually making his business. But for the most part, I believe he wanted a place where he could call his home, and wanted his family to live an ordinary life. In my opinion, migration for my great-grandfather and father was similar, as they both were in search of something. But now when I think about the hardships and struggles they have gone through, for forming this identity, and for their family, it makes me wonder, where do I belong to? And how do I identify myself in this world?