From the preface: This collection is designed to support and supplement the historical literature on India's partition. Its aim is to unfold certain aspects of this epic tragedy with the aid of stories, poems, diaries, eye-witness accounts and excerpts from novels and autobiographies. The two volumes do not provide an episodic narrative. Rather, they form a cultural archive of first-hand information, experiences and vivid impressions. The idea is to let poets and the writers reflect on the social, cultural and political upheaval caused by the country's division. In a nutshell, to give them a voice in the inconclusive debates on independence and partition. Those who speak through these volumes do not occupy centre stage in national or provincial arenas of formal and institutional politics. They are not, by conventional political standards, 'influential'. Yet they must be heard. Their views and impressions need to engage scholars and citizens alike. They articulate, in varying degrees, the mood and the sensitivities of large numbers of aggrieved and tormented people who had no say whatsoever in the actual transfer of power to two sovereign nations. Even if this was not the case, their writings are in themselves invaluable contributions to our rich cultural and literary heritage.
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