1947: Bloodlines · Kaur Life Archive · KaurLifeArchiveOmekaS

by Phavanjit Kaur

1947.

According to my Nanaji (maternal grandfather), our roots trace all the way back to Punjab, Pakistan and when the partition plan was introduced, my bloodlines moved to Punjab, India. See the difference? You're right. None at all. Our Land of the Five Rivers (Punjab) was flowing with blood and despair instead of clear blue waters. Don't get me started on Punjab today.

I may only be a third generation Malaysian Sikh-Punjabi and I shouldn't be saying much about this according to my peers but somehow, over the past two years, I grew hungry. Hungry to know about the blood running through my veins, the earth of my fathers and the politics behind it all. It saddens me that it took so long for me to realize that so much has happened to our people yet the generations before us, chose silence.

Coming to the States has definitely given me a bigger picture of how identity matters. I'm as Malaysian as a Malaysian can be but I find it so interesting how there are so many branches to one sole person.

To my five sisters

To my five pillars

To my five dreams

To my Punjab ♡

The first photo (thumbnail) is from the LIFE magazine photo archives of the 1947 Punjab Partition.

The second photo, entitled "Bloodlines" is from Phavanjit Kaur's personal collection.

Title: 1947: Bloodlines
Subject: en 1947; en History; en Phavanjit Kaur; en Punjab; See all items with this value Intergenerational relations--Religious aspects
Description: Phavanjit Kaur reflects how the Punjab partition of 1947 changed the narrative of her family's history, and motivated her to learn more about her bloodline.
Author: Phavanjit Kaur
Date: 8/18/2014

Item sets: History