Kolkata, 14 August (H.S.): A ground-breaking ceremony was held at Sealdah Railway Station in Kolkata on Friday for a proposed memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1947 Partition, who endured displacement, violence and immense hardship. The programme was organised in coordination with the Union Ministry of Culture and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

The proposed memorial will pay tribute to the countless people who were forced to leave behind their homes, families and properties during the Partition and faced the trauma of displacement. A special photo exhibition was also organised on the occasion, showcasing the mass migration during Partition, the hardships faced by displaced families and their struggle to rebuild their lives.

West Bengal Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul, Minister of State for Information and Cultural Affairs Purnima Chakraborty, Minister for Public Sector Enterprises, Industrial Reconstruction and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources Tapas Roy, Eastern Railway General Manager Geetika Pandey, Sealdah Divisional Railway Manager Rajiv Saxena and K. Anil Kumar, Head of Department at IGNCA under the Union Ministry of Culture, among other officials, attended the programme.

Himanshu Gangopadhyay, a witness to the Partition tragedy, was also present.

Following Partition, Sealdah Railway Station became a major transit point for lakhs of Bengali Hindu refugees arriving from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. While many moved to refugee camps, a large number were forced to live on the station platforms for months and, in some cases, years, amid extremely difficult conditions.

According to contemporary reports, more than 20,000 refugees were present at Sealdah station at any given time between 1947 and 1950. Although the flow of refugees gradually declined, the movement continued until the late 1960s.

Eastern Railway General Manager Geetika Pandey said Sealdah remains a living witness to the history of Partition and the human tragedy associated with it. She said the proposed memorial would serve as a tribute to those who endured displacement and unbearable hardships.

Pandey said preserving the memories of their courage and struggle for future generations was a collective responsibility.

Sealdah Divisional Railway Manager Rajiv Saxena said it was an honour for the Sealdah division to host the memorial. He said it would serve as a permanent reminder of the millions of people who passed through the station platforms under extremely difficult circumstances while rebuilding their lives.

He said the Sealdah division was committed to developing and preserving the site as a place that would reflect the dignity of remembrance and the resilience of those who survived the tragedy.

According to railway officials, the proposed memorial will go beyond being merely a statue and will symbolise memory, courage and hope. Along with the photo exhibition, it will play an important role in preserving the stories of people who passed through Sealdah during Partition and honouring their struggles and determination to rebuild their lives.

The proposed memorial is intended to ensure that these stories of Partition are passed on to future generations and that the human tragedy of that period is never forgotten.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh