Srinagar, Aug 14 : Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said the wounds inflicted by the 1947 Partition have not completely healed even after nearly eight decades, asserting that remembering those who suffered and lost their lives during the division of the country is a “duty towards humanity”.
Addressing a commemorative programme organised at Tagore Hall in Srinagar on the occasion of Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, the LG Sinha said the day was not merely about recalling a painful chapter of history but also about introspection, national resolve and ensuring that the tragedies of the past are never repeated.
“Today, all of us have gathered here as a community, as a nation, as a family and as a collective consciousness,” Sinha said, paying homage to those who endured immense suffering and lost their lives during Partition.
He said the sacrifices of those who suffered during Partition continue to remind the nation that the wounds caused by the division of the country have not completely healed.
“Even after eight decades of Partition, this wound has not healed completely. Even today, in the collective consciousness of India, there is a pain that has not been washed away by generations,” he said.
Sinha said history contains few examples of suffering on the scale witnessed during Partition, when millions were uprooted from their homes and communities were torn apart.
The LG said Partition Horrors Remembrance Day should be an occasion to remember those whose voices were lost amid the violence and displacement of 1947.
“We will not let their pain be buried in the dust of history. Remembering them will be a duty towards humanity,” he said.
He said the memories of those who suffered must be preserved with honesty, truthfulness and compassion, describing it as the “holiest tribute” that could be paid to them.
Sinha also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for observing August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, saying the occasion should remain part of the collective national consciousness.
He called upon people to remember the day as more than a historical event, saying it should serve as an occasion for introspection and national resolve.
“This day is not just a page in history. It is also a day of introspection, self-reliance and national resolve,” he said.
Sinha stressed the importance of ensuring that the younger generation understands the human cost of Partition.
He said the division of the country was not merely a change in geographical boundaries but brought immense pain to families, destroyed communities and caused suffering whose memories continue to live among survivors and their descendants.
“Countless people were forced to leave their homes. Countless lives were engulfed in darkness,” he said.
The LG said society must preserve the stories of people who were uprooted from their homes and forced to rebuild their lives in unfamiliar surroundings.
“It is important for every section of society to know that during Partition, trains coming from Pakistan arrived filled with human corpses. Children, women, men and daughters were killed mercilessly,” he said.
Sinha said the story of Partition was not only one of suffering but also of courage, resilience and reconstruction.
He said people who lost everything demonstrated remarkable courage, hard work and self-confidence to rebuild their lives.
“Those who had lost everything regained their lives through their courage, hard work and self-confidence,” he said, adding that many displaced families transformed the places where they settled through their perseverance.
He said refugee families brought with them their languages, cultural traditions and values, enriching the cultural fabric of the regions where they settled.
“Their struggle gives us the confidence that no matter how difficult the circumstances, the courage of the human soul can triumph over all darkness,” he said.
Referring specifically to Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha said Partition had a profound impact on the region, dividing families and displacing communities from their ancestral homes.
He said people who arrived in Jammu and Kashmir after being displaced from different parts of the subcontinent contributed significantly to the region’s social and cultural landscape.
“The Partition divided families, and many communities were displaced from their own homes,” he said.
Sinha paid tribute to those who rebuilt their lives in Jammu and Kashmir despite the hardships they had endured.
He also appreciated the J&K Cultural Department for organising programmes aimed at ensuring that the memories and lessons of Partition reach different sections of society.
Addressing the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, the LG said Partition should not be viewed merely as a historical event but as a legacy carrying important lessons for present and future generations.
“I would like to say to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir that Partition is not only an event in your history, but also the memory of those lakhs of families whose legacy is in your hands,” he said.
He urged young people to learn from the experiences of those who lived through Partition and ensure that the mistakes and divisions of the past are not repeated.
“You have to learn from their experiences. You have to ensure that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir never repeat those mistakes in the future,” Sinha said.
The LG called for strengthening social harmony, coexistence and national unity, urging the younger generation to build bridges of trust.
“You have to build a strong bridge of faith where walls have never been built,” he said.
Sinha said the collective vision should be to build an India and Jammu and Kashmir that are harmonious, strong and stable.
On Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, he called for a renewed commitment to peaceful coexistence, social harmony, ethical values and national unity.
“Today, on the anniversary of Partition, we must once again take an oath that we will dedicate our talents towards peaceful coexistence, social harmony and national unity,” he said—(KNO)
