Papers by anwesha sengupta
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism
short span of few decades in the middle of the twentieth century. The postwar economic crisis in ... more short span of few decades in the middle of the twentieth century. The postwar economic crisis in colonizing countries of Europe, changing pattern of international politics in the Cold War era, world opinion favoring the end of colonial rule, metropolitan public opinion no longer favoring the maintenance of the colonies, and, of course, the anti-imperialist struggle in the colonies are given importancein different degrees by different authors.
This article focuses on the Sealdah railway station in Calcutta, West Bengal, as a site of refuge... more This article focuses on the Sealdah railway station in Calcutta, West Bengal, as a site of refugee 'settlement' in the aftermath of British India's partition. From 1946 to the late 1960s, the platforms of Sealdah remained crowded with Bengali Hindu refugees from East Pakistan. Some refugees stayed a few days, but many stayed for months, even years. Relying on newspaper reports, autobiographical accounts and official archives, this article elaborates how a busy railway station uniquely shaped the experiences of partition refugees. Despite severe infrastructural limitations, the railway platforms of Sealdah provided these refugee residents with certain opportunities. Many preferred to stay at Sealdah instead of moving to any government facility. However, even for the most long-term residents of Sealdah, it remained a temporary home, from where they were either shifted to government camps or themselves found accommodation in and around Calcutta. The article argues that by allowing the refugees to squat on a busy railway platform for months and years, the state recognised a unique right of these refugees, their right to wait, involving at least some agency in the process of resettling.
Anandabazar Patrika , 2019
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism, 2019
EPW , 2017
T he celebration of 70 years of independence in 2017 did not remain confi ned to India and Pakist... more T he celebration of 70 years of independence in 2017 did not remain confi ned to India and Pakistan; it was observed with much fanfare, ironically enough, in Britain as well. Yet, these fell short of being euphoric, not least because of a lingering discomfort with the events that accompanied the experience of decolonisation. Nation-making in postcolonial South Asia not only had to deal with the long legacy of colonial rule, it had to meet the challenges thrown up by the dislocations that accompanied the vivisection of British India into two nation states. Independence and partition were inseparable processes. Historical scholarship continues to grapple with the challenge of bringing these together in the analyses of the polities that emerged with the eclipse of the British Empire in the subcontinent. This special issue brings together a collection of articles that attempts to address this challenge by examining how partition shaped nation-making processes in postcolonial India in a variety of contexts. Three distinct phases may be identifi ed in the ever-expanding scholarship on India's partition. In the fi rst wave, historians occupied themselves with ascertaining responsibility for the partitioning of the subcontinent. With a focus on high politics, these scholars examined in great detail the role of the British government, the major all-India political parties, and prominent personalities in shaping the way India was partitioned, and the turmoil that it precipitated (Page 1982; Jalal 1985; Singh 1987; Mahajan 2000). Eventually, however, the focus shifted towards examining experiences and memories of partition (Butalia). This second phase of scholarship insisted that there was no singular experience of partition; how it affected individuals and groups critically depended upon one's location in the post-colonial polity, which were contingent upon religious affi liations, gendered identities, class and caste status, occupation, regional confi gurations and such other factors. While concerns about what caused partition continued to inspire scholarship, the focus shifted towards studying the multiple imaginations of Pakistan and how these mobilised people to political action. In so doing, scholars explored the imaginaries of Pakistan in the thought of major actors (Devji 2013) as well as in the conceptions of what it meant to the people at large (Bose 2014; Dhulipala 2014). The third, and relatively recent, strand in partition studies came to be preoccupied with the legacy of partition. Its major concern was to understand how the new nation states emerged from the upheavals of their foundational moments. The present collection of articles, which brings together new research by young scholars, may broadly be located in this third stream of partition scholarship. These elaborate the complex ways in which the division of British India shaped the postcolonial polity, economy, society, and practices of governance. The authors in this collection highlight the role of various agents who participated in the nation-building process in India: state actors, international organisations, as well as ordinary people, including refugees who made India their home. Partition of British India destabilised the region in innumerable ways. The violence that accompanied it claimed human lives in staggering numbers, for which we can only have rough estimates; it precipitated one of the largest mass migrations in recorded human history. Around 4.5 million Hindus and Sikhs were forced to leave western Punjab; almost 5.5 million
Economic and Political Weekly, 2018
This article studies the impact of partition on the jute industry of Bengal. The new internationa... more This article studies the impact of partition on the jute industry of Bengal. The new international border separating India and East Bengal put the jute producing areas and the jute mills in two separate countries. Though both the governments initially agreed to cooperate with each other in matters of jute cultivation and marketing, in reality jute diplomacy was complex and conflict-ridden. To become self-sufficient in the jute economy, East Bengal invested in jute mills and began to develop Chittagong port to export raw jute. India, on the other hand, encouraged jute cultivation. Both the countries set up customs and check posts at the border to curb smuggling of jute. Thus, the untangling of Bengal's jute economy was integrally linked with nation-building initiatives. Moreover, the Indo–Pakistan jute diplomacy encouraged the worldwide shift from jute to jute substitutes in the 1950s. F rom the middle of the 19th century, jute emerged as the most important packaging material across the world. While colonial Bengal was the chief producer of this fi bre, Dundee, in Scotland, was the initial hub of jute manufacturing industry. From the late 1850s, a few mills started cropping up near Calcutta. Towards the end of the century, Dundee's prominence began to decline, and Calcutta emerged as the capital of the jute manufacturing industry. In 1911–12, Bengal produced 8 million jute bales (one bale =1.8 quintal) whereas the global demand was for about 9 million bales. By 1914, the Calcutta mills were consuming 50% of the total crop that the region was producing (Sethia 1996: 83). Moreover, jute and jute products now constituted the largest share of India's export. Thus, the world was becoming increasingly dependent on Bengal for the raw fi bre and for their gunny bags and jute sacks (Sethia 1996: 83). While the jute industry went through ups and downs in the 1920s and 1930s, World War II brought back prosperity to the mills and fi elds. However, the jute trade suffered a severe blow with the partition of British India. The border between East Bengal and India separated Ben-gal's jute cultivating areas from the mills. East Bengal recei ved more than 75% of the total jute-growing land of undivided India, but did not have a single mill. India had 106 mills (Ahmad 1950: 184), most of which were near Calcutta, in the districts of Howrah, Hooghly, and some in 24 Parganas. Moreover, Calcutta was practically the only port through which the Bengal jute used to be exported. Most jute baling centres were also located in and around the city whereas East Bengal only had a few of them. Not surprisingly , the effect of partition was immediately felt on the jute industry. As early as October 1947, the Trade Commissioner of the British government in Calcutta reported that the arrival of the total amount of jute to the city was two-thirds of the normal volume. 1 Five jute mills in West Bengal closed down within a year of partition (Sarkar 1989: 15). The partition affected the price of the fi bre as well. The jute fi bre (Jat variety of jute) that was selling at about`16 per maund (1 maund = 37.32 kilograms)
Mahua Sarkar (ed.) Work Out of Place (DE GRUYTER, Oldenbourg: 2017)
This article explores the process of dividing the government assets and liabilities between India... more This article explores the process of dividing the government assets and liabilities between India and Pakistan and the method of splitting the colonial administration, bureaucracy and the army as a consequence of partition of British India in 1947. It closely studies the decisions that were taken in the Partition Council, the debates and discussions behind them and the ways of implementing them on the ground. Though we associate partition with chaos and conflict, this article shows that the representatives of both sides tried to work in an orderly manner to divide the assets and liabilities. However, what was 'Indian' and what was 'Pakistani', which institution should be divided and which one was too 'unique' for partition, became points of contestation. This article examines these debates and complicates the general understanding of the transition from the colonial to the post-colonial as entirely chaotic and contentious. It also shows how partition shaped post-colonial national imaginations in India and Pakistan.
Book Reviews by anwesha sengupta
South Asian History and Culture, 2022
H-net reviews
The otherwise vast scholarship on British India's Partition has very little to say about India's ... more The otherwise vast scholarship on British India's Partition has very little to say about India's Northeast. Udayon Misra needs to be congratulated for drawing our attention to the intricacies of Partition in this region. His focus is on Assam. Between four chapters and an introduction, Misra discusses how the complex political developments unfolded in Assam in the 1940s and "how the shadow of Partition continues to fall over the society and politics of Assam" (p. 2). Who is an Assamese and who is an "illegal immigrant" has been a burning question in Assam politics since the early twentieth century. This is the question around which Misra organizes his narrative.
Books by anwesha sengupta
This publication is sponsored by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung with grants from the Federal Ministr... more This publication is sponsored by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung with grants from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany. This publication or parts of it can be used by others for free as long as they provide a proper reference to the original publication. The content of the publication is the sole responsibility of the partner and does not necessarily reflect a position of RLS.
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Papers by anwesha sengupta
Book Reviews by anwesha sengupta
Books by anwesha sengupta