Gendered Dynamics of Violence during Partition: A Study of Urvashi Butalia’s The Other Side of Silence

Abstract

Characterised by widespread violence, mass migration, displacement and trauma, the Partition of India in 1947 remains to be one of the most tumultuous events in history. Through an analysis of Urvashi Butalia’s The Other Side of Silence, this paper aims to unravel the unending echoes of trauma and violence that reverberate through the narratives of women who witnessed and survived through the catastrophic events of Partition. It throws light on the role patriarchal structures and ideologies play in perpetuating violence. By centring the experiences of women within a historical context, this study aims to investigate how gendered violence, in the name of religious and national pride, took place during the Partition of India for the creation of Pakistan.