Author: Mousumi Biswas
Abstract: The Partition of Bengal in 1947 was not only a political rupture but also a deeply gendered crisis that redefined the lives of women across diverse social strata. This study examines the socio-political challenges faced by women during this turbulent period, highlighting the experiences of displacement, communal violence, loss of identity, and survival in both rural and urban Bengal. The research analyzes how women from upper-caste, middle-class, tribal, and marginalized communities negotiated Partition differently, thereby uncovering classbased hierarchies in trauma and resilience. Further, it explores women’s representation in literature, media, and oral histories, revealing how their voices were alternately silenced or preserved in memoirs, folk narratives, and cultural artifacts. Drawing on archival material, personal letters, and survivor testimonies, the study emphasizes that women were not merely passive victims but active agents of endurance and transformation in the face of historical upheaval. The findings underscore the need to view Partition not only as a political realignment but also as a lived experience that reconfigured gender relations, memory, and cultural identity in Bengal.
Keywords: Partition of Bengal, 1947, Women’s Experiences, Displacement, Socio-Political Challenges, Communal Violence, Oral Histories, Literature, Media Representation, Gendered Trauma, Resilience.
Page No: 128-140