Amritsar, February 4
The mass migration that happened in 1947 during Partition of India left trails across the subcontinent for generations to witness and bear testimony to the horrors of history. For those, who lost their loved ones, homes and friends behind the lines, the ache to go back to the place of birth still lingers. While the survivors might not all go back and relive the memories of their childhood, Project Dastaan gives them the opportunity, and some comfort, through cross the border and revisit the home they left behind through virtual reality. A unique project that took birth in 2018, with co-founders Sparsh Ahuja and Sam Dalrymple with the aim to showcase diverse voices of the subcontinent in an engaging way, combining local artistic styles and traditions to celebrate the individuality of each country. Through a network of volunteers, they have created VR films on Partition, to highlight the trauma and stories of survivors and communities during the time.
Today, a three-part animated series Lost Migrations, created by Project Dastaan, was screened at the Department of Social Sciences, GNDU in collaboration with the Partition Museum.
Sam Dalrymple has said that the film covers the untold stories of Partition and its aftermath, an attempt to feature the communities and people that were undocumented. The six-eight minutes shorts features three parts — on women, the diaspora during the time and immediately after the Partition and the stateless (people who were displaced and belonged to neither of the countries i.e India and Pakistan). The documentaries also discussed the historicity of migration from times immemorial.