Voices of Partition (FREE event) Stories by Dr. Gurnam Brar & Mr. Ali Shan

Come join us for a memorable Saturday morning at The 1947 Partition Archive's Berkeley HQ as we listen to the captivating stories shared by Dr. Gurnam Brar and Mr. Ali Shan. This in-person event will transport you back in time to the era of the 1940s and Partition, allowing you to hear firsthand accounts of this historic time period. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with our collective past and gain a deeper understanding of this significant moment in our history. To know where we are going, we must know where we have come from.

MR. ALI SHAN

Mr. Ali Shan's life story is remarkable and full of unbelievable twists and turns, which began at a very early age. He was orphaned at the age of 8 during the 1947 Partition. His village was attacked by a mob and he was one of the only survivors of that incident. This is a story of his lifelong quest for healing, his courage to forgive the attackers and the resilience with which he has conducted his entire life. He has come a long ways from that fateful day, and traveled halfway across the world to where he is today. His global journey began when he was still very young.

DR. GURNAM BRAR

Dr. Gurnam Brar is a retired nuclear physicist from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His unlikely journey into the world of physics began on a farm in rural Punjab, India. Born in 1930, Dr. Brar is witnesses to a time before electricity arrived in Punjab, and much of the village ways operated the same way they had for perhaps 2,000 years as he notes in his book, East of Indus, a captivating biographical account. He recalls how he was made to memorize the last 40 generations of his ancestors' names and occupations, a common practice that enabled oral transmission of genealogical information, once upon a time. In 1947, Dr. Brar was witness to the upheaval in his region and lost his closest childhood friend with whom he had been inseparable. He was a Muslim man who was forced to migrate due to riots. His whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.

Pre-registration is required. The event is free. Donations are optional.

Home made samosas and chai will be served.

Street parking is available in abundance in the area, some with 2 hour limit and some unlimited (please note the posted signs). Our block is also serviced by the AC Transit Bus 12 and Bus F. Additionally Bus 18 stops just a few blocks away, while the Ashby BART Station is just a 7 to 10 minute walk from here. The event space is wheel chair accessible.

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TBA