Since 1947 is an ambitious and insightful examination of Punjabi migrant life in Delhi from the time of partition to the end of resettlement in 1965. Undoubtedly, “partition” has come to be a ubiquitous theme in modern Punjab studies. To this extent, Ravinder Kaur's work lies on well-trodden ground. It is Kaur's focus on the complex web of narrative by surviving Punjabi migrants, however, that sets her work apart. Since 1947 fills a discernable gap in modern Punjabi studies.
Since 1947 presents a thematic organization of the subject rather than a historical rehearsal of the period. Indeed, this approach reflects the core of the present study: to call into question the established and accepted master narrative of “the partition experience” of Punjabi migrants. The introductory chapter, “Narrating Everyday Forms of the Past,” situates the present study and lays much of the theoretical and methodological groundwork for the remainder of the...
