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In this clip from an interview with Kavita Puri in 2017, Mehroo Aziz discusses Partition and the violence that came just before it. In 1947 Mehroo was living in Bombay with her family and attending medical school. Her family were Parsis, an ethnoreligious group of the Indian Subcontinent whose ancestors migrated from Iran to India to escape persecution from Arab Muslims. Despite this history of conflict with Muslims, Mehroo explains that she had friends of all different religions, including Hindus, Christians, Jews and Muslims, and they would regularly eat meals together. 

When talking with Kavita, Mehroo remembers hearing talk of Partition. She recalls that although some people such as Gandhi were resisting it, others – prominent among them Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All-India Muslim League – supported it. Mehroo also tells Kavita of the violence that happened prior to Partition, with dead bodies lying in the streets that she had to jump over on her way to college.

About Kavita Puri’s Partition Voices

In 2017 BBC journalist Kavita Puri led a project to mark the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India. Through interviews, the Partition Voices team directly documented the experiences of those who lived through this traumatic time and subsequently moved to Britain, as well as stories from their children and grandchildren. The testimonies recall epic journeys and forced migration, violence, partings with friends and family, and the end of Empire, with some speaking about these events for the very first time. The outcome of this project was an award-winning three-part series for BBC Radio 4 titled Partition Voices, and later an acclaimed book of the same name. The full recordings and transcripts from Partition Voices are archived at the British Library Sound Archive, with collection reference C1790.

KAVITA PURI:

When did you realise that Partition was going to be a reality? When did you realise it was going to happen?

MEHROO AZIZ:

Well there was always talk of, about it, but they were resisting it, to have Partition, because Gandhiji didn’t like Partition and the Governor of Bombay - what is his name? I forgot - he was great friend of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and they were friends and they wanted Partition. So, eventually they had to agree to Partition.

KAVITA PURI:

And was there trouble on the streets before Partition?

MEHROO AZIZ:

All the time trouble. Lot of...

KAVITA PURI:

Tell, tell...

MEHROO AZIZ:

Dead bodies lying everywhere. We had to jump over the dead bodies and go to college and school.

KAVITA PURI:

And was this before Partition?

MEHROO AZIZ:

Before, just when Partition was happening. Talk of Partition was going on.

KAVITA PURI:

So you would be going to college?

MEHROO AZIZ:

Yeah.

KAVITA PURI:

And you would see bodies on the streets?

MEHROO AZIZ:

Yeah. Dead bodies everywhere. Everywhere.