It has been 70 years since the Partition of India and Pakistan, the largest mass migration in human history. Overnight, millions of people were forced to flee their ancestral homes, escaping communal violence and gruelling conditions in the search for a new life. These people left behind not only their livelihoods, but precious memories of their old towns and villages, which they long to visit again. Unfortunately, for the overwhelming majority of Partition witnesses still alive today, this journey is now impossible to undertake due to political reasons.

Until now.

Using modern day technology, Project Dastaan seeks to give these people a chance to relive their happier days before Partition. We want to find the specific locations and memories that Partition witnesses yearn to see again, and then, using our volunteer network on either side of the border, film these experiences using VR so that survivors can truly feel as if they have been transported back into their childhoods. Simultaneously, we want to document our own experience as students creating this project, making a film which we hope will generate awareness amongst future generations about Partition.

For too long, Partition has been analysed and presented through the lens of political discussions, religious differences and communal violence. We want to showcase the human experience of life before Partition – the chaotic sounds of a long forgotten Lahori bazaar, the senerity of a pind in Punjab, the distinct taste of ladoos at a century-old Delhi halwai. Moreover, we want to make this experience available to as many Partition witnesses as possible.

Time is of the essence. There are not many Partition witnesses left, and this number is dwindling every day. We hope you can help us make our project a reality.