railways-to-mark-partition-horrors-with-exhibitions-at-stations

Railway stations across India will turn into galleries of history on August 14, as the Ministry of Railways directs its zones to display exhibitions depicting the harrowing experiences of those displaced during the 1947 Partition.

 

Prepared by the Ministry of Culture, the exhibition forms part of the annual observance of Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (PHRD), a commemoration held on August 14 each year. The day serves to honour the millions who endured trauma, violence and dislocation when British India was divided into two nations.

 

"The Government of India has decided to observe PHRD, 2025 with a series of commemorative activities to be carried out across the country on August 14, 2025. In this regard, the Ministry of Culture has curated an exhibition to showcase the sufferings of the partition-affected people," the railway ministry said in a written communication sent to all zones.

 

The exhibition, available in both Hindi and English, can be downloaded from rememberingpartition.org. According to the ministry, the primary aim is to deepen public understanding, particularly among the younger generation and students, of “the tragic realities caused by the partition.”

Also read: IAF band to perform for public on Independence Day

 

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was instituted by the government in 2021 to ensure that the human cost of the division of the subcontinent remains etched in collective memory. Estimates suggest that the Partition uprooted over 14 million people and left hundreds of thousands dead in communal violence. Railways, often the only route to safety for fleeing families, bore witness to both desperate escapes and some of the darkest massacres in the subcontinent’s history.

 

"This solemn observance serves as a reminder of the enormous human cost of the partition and aims to instil the values of peace, unity and reconciliation," the letter stated.

 

The railway ministry has also urged zones to highlight the “Role of Railways in partition” alongside hosting special programmes linked to Partition history. The trains that carried refugees in 1947, often overcrowded and at times arriving at stations with no survivors — remain among the most haunting images of that period.

 

The exhibitions are expected to draw visitors into an immersive portrayal of that upheaval, underscoring not only the losses but also the resilience of those who rebuilt their lives in a new nation.