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London, UK – Fozia Raja, the second generation of British Pakistani, remembers to study British rule in India at school.
“What they are not concerned about is the departure of Britain from India,” the London-based human resources expert told Al Jazeera.
“And we know why they skipped this-because it is a tragic and inhumane description that has an impact on the lives of millions of people.”
After nearly 200 years of rule, British colonial forces withdrew from the subcontinent in 1947. Partition of British India Along the religious route—Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan—provoked large-scale religious riots, causing more than 2 million deaths and nearly 15 million displacement.
In addition to the resulting violence and famine, the zoning is said to have caused the largest mass migration in history. To this day, the socio-political and economic impact of the division is still reverberating in South Asia.
Raja learned of this major incident from the first-hand accounts of her grandmother, who was abducted and forced to convert during the riots.
“I didn’t learn about division through national courses. I learned it at home, like many other South Asians,” she said.
Like Raja, the second-generation British Fariha Munim (Fariha Munim) from Bangladesh also learned of this subdivision at home.
“It was not mentioned in middle school or high school. I didn’t even know it happened,” said the Bedfordshire resident who teaches history himself.
It was not until the third year of Munim University that a conversation at home led her to study the district.
“My father asked me:’Do you know that Bangladesh was once part of Pakistan?'” she said.
“The research zone helped me understand why Pakistan and Bangladesh became two different countries,” she added. “I started to understand the impact of colonialism.”
The national curriculum in the United Kingdom is only applicable to state-sponsored schools as a guide map, but teachers and schools have the autonomy to include or exclude content that is marked as “illegal”.
In July last year, more than 260,000 people signed a petition calling for more BAME (Black, Asian and Minority) history to be included in the national curriculum, calling for discussion of Britain’s role in colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade , Institutional racism and other topics. Abuse and abuse of the BAME club is mandatory for all British students.
However, the petition was rejected by the Ministry of Education on the grounds that the national curriculum already has the flexibility to include the history of BAME, so there is no need to change the curriculum.
Although the autonomy of the curriculum is beneficial, some people believe that such an initiative also runs the risk of not teaching BAME history at all.
Munim says that history courses tend to be Europe-centric and do not provide the background on the important global history that made Britain the country it is today.
But things are changing.
When teachers of color recognize the inaccuracy of the narrative and bring about their personal experience, it is influencing the decision of what to teach children and how to teach them.
An important part of Munim’s work this year is researching how to embed zoning history into her school’s history curriculum. Taking Holocaust education as an example, she believes that observing human stories or humanized events can help us learn more effectively.
The Regional Education Group (PEG) was established in 2020 as an official event to incorporate subcontinent regions into national curricula.
PEG also aims to enhance the image of South Asian history and heritage in the UK through education, art, culture and commemorative activities.
The organization is currently holding the South Asian History Month event, which will start on July 18 and will last until August 17.
Raj Unsworth, Chairman of PEG and former trustee of the British Education Department, said that as the curriculum allows for autonomy, the team is collaborating with students, scholars, subject experts, museums, archives and art organizations to prepare teaching materials and resources in time for the 75th anniversary of the zone , Celebrate next year.
According to the UK’s 2001 Census, South Asians are the largest ethnic minority, accounting for 50% of all ethnic minorities in England and Wales.
Unsworth believes that teaching a shared history is important for social integration and a cohesive society.
“Race discrimination stems from ignorance and lack of understanding,” she told Al Jazeera.
“I came to England when I was seven years old. I was embarrassed by my dual identity (British Indian) and knew very little about colonial history. I learned about the East India Company through the lens of a white British.”
Unsworth said that South Asian parents like her are “busy to integrate and survive” in the UK.
“But now, the second and third generations are beginning to see that our history is crucial to social integration,” she told Al Jazeera.
“It is important to teach children how the UK has become so diverse. This kind of education should be done by South Asians.”
For Natasha Junejo, head of literature for South Asian Tradition Month (SAHM) and co-host of the colonial podcast, the Ministry of Education’s decision was “very frustrating”.
“The wealth of this country is rooted in colonialism,” she said.
“It is difficult to accept the history of conquering the people, raping and plundering land, and trafficking in slaves-this is inconsistent with the historical memory of becoming a’savior’.
“And because we don’t talk about the irritable, difficult and uncomfortable side of colonial history, they don’t understand why there are so many people of color here, they come here as citizens (under the special citizenship law),” she added.
Like Unsworth, Junejo also believes that looking at the unified, humane parts of history will only lead to compassion and a better understanding of how people connect with each other.
Activists say that in addition to being excluded or “other people,” this incomplete or inaccurate narrative also marginalizes the British in South Asia.
“Previous generations were displaced — sometimes twice, like Uganda expelled South Asians — and had to rebuild their homes. They locked their trauma in silence,” Junejo said.
“This generation is reflecting on what it means to belong. But this sense of belonging has been habitually and repetitively cancelled. Now, we are questioning the reality of’I think I belong here’.”
Junejo added that organizations such as PEG, SAHM, and individuals are “catchling” anecdotes and historical evidence of what happened on their own, and are inspiring people to remember this part of British history.
Junejo is currently collaborating with linguists and historians to curate an audio-visual immersive exhibition on the theme of zoning memory.
Although the focus on zoning has been mainstream in recent years, especially during the 70th anniversary in 2017, she said that this time it feels different.
Since the murder of George Floyd Black people’s fate is also fate Sports in the U.S., Dump Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol and debate After removing the statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oxford University, Junejo said that the situation in the UK is improving.
“People are having difficult conversations about the differences in systems, spaces, and how we can actively make lasting changes. It’s not like a flash in the pan,” she said.
“In this regard, I am very encouraged.”
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