From Honor to Exile: Reclaiming History through Countermemory in Urvashi Butalia's The Other Side of Silence

Something is deeply lost and rendered irretrievable once women become objects of rescue for their nation, causing them to be relegated into forgetfulness and silence. They become exiles within their own communities, unable to recalibrate themselves into what they used to be. Through an investigation of memory, cultural symbolism and oral history, I aim to focus on Butalia's oral accounts as a countermemory of Partition. Having a shared collective memory creates a cultural moment that allows for a subjective truth. I explore these accounts as forms of agency that can transform history, leaving space for women to be self-idealized, autonomous bodies rather than a battleground for the state. Representation of this kind allows women who survived their abductions to remain within the public discourse, challenging socio-political norms and engaging with the high politics of Partition.