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How The Literature Of Partition Still Resonates Today

09:39
The covers of (left to right) "Midnight's Furies," by Nisid Hajari, "Midnight's Children," by Salman Rushdie and "Train To Pakistan," by Khushwant Singh. (Courtesy of the publishers)
The covers of (left to right) "Midnight's Furies," by Nisid Hajari, "Midnight's Children," by Salman Rushdie and "Train To Pakistan," by Khushwant Singh. (Courtesy of the publishers)

Seventy years ago this week, British-ruled India was divided into India and Pakistan. But the partition was a traumatic one: Some 15 million people were displaced and over a million people were estimated killed in the violence that erupted.

Over the years both Indian and Pakistani authors have addressed partition in their works. NPR Asia editor Nishant Dahiya (@nprnishant) joins Here & Now's Robin Young with his picks for books that best illuminate the topic, and discusses how the stories also resonate with today's readers.

5 Partition Book Picks From NPR's Nishant Dahiya

This segment aired on August 17, 2017.

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