From Homeland to Exile: Fragmented Identities and Displaced Voices in Post-Partition Sindhi Short Fiction

Abstract

This article examines the interlinked experiences of displacement, trauma, and resettlement among Sindhi Hindus through short stories written by first-generation Sindhi migrants. While numerous ethnographic studies have documented Sindhi rehabilitation and identity reconstruction after Partition, this study turns to fictional narratives to illuminate the intimate, affective dimensions of loss, adaptation, and belonging. Situated within the historical rupture of 1947, it foregrounds how literary representations capture distinct individual negotiations of exile and resettlement, offering insights that extend beyond sociological documentation. Through a close reading of testimonial fiction, the analysis explores how Sindhi refugees reconfigure fractured identities, transform displacement into cultural memory, and reclaim agency within Partition discourse. By centring these literary articulations of lived experiences, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Sindhi subjectivity, resilience, and the role of narrative in mediating the affective, socio-economic, and cultural afterlives of Partition. © VANDANA GOVINDANI AND NIRMALA MENON 2026.