Of Partition and the mental toll

The mental trauma caused by the partition of India in 1947 remains one of the least-discussed yet most tragic consequences of the subcontinents division, said psychiatrist and author Dr Anirudh Kala. Delivering the keynote address at the third edition of Keshav Desiraju Memorial Lecture Series, Dr Anirudh talked about his acclaimed book The Unsafe Asylum . He highlighted the untold stories of thousands who lost not only their homes but their sanity in the chaos that followed Partition. The lecture series was organised by The Banyan and Cognizant Foundation at the Asian college of Journalism on Friday. He spoke at length about impact of Partition on mental health of the people of both the countries. He also highlighted the painful stories of repatriation of mental patients of both the countries who had been stranded in institutions like Lahores mental hospital when the borders were hastily drawn. In 1947, there were 615 Indian patients in Lahores mental hospital. By 1950, only 317 remained. That means nearly half perished in just three years, largely due to neglect, lack of family support, and the trauma of dislocation, Dr Anirudh said. He described the plight of these patients as a reflection of the broader mental toll that Partition had on millions across India and Pakistan. As both India and Pakistan continue to grapple with the legacies of Partition, Dr Anirudhs work sheds light on a population who were locked in wards of mental institutions. The division not only separated families and communities but also adversely impacted mental health of millions. Dr Anirudh highlighted that some families even carried the trauma for generations. He highlighted how institutionalised patients were the worst sufferers. These were people who couldnt even comprehend what Partition meant, yet they suffered some of its worst consequences. Like others they were never given a choice to choose whether they wanted to stay in India or Pakistan, he noted. Sharing his own experience, Dr Anirudh said he was one of the thousands who were conceived in what later became Pakistan but were born in Independent India. I was born in December 1947. In my growing years no one spoke about the Partition then. However, during my junior resident in psychiatry, I saw many patients who presented with psychiatric symptoms related to the Partition, he shared. During the talk, he urged governments and policy makers to give adequate importance to mental health and create necessary infrastructure to support the patients. He cited how mental illness also runs in families, generation after generation, just like genetic diseases, however, not much is being done about it. Many chronically mentally ill patients never recover in their life. These people have nowhere to go. Governments should think about their shelter. The talk was followed by a conversation with Sujatha Rao, former union health secretary.