For communities living across the subcontinent and the global Southasian* diaspora alike, memory is rarely just a personal artifact; it is a shared, inherited landscape. The Partition of 1947 and its lingering reverberations continue to shape how we understand home, displacement, and reconciliation. Whether separated by barbed-wire borders or oceans, how do we honor the silenced voices of history while nurturing human connections today?
To explore these vital questions, the Southasia Peace Action Network, Sapan, invites you to a virtual conversation bridging the subcontinent and its diaspora, featuring three towering literary and cultural voices who have dedicated their lives to mapping memory, artistic resistance, and cross-border empathy.
Featured speakers
- Urvashi Butalia: Feminist publisher, historian, and author of the groundbreaking 1999 work The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India,
- Salima Hashmi: Artist, educator, peace activist, and author of the recently published memoir Waiting in the Wings, carrying forward a legendary legacy of cultural resistance and cross-border solidarity.
- Nayanika Mahtani: Author of Across the Line (2020) and co-writer of the newly released Netflix film Main Vaapas Aaunga, directed by Imtiaz Ali, a moving narrative exploring a grandfather’s longing to return to Sargodha across the political divide. Watch the official trailer on YouTube.
Why this conversation matters?
For diasporic communities scattered across the globe, as well as families rooted in Southasia, the myths and traumas of the homeland are often passed down through whispered kitchen-table stories, faded photographs, and unfulfilled dreams of return, much like the central premise of Main Vaapas Aaunga. By bringing together Urvashi Butalia’s historical rigor, Salima Hashmi’s artistic and familial legacy, and Nayanika Mahtani’s contemporary storytelling, this conversation offers a vital space for both locals and the diaspora to process inherited grief, celebrate enduring dosti (friendships), and re-imagine a shared Southasian identity unconstrained by physical borders.
Event details
- When: Sunday, 30 August 2026
- Time: 9 am EST, 2 pm UK, 6 pm Pakistan, 6.30 pm India, 6.45 pm Nepal, 7 pm Bangladesh
- Where: Online via Zoom. Secure your spot by registering at this Zoom link, or watch live on YouTube.com/southasiapeace
Join us as we bridge generations, connect the homeland with the diaspora, and rediscover the power of empathy and storytelling.
- Read Afghan writer Sultana Sola Mahfouz’s thoughtful review on Main Vaapas Aaunga, ‘“an unfinished conversation” including an interview with Nayanika Mahtani, a Global Southasia syndicated feature.
*Why do we write ‘Southasia’ as one word? Because our histories are intertwined, our futures interlinked, and our struggles deeply connected.
Sapan is a voluntary organisation. We connect Southasia and the diaspora, and work to build a narrative of regionalism, peace, and dialogue. Please donate tax-free to help us cover our costs.
Thank you!