Varanasi: Varanasi observed Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on Friday with a series of programmes highlighting the suffering caused by the Partition of India in 1947 and emphasising the importance of preserving national unity and integrity.A commemorative programme was held at Circuit House auditorium in presence of UP Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, minister of state for Stamp and Court Registration Fees Ravindra Jaiswal, district panchayat president Poonam Maurya, mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, MLC Dharmendra Singh, MLAs Saurabh Srivastava, Awadhesh Singh and Sushil Singh, DM Satyendra Kumar and chief development officer Prakhar Kumar Singh.Addressing the gathering, the ministers said the country must learn from the tragedy of Partition and remain united. They stressed that national interest should remain paramount and called for collective efforts to strengthen the country’s unity and integrity. Members of Sindhi and Punjabi communities were honoured during the programme. Earlier, a silent march was taken out from JP Mehta Inter College to the Circuit House under the leadership of Swatantra Dev Singh to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the Partition.A separate national seminar titled ‘The Dark Chapter of India’s Partition’, was organised by Vishal Bharat Sansthan at Subhash Bhavan in Lamahi. Historian and former Jammu University dean Prof Jigar Mohammad inaugurated the seminar, while historian Prof Ashok Kumar Singh inaugurated an exhibition documenting the horrors of Partition.Speakers described Partition as one of the most painful tragedies in the history of the subcontinent, recalling the killings, displacement and trauma suffered by millions in 1947. They stressed the need to preserve the memory of the tragedy to prevent future divisions.Rajiv Shrivastava of Banaras Hindu University and president of Vishal Bharat Sansthan said political failures and rigid positions adopted by leaders of the time contributed to Partition.
