Joining Vidhi’s next Book Adda, we have Adv. Malavika Rajkotia, Founder of Rajkotia Associates Advocates and Author discussing her book ‘Unpartitioned Time’. This will be a hybrid event held at the Office Basement, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, New Delhi. If you cannot join us in person, please join us online via Zoom (link will be shared shortly). The discussion will begin at 04:00 PM IST on 26th September 2024 (Thursday).

In anticipation of this discussion, we invite you to share second-hand stories and experiences that you have heard, read, or seen from the partition, by your families and friends alike. We will be displaying these anonymously during the event, so everyone can reflect on this collective and lived memory that we have seen through the eyes of those before us.

Please register for the event and submit any stories/experiences you would like to share here.

High tea will be served at 03:30 PM IST.

About the book

Jindo arrives in India as the Partition riots erupt. He is given a patch of barren land in small-town Karnal, to clear, cultivate, and resume life as landlord and patriarch. But stripped of his history, and facing an uncertain future in a land with an unfamiliar language, he transforms profoundly. Around this generous, funny, loving, and growingly despondent figure, Rajkotia weaves an intricate narrative of her family’s past and present, exploring themes of longing and belonging, privilege and the loss of it, and reflecting on the resilience of a people denied autonomy. Through her raw, lyrical prose, she guides readers through the struggles of a sprawling clan—uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, and revered heroes— striving for recognition, identity, and security.

Rajkotia fearlessly confronts her milieu, whether navigating the radical Khalistan movement, the tensions between the Sikh faith and Hindu nationalism, or the pervasive cynicism of Indian politics. Her vivid, meditative, finely-detailed portraits of a rich family life are filled with moments of tears, laughter, and music, and a diverse array of characters who are immensely relatable. Ultimately, this brave and moving book is about the enduring quest for meaning and fulfilment that transcends cultural boundaries.

About the author

Malavika Rajkotia is an attorney and founder of Rajkotia Associates Advocates. She has developed a focus on family and property law, and also takes up issues pertaining to civil liberties and environmental law.

Her personal interests are theatre where she has been active, having done about 30 Hindi and English productions as also a television law based serial called “Bhanwar”. She anchored the first Hindi Television Talk show in India called Shakti, which focused on women’s rights. She also works with various NGOs like Sakshi and IFSHA on civil liberties and human rights issues.