Sayu, Sayu, Where Have You Been?
Sayu, Sayu, where have you been
I’ve been to London to visit the Queen
Sayu, Sayu what did you there?
I saw all my history under her chair
My adaptation of the popular nursery rhyme, just in time to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s death last week….don’t worry, I’m not quitting my day job!
I ended my summer break by popping over to London for a solo trip to see friends and watch Silence, a play about the Partition. To summarize and oversimplify – in 1947, the British ended their long rule over India with a messy, rushed process that resulted in millions of people being uprooted and killed. It’s the biggest historical event for many South Asian families and no one wants to discuss it. We’d rather forget the trauma, but you can learn more from this list of resources put together by Bisha Ali and Fatima Asghar for the Ms. Marvel series.
My own family – from the region of Sindh, which is now in Pakistan – has been deeply affected by the Partition, and more broadly by the British Empire. Sindhi Hindus like my family have no geographic home because Cyril Radcliffe drew a line making one nation into two, and placing the entire province of Sindh in Pakistan. New tensions and extreme violence arose between Hindus and Muslims, once neighbors and friends. As Hindus, my parents’ families were on the wrong side of the line.
They, and I, are products of Empire and all that comes with it. We are here because they were there.
Voices around the Queen’s passing have been incisive, funny, and reflective. You’ve seen a lot of it, I’m sure, but here’s a roundup of some that I particularly enjoyed and appreciated.
I cannot mourn, by Cara Anna, Danica Coto and Rodney Muhumuza.
We must speak the ugly truths, by Karen Attiah
Black Twitter When a Colonizer Passes
Which Queen? (Volume on!)
And so much more…share in the comments if you can!
In love and solidarity,
Sayu