Islamabad, Dec 12: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted the launching ceremony of the book Punjab: a History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten, authored by Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

The session included a public talk centred around understanding modern Pakistan and India through the prism of undivided Punjab.

Believing that modern India and Pakistan cannot be understood without comprehending the Punjab that was, the author delves into the idea of Punjabiness – the literature and poetry of creative giants such as Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, Iqbal, Amrita Pritam and Saadat Hasan Manto, the spiritual teachings of Sikh gurus and Sufi saints and above all the narratives of ordinary Punjabis to create an unforgettable portrait of an undivided Punjab.

The author narrated the tumultuous phase from the death of Aurangzeb in the early eighteenth century to the partition in 1947 coinciding with the departure of the British.

Interestingly enough, this is a period of Punjab history on which little has been written.

Director General ISSI Rasool Buksh, while emphasising the humanism inherent in all of the author’s endeavours, said Rajmohan Gandhi was a celebrated scholar with multiple books to his credit.

Mr Gandhi began his talk by clarifying that his objective was to shed light on Punjab that was and the Punjab that still may be, and the book was a provisional attempt and selective.

While not a Punjabi himself, he said he was born and raised in Delhi and could not escape the traumatic events of that period and the Punjabiyat of the city.

Moreover, the assassination of his grandfather in January 1948 was inherently linked to the carnage of the partition, he said.

Responding to a query, the author said he had no intention of passing any judgment, and his honest aim was to recapture what had happened.

There were many significant individual events which had been discussed in the book from the lens of Punjab.

He added that there were some key points that emerged from the narrative. “For one, when empires are in retreat, their focus is no longer on the people they have ruled but on their retreat. This was true of 1947.

“The carnage of 1947 began in March that year while the British Army was still present in the subcontinent. Up till February 1946, the same army had been used to suppress a naval revolt in Bombay, Karachi and Chittagong,” Mr Gandhi said.

Interestingly, the book also notes how Punjab, which was the most pro-Empire province of the Subcontinent, witnessed the greatest violence in this period.

The author added that while it was true that many people were killed but the untold story was that the vast majority of Punjabis helped other Punjabis.

Speaking of his grandfather and other leaders of the time, Gandhi said the limitations of individual national leaders to solve enormous problems must be acknowledged even when they are of great stature.

Hisham Khawaja, a guest, said although the author said he was recapturing history, he had in fact captured the lost fragments vital to understanding Punjab.