When people leave a place, they rarely take everything with them. In most cases they bring with them certain things, some they give away, and some they just leave behind. However, the belongings left behind can also hold very important memories. For example, in Srinagar, homes, neighbourhoods, and family spaces have items left behind that are linked to intermittent, moved or changed lives.
Examples of these items include books filled with handwritten letters, a wooden cupboard that hasn’t been opened in years, an old family photo hanging on the wall, and a cricket bat left in the corner. On the surface, these items may look insignificant but they serve as reminders of the people who used them. They provide evidence that our history does not exist solely in archives and textbooks and it is also present in everyday items that bear witness to the ebb and flow of our daily lives.
For many people in Kashmir, the periods of migration and displacement have changed their relationship with ‘place’. Migrating families often took the memories of their family with them; however, not all of the things they owned were able to come with them. Thus, the items they left behind became frozen in time. A home that was once filled with conversations, celebrations, and routines will have very little left in the form of physical reminders of that time.
The Kashmiri diaspora has a recall of particular objects through the conversations that they have had with each other, as opposed to larger-than-life events or occurrences. For some, copper utensils used in family settings are remembered; for others, it is books in either Urdu or Kashmiri that remind them of their ancestors and family traditions. One family tells of a walnut cabinet that had been left behind long ago at their home in Srinagar, but the object itself was not worth anything financially, yet it has come to symbolise their place of belonging.
These stories tell us an important fact that objects usually remain longer in existence than memories do. The memory of people is short-lived, but objects can hold certain pieces of history. These objects give a physical connection to some part of their life that would otherwise not be part of the family's history. Furthermore, objects that remain behind also raise additional questions. Who remembers the object? What is the meaning of that object to younger family members? How do those objects create the sense of home in today's world when home as a whole has changed?
People have an ongoing discussion about the history of Kashmir with respect to its political circumstances and public accounts. However, through their presence in Srinagar, these remaining artefacts lead us to look at history from a different perspective. In this way, they show us that many aspects of identity are created from the routine presence of the everyday instead of only the important historical events. As a result, these items continue to convey stories about connection and separation, resilience, and the lasting bonds between individuals and places, all told in silence.
Sources:
https://museumofmaterialmemory.com/a-box-a-family-and-a-home-that-isnt/