"Every individual experiences a particular phenomenon differently. These differences are created by their upbringing and the dynamics of the societal structure they have been brought up in. This was my first interview and there were a lot of moments where I wanted to cross-question the interviewee, Mr Sukant Singh, 86 who was in Odisha during the partition," noted newly confirmed Citizen Historian, Akash Sharma who interviewed Mr. Sukant Singh using his webcam and an internet connection this past week.
Oral history interviews are traditionally recorded in person, but in a quest to leave no story behind during the COVID-19 pandemic, oral history work has gone completely digital and continues remotely. Akash recalls his experience with this unique technique that he just trained for.
"He belonged to an upper-class family so many of the atrocities faced by the masses had not been experienced by him. I realised that it is still important for him to share his experience, the way he lived during the partition. His experiences are unique and should not be tampered with. These different experiences and fragments of memories create a complete oral history of a world event."
Akash admits about the online experience, "there was a lack of personal touch as the interview was on Skype and not face to face which I would prefer." There's no doubt that a virtual experience cannot replace an in-person experience. Yet, for now, it is the best means of continuing this time sensitive work.
"It was a distinctive experience, listening to someone talk about their hobbies and daily chores in the early 1940s and how they changed post-1947. I got in touch with him via his granddaughter, Stuti who was my classmate in college. I had posted a message on my Instagram account that I was looking for people who survived partition and she got back to me.
"Something which I found to be very fascinating was his way of narration and how he would keep on speaking, linking one experience to another and it would lead him to create a chain of these experiences until he asked me to throw some questions so that we could narrow things down.
"The interview didn't seem to come to a closure, there could be no end to such experiences. He mentioned that 'we could keep going on and on and this would never end' and that's when I thanked him for his time."
Join the race against time to conduct oral history interviews as a Citizen Historian from home, by attending a free online oral history workshop. See below.
REMOTE ORAL HISTORY VOLUNTEERS
Document oral histories from home
Together with you we are close to reaching 10,000 families. Here is how you can participate in the remote documentation campaign, and ensure every witness is given a voice. Become a remote Citizen Historian - take our free online oral history workshop and begin documenting stories in your own family.
The Hindu newspaper reports about The 1947 Partition Archive's efforts to keep oral history work alive through remote interviewing techniques. Click to read.
