Bengal as a province was divided by its rulers multiple times for a variety of reasons, including to better control it, distribute its treasures among the conquerors, or crush the spirit of a rebellious and artistic population. To a Bengali, though, what did this distinction mean? What effects did it have on their lives, culture, identity, and the next generations? How did they cope with the Partition and the ensuing splitting apart of their community? These are the regrettable questions that have plagued generations of Bengalis?their memories hidden in trunks, fragments of papers, disappearing dialects, pictures, or the darkest corners of their minds. The dislocation caused by Partition brought with it feelings of estrangement, grief, longing, and loss.