Vimal Nikore and Monika Nikore
Recorded
October 17, 2023
Archived
October 17, 2023
24:58 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
atl004868
Description
Monika Nikore [no age given] has a conversation with her mother, Vimal Nikore (86), about her life in India, both before and after the Partition of 1947.Subject Log / Time Code
Vimal says she was born in Bhakhar, which is located in the remotest part of West Pakistan. She says her exact date of birth is not known.
Vimal says her father was an attorney and that her mother was a housewife. She says she is the youngest of 8 siblings.
Vimal says the small town she's from had a pre-historic feel to it. She remembers the early morning sounds of Hindu devotional songs.
Vimal remembers sitting on mats at school, not being allowed to talk or move. She says by age nine she was trained in many household duties to include spinning, weaving, sewing, and cooking.
Monika asks her mom about being mischievous. Vimal remembers trying to convince the barber to cut her hair short and successfully getting a tattoo. Vimal says she was an ambitious child.
Monika asks her mom about the Partition of India, in 1947. Vimal says her father received advance warning to escape.
Vimal says one of her sisters married into a wealthy family that lived in a fortress. She remembers traveling to the fortress for protection along with most of the town. Vimal says the military eventually came to evacuate them by train.
Vimal remembers reaching the Indian border and being put in a refugee camp. She says the experience was hardest on her parents. She says her mom died young as a result.
Vimal talks about her mom's absence.
Vimal talks about leaving India for the United States. She says she felt suffocated and constrained in India.
Monika asks her mom about her early years as an immigrant. Vimal says she continues to remind herself not to put herself last.
Vimal says every generation is a step forward. She talks about her children and grandchildren.
Monika and Vimal express their love for one another.
Participants
- Vimal Nikore
- Monika Nikore