An iconic museum on wheels inside the historic trams of Kolkata, commemorating the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence through people’s perspective, was inaugurated by Bengal’s minister of transport and housing Firhad Hakim on Sunday. “India is a country of peace. Bengal believes in harmony and unity in diversity. This museum reflects the ethos of Bengal. It also dwells onto the freedom struggle in which Bengal played a major role. The Museum on Wheels beautifully depicts the efforts of our freedom fighters and also the impact of division of Bengal and Punjab on the national psyche,” said Firhad Hakim.
The mobile museum will be on display at Esplanade in Kolkata from August 15 till December-end. From January 1, 2022, it will move to other parts of the city. It has been curated by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust in collaboration with the Government of West Bengal’s Transport Department’s West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC).
Rajesh Sinha, IAS, transport secretary, who was present at the inauguration, said: “The museum on wheels depicts the Independence movement and the impact of partition on the states of Bengal and Punjab. The museum will be free of cost in entry. It will be a permanent exhibition and move around the city.”
Meanwhile, Mallika Ahluwalia, founder trustee of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust, stressed the “rich history and heritage” of the trams in Kolkata, and said “we wanted to leverage their mobility and easy access to reach out to the people in Kolkata. We hope that through our exhibition the youth see the history of our country’s fight against imperialism.”
Rajanvir Singh Kapur, IAS, managing director of WBTC, said: “After opening the world’s first tram library and curating unique Tram World, we are now very excited to open a unique mobile museum on Independence. Through this initiative, we are reviving the importance of trams and reshaping its use to go beyond just a mode of travel to rich cultural space in the modern context…”
The museum on wheels has been designed inside two trams. The first car highlights the rising resistance against the British Raj from the 1900s, leading to Independence and how the borders were drawn, dividing Bengal and Punjab. The second car focuses on the mass migration and rehabilitation that took place post-Partition and explores the humane angle.
The world’s first museum on Partition is in Amritsar. It narrates the story through the voices of millions who lived through it. Since its launch, the Amritsar museum has received more than half a million visitors and is now a must-see place in India. It has also received five national and international awards for excellence. It is located at the historic Town Hall building and is a five-minute walk from the Golden Temple.
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