What does a 150-year-old story of princesses tell us about identity today?
When Indian, Ethiopian, European and British worlds meet, is identity something we inherit, or something we create?
In this High Five India from Ep 49 of India: A Story in the Making, we explore The Last Princesses of Punjab, a story of resilience, resistance and authenticity.
An India story that travelled the world and refused to fit into just one box.
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[00:00:00] A great note on what we do is called High Five India. I ask you five rapid questions. What has this exhibition been or done to you as a woman? It's made me embrace my mixed heritage. So I'm part Singaporean, part English, part Irish. I make a very good luxar and I make an excellent Irish stew.
[00:00:22] It's made me think about the relationship between identity and community and how much the two relate to each other and being as inclusive as possible in both. The story of Jindakor, the grandmother of the princesses, in one word, what is her story? Warrior mother. Defiant in her insistence on justice for her son.
[00:00:48] The three princesses, what do they represent? Resilience, resistance and authenticity. I would say for Sophia it's searching. For Bamba it's insistence. And for Catherine it is self-acceptance. What is it about India that you learned through this exhibition? Absolutely everything. I've never been, I now want to go.
[00:01:17] This has been really interesting for me because growing up in India, when these women, when Will Leip Singh left at the age of, he was 16 I think when he came to Britain. The family exits the stage of South Asian history. So in South Asia they no longer are part of the history. And whereas in Britain, there's such an important story for South, you know, for South Asians. And so it's really brought a whole new angle of South Asian history to light for me.
[00:01:46] Okay. India for you in one word. Colorful vibrance. Unity and diversity. Oh, fantastic. And on that note, what do you miss about India? I miss the smell of the earth after the rain. You've not been to India? I've not been to India. What is the best food? What is the best thing about India that you've experienced? I really like Carol and fish curry. Appomits too, I'll make for you beautiful. The butter. Thank you. On that note we have to do a high five. We do it together. Yeah.
[00:02:16] There you are. Thank you so much.