MEMBERS of the Indian and Pakistani communities across Bradford have been holding events to mark the 70th anniversary of the respective countries' independence from the British Raj.

The anniversary date of August 14 was marked with a dinner for 400 invited guests at The Bradford Hotel, in the city centre, with dignitaries across many different cultures enjoying the social gathering.

The evening had been organised by the Pakistan Society of West Yorkshire The society’s general secretary Naveeda Ikram said the dinner had been a great chance for different ages and cultures to get together.

She said: “It has been a wonderful occasion and it has been lovely to celebrate with so many distinguished guests.

“People of very different communities have been here to enjoy the evening with us.

“Seventy years is a very short length of time to look back on a country which is still very much evolving but very progressive.

“British Pakistanis are very proud to think of England as their homeland and Pakistan as their motherland.

“There have been many challenges and difficult times but we must remember the past and look forward to the future.”

Guests included Ahmad Amjad Ali, Consulate General of Pakistan; Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Kersten England, chief executive of Bradford Council; Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council; Sir James Hill, former chair of Cancer Support Bradford and Airedale; Naz Shah, Bradford West MP; and Abid Hussain, Lord Mayor of Bradford.

At Bradford’s Peace Museum this afternoon a Partition event and exhibition is being held to mark the anniversary of the division of British India.

The Grand Trunk Project, organised by the Department for Communities and Local Government, aims to bring people of all faiths from South Asia together and help others learn more about the history of Indian Partition. Events include a panel discussion focused on the importance of raising awareness of the history of the Partition.

The exhibition consists of 12 portraits which showcase individual's personal stories and experiences, nine roll up banners with background information pre-Partition, during and post Partition, as well as the postcard project to give attendees an opportunity to write their stories first hand.

Jasvir Singh, co-chair of the Faiths forum, said: “Prior to Partition, the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities had strong interfaith relations, through family relationships, as neighbours, and with places of worship being built side-by-side for the different faiths.

“The Grand Trunk Project aims to encompass that very notion, and celebrate the commonalities within the South Asian culture.”

Communities secretary Sajid Javid added: “Partition and its aftermath is part of who we are, whether we call ourselves Muslim, Sikh or Hindu, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Indian.

“I hope this event will encourage the people of Bradford, regardless of background and faith, to reflect on the divisions that ripped us apart in the past, thereby bringing us closer together in the future.”

In August 1947 the British withdrew from the subcontinent after 300 years of colonial rule. Due to tensions between Muslim and Hindu political parties, a decision was made to divide British India along faith lines into two states; Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in 1971.

Seventy years ago Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and other faith communities were uprooted as millions of people left their homes to seek safety. Muslims went by foot to West and East Pakistan while Hindus travelled the opposite direction to India.

Violence ripped through the three countries, especially in the border regions of Punjab and Bengal. An estimated one to two million people lost their lives by the time the migration ended in 1948.