Synopsis The 1947 partition remains the defining moment in the modern history of the Indian subcontinent. Contemporary communal and national stereotypes draw sustenance from the climacteric events which accompanied the British decision to divide and quit. Partition permanently altered the demographics, socioeconomic and cultural landscapes of such major cities as Karachi, Lahore, Delhi and Calcutta. Their huge refugee populations have also profoundly impacted upon these conurbations’ political life. The continuing effects of partition at political, cultural and psychological levels extend far beyond the focus on Kashmir which has sometimes been dubbed ‘the unfinished business’ of partition. They point to the fact that partition should be regarded as a process rather than a single historical event confined to August 1947.