WELL-KNOWN feminist, publisher and writer, Delhi-based Urvashi Butalia has crusaded endlessly against crimes committed against women, both in riot-stricken days and in normal times. She was a big draw at the recently held Islamabad Literary Festival (ILF).

Butalia’s The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India recalls the plight of ordinary people, mainly women, who suffered terribly in Punjab at the time of Partition. The heart-wrenching work is based on interviews with more than 70 people, all Indians, except two Pakistanis.

Why this one-sidedness? She rued, “I wanted very much to be able to interview people in Pakistan but I did not get a research visa. So then I basically used the two interviews I had: one with my uncle, who chose to stay back in Pakistan, and the other done for a film. This is why I was very hesitant to publish my book for quite a long time — because I did not want to give the impression that the violence was one-sided.” Translated into 10 languages, the book was published in different countries including Pakistan.

Butalia was pursued by the media at the ILF, where she contributed to two sessions, one on publishing and the other on Partition, where she regretted in no uncertain terms that for nearly 70 years we have continued to live like uncivilised neighbours. “The more we talk, the closer we will get. You saw what happened in the session at the Islamabad Literature Festival — there was so much goodwill, so much bonding, and such a strong desire to talk and understand. This should be done on a much wider scale, if we have to live like good neighbours. It’s in the interest of the well-being of the masses in both countries,” she said in a conversation at the end of her session on Partition.

Butalia was born in Ambala, India, in 1952 to parents who were uprooted from Lahore in 1947. Later, the family moved to Delhi where she did her Masters in literature in 1973, from Delhi University, and four years later got another Masters degree from the University of London. This time her subject was South Asian Studies.

On returning to India, she worked for five years at the Oxford University Press, and later for Zed Books in London. In 1984 when she had settled down in Delhi, she joined hands with Ritu Menon, a fellow feminist. Together they set up Kali for Women, a publishing house which aimed at promoting knowledge about women in developing countries and providing a forum for women writers, both creative and academic. People were sceptical about what they called the “narrow scope of publishing”. “Who will buy your books?” and “Who will read them?” were frequent comments. But they were silenced when Kali’s first book, a collection of short stories titled Truth Tale: Contemporary Stories by Women Writers of India won worldwide acclaim.

In 2003 Menon and Butalia parted and Kali for Women closed down. Menon and Butalia were seen together in 2011, when they were jointly awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest award given by their government. Menon started publishing under the banner of Women Limited, while Butalia decided to name her publishing house Zubaan Books. One of their more popular titles to date is A Life Less Ordinary by Baby Halder. Another noteworthy book by the same publisher is Partition: The Long Shadow, which is a compilation of essays by Butalia.

Butalia is currently working on a book on the life of a hijra in which she looks at issues of sexuality and citizenship. She is also in the process of compiling a collection of women’s writings on Partition. Our conversation veered towards the increasing cases of rape in India, and she lamented that rape and domestic violence cases largely go unreported. What appears in the media is only the tip of the iceberg. I then referred to her thought-provoking booklet December 16, 2012: A Rape, a Murder and a Movement, published by Heinrich Böll Stiftung. This is about the well-known Delhi bus gang-rape case of a medical student.

Commenting on the tragedy, Butalia said, “The kind of public awareness that the case raised is very important, it is also necessary to recognise that there is much more we need to do — reform laws, change medical protocols, get good forensic labs, educate the police, the lawyers and even the judiciary, begin the process of changing mindsets, recognise that women are citizens not second-class beings. Thanks to the media coverage and the strong protest movements in different cities, rape is no longer considered a ‘women’s issue’. It is now seen as a social issue that hurts both men and women. It is important that we build on it.”

I met her for the last time shortly before she was returning home. She was excited about the literary festival she had participated in. “I am full of admiration for the kinds of issues that were discussed and the fact that all sessions were uniformly excellent. The session with the children from the Army Public School was wonderful and so well done, and with such sensitivity. I was so impressed with the bravery of the children … then there was a session on Balochistan, another on Bulleh Shah, all of which I loved. My only complaint is that there was so much going on. I wanted to attend all of it. I also loved the fact that there were very moving tributes to Sabeen Mahmud. Every session that I attended had a reference and a tribute to her ... I’m full of admiration for the organisers and the great work they’ve done.”

Butalia regretted that Lahore is a city she could not visit due to visa issues. This is where her maternal uncle’s family lives, and the city she is in love with. “I would like to see Taxila, Moenjodaro, Murree and Sahiwal, but these are dreams at the moment. Perhaps, one day our countries will open up. I hope that will happen in my lifetime,” she concluded on an emotional note.