The article explores the intersection of visual anthropology and caste-based displacement by documenting the lived experiences of Dalit refugees in the outskirts of Kolkata. It addresses the historical absence of these marginalised groups from dominant Partition narratives, which often focus on upper-caste struggles while ignoring those pushed to the social and geographic peripheries. By utilising creative documentary filmmaking, author shifts away from traditional, objective recording toward a collaborative and ethical approach that respects silence and fragmented memories. Author argues that the camera should serve as a tool for relational storytelling rather than a lens of surveillance or simple data collection. Ultimately, the article advocates for decolonising the ethnographic frame to honour the inherited trauma and resilient survival of communities long silenced by systemic discrimination. This methodology seeks to build a counter-archive that challenges official histories through the co-creation of meaning and dignity.
Hiya Deb (Wed,) studied this question.