Sixty-five years ago on this day the sovereign states of Pakistan and India were established. Among the many outcomes was a line drawn by the British that split the Punjab state on the basis of religion. Many people, including all four of my grandparents were forced to migrate on short notice leaving generations of history and familial ties behind—never given the opportunity to return.

While many people are celebrating today as Indian Independence Day, I couldn’t help but notice the numerous posts online stressing that this isn’t a day to celebrate because of the atrocities that took place as a result of the partition as well as the toll Indian Independence took on the population, especially on minority groups like the Sikhs. From losing essential religious sites to an aftermath that resulted in numerous religious massacres, I believe that rather than looking back and assessing the past...