For a long time, the generation that bore the brunt of the violent and acrimonious partition of India – centered on the two provinces that were actually divided, Bengal in the east and Punjab in the west – in 1947 was blamed by scholars and commentators for the strained relationship between India and Pakistan. But in recent years, while ties between the two countries may have steadily deteriorated, people who witnessed Partition and are eager to visit their erstwhile homes or be re-united with their siblings or extended families are emerging as a potential bridge between India and Pakistan.