India, Jan. 17 -- In 1947, with the subcontinent shrouded in grief and trauma unleashed by the Partition, a 22-year-old Satish Gujral decided to stay back in Jhelum (now in Pakistan) with his father for a few months, even as the rest of his family migrated to India. For eight months, day and night, he ferried refugees in a truck across the border and witnessed unhinged violence - pillage, arson, rape, murder. All this, punctuated by moments of compassion, rare moments of brotherhood.

It was these moments that led Gujral to paint his iconic series on the Partition, which was a lilting portrayal of loss, displacement, anguish and sorrow. "His work does not come from a reactionary point of view. He silently retreats into his studio in Shiml...