On 13th august, 1947, it was 4 a.m and the sun was ready to spread its warmth and all that could be heard was,”Find them and kill them.” Villages were being burnt, complete families were being butchered. Everywhere the cries could be heard. Men and women being taken away from their houses by the mobs and trucks full of corpses, rowdy mobs, flashing swords with only the madness to kill each other in their minds were passing by.
It was exactly 70 years back when my grandfather and his family were hiding and disguising themselves to save themselves from the clutches of people who wanted to harm them, they were leaving their home, their memories far behind and that too forever. They witnessed the worst riots.
During this turmoil, his family hid in a quiet place for 2 days to save themselves, there were many other families who hid themselves in the places like graveyard , basements of mosques and temples just to save themselves and their loved ones.
Eventually they decided to leave and then they migrated from Rawalpindi to wherever their destiny takes them. Completely unaware as that to what will happen next with them. Completely in darkness that whether they will be able to see the next day’s sun also or not. They were leaving everything behind- their personal belongings, their friends, their valuables taking nothing with them but only the sweet memories of that place. People were clutching on the doors and windows of trains going to the other part of their own land, India.
There were other Hindu and Sikh families also who migrated from the villages and areas ofLahore, Multan ,Gujjarawala, to Amritsar, Ferozepur, Rohtak, Delhi, Ambala, Jalandhar and many more, with the only fear in their mind to reach safely to a place where their family can feel protected again.
During their whole journey leading to Amritsar, my dadu was grief-stricken. It was not only my dadu(grandfather) who was grief stricken but many other dadus (grandfathers)of muslim families were also in pain who had gone through the same journey of departing and parting as they were also migrating from their homeland, from the cities like Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Karnal, Chabal kalan to Kasor, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad .
The massacre was such that it brought tears in the eyes of every individual and it was then penned down by a famous writer ,’Amrita Preetam.” The lines are
Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nuu,
Kiton Qabraan Wichon Bol,
Tey Ajj Kitaab-e-Ishq Daa,
Koi Agla Warka Phol
Today, I call Waris Shah,
“Speak from inside your grave”
And turn, today,
the book of love’s next affectionate page–Ikk Royi Sii Dhi Punjab Di,
Tu Likh Likh Maarey Wain,
Ajj Lakhaan Dhiyan Rondiyan,
Tenu Waris Shah Nuu Kain
Once, one daughter of Punjab cried;
you wrote a wailing saga
Today, a million daughters,
cry to you,
Waris Shah–Uthh Dard-Mandaan Diya Dardiya,
Utth Tak Apna Punjab
Ajj Bailey Lashaan Bichiyaan
Tey Lahoo Di Bhari Chenab
Rise! O’ narrator of the grieving;
rise! look at your Punjab
Today, fields are lined with corpses,
and blood fills the Chenab
–Yes, it was partition that was taking everything away. It was partition only that turned brothers against brothers. It was partition that turned the festival of holi into festival of blood. It was partition that turned the protector of girls into molesters of them. It was partition that made the simple happy going people into angry mob. It was partition that turned one nation into two different communities.
And I am able to write all this with a little bit of ease because I have heard all these stories from my grandfather and father but I know had my grandfather been alive today it would still bring goosebumps to him if he had to narrate all this by himself. It would be difficult and tough for him to remember those ugly days where the mothers were leaving their crying babies behind so that no one finds out where they were hiding, a time where the irony to save oneself was to kill themselves ,when girls were being given poison so that they can be saved and now imagining all this is actually bringing tears in my eyes and pain in heart too.
But, let us just take ourselves to some other world and imagine had there been no partition? Had there been no lines and borders drawn amongst us and in our hearts? Had there been one united land of Five Rivers?
1.The utmost thing that strikes my mind is that we would have escaped the horrendous experience of Partition and the bitterness that still continues. There would have been no sufferings.
2.There would have been no wars -the war of 1947-1948, 1965, 1971 and the War of Kargil.
3. The heart of Punjab would not be Chandigarh but Lahore as there would be no Chandigarh. ( just ponder over it )
4.Geographically and population wise Punjab would have been one of the largest state and Lahore would still continue to be the capital of Punjab.
5. The five rivers that were poisoned as they were divided, keeping three to this side of the land and two to that side, would have been all together and Lahore would actually be the land of five rivers.
6. The tug of war between India and Pakistan for Kashmir would not exist today making Jammu and Kashmir actually a heavenly place. The lives that we have lost be it the Kashmiris over there or our heroic soldiers would not have been lost. There would be peace everywhere giving us more places to go to during our summer vacations with sumptuous food and awesome scenic views.
7. There would be no ceremonial drills in Wagah Border or Hussainiwala Border.
8. There would have been no migration of Panjab University, Tribune press, D.A.V College and Panjab Engineering College from Lahore to Chandigarh. ( My degree would bear the name Panjab University, Lahore than Panjab University , Chandigarh).
9. The fan following of India and Pakistan cricket matches would not be there , there would be unanimous cheers for team India. We would have the strongest and the best cricket team with skilled batsman and bowlers like Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram, Waqar Yunis, Sunil Gavaskar, Imran Khan and many more who would give other teams a run for their money. We would also have a very strong team of hockey players and this would actually be a game that would be taken seriously.
Now let’s come on the lighter side:
1. There would have been amalgamation of cultures and singers. we would have Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Gurdas Mann concerts (Akhadas as known in Punjabi language) together.
2. The talents of Pakistani actors and our Indian actors would have merged. We would have more of comedy shows of Pakistani actors which means more laughs for us. There would have been no ban on any movies or shows to be released either in India or Pakistan.
3. J.P. Dutta would definitely be in problem as he would never have plots for movies like Border, LOC Kargil. Our Sunny Paji would never get the chance to pull the hand pump in the movie, Gadar- ek prem katha.
4. Kushwant Singh would not have written the book on partition,”Train to Pakistan.”
5. The famous serial, Tamas, would not have been there.
6. I would be able to read and write not only from left to right but also from right to left as the four language concept would be followed and may be I would have been writing this article in Urdu language.
7. The all time famous Punjabi songs which have the name of Chandigarh in them would have the name of Lahore, Multan or may be any other place.
8. Our mundas( boys) would be folllowing the totas( girls) not on the Geri route of Chandigarh but on the Geri route of Lahore.
9. There would have been no confusion for us, ladies, in telling the tailors as to what kind of salwar to make as there would have been no Pakistani salwar. the problems of many shopkeepers would have been over as they would not have to keep the variety of Pakistani suit and Lahori suit.( what a relief for them?)
Whatever we say either take the partition on the lighter side or take it in serious way the partition has filled the hearts of our elders with pain. They all still have a longing for their land, for their MITTI. An urge, an undying desire to go to their own lands once again and if possible meet their friends and be united all over again.
And the most important thing that would have happened for sure,” Had there been no partition,” would be that this blog must have not been written by me.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
TO ALL OF YOU.??
JAI HIND
May I have information on the topic of your article?