1947: Both Sides of the Border

tns.thenews.com.pk/

Seventy years ago, after three hundred years of British Rule in British India, India was finally given it's freedom and the Partition came into effect. The nation was divided into two independent states: India and Pakistan. Immediately began the greatest and most horrifying mass migration in history, which saw over 14 million people attempt to cross the border. Millions of Muslims travelled to the Western state of Pakistan whilst Hindus and Sikhs headed in the opposite direction to what was now known as the Independent state of India. Though the British Empire branded this movement as a peaceful and effective succession of power to Jawarhalal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder and first governor of Pakistan, the reality was very different and more than a million people were killed in their efforts to travel between the two states.

Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs alike had coexisted in a single state for almost a millennium with very few racial tensions but this had all changed as families uprooted and scrambled for the border. Those who had once shared a community had turned to violence, through acts of arson, forced religious conversions, abduction, rape and murder. Families and elders found it difficult to leave the homes they were brought up in and the land that their ancestors had worked so hard to attain before them. However the religious tension did not allow for this and those who refused to relocate were persecuted by locals that wanted their land for themselves.

The biggest tragedy fell upon the state of Punjab which did not have a clear majority in terms of religion. Due to this the British decided to partition Punjab so that both Muslims and Hindus could retreat to their rightful sides. Sir Radcliffe of the British Empire divided British India through the state of Punjab and the border soon became known as the ‘Radcliffe Line’. This decision has since been heavily criticised by those in the Punjab province. Lahore, at the time, had many Hindu villages and was desired by the Indian side but its importance in the Islamic culture meant it had been given to Pakistan. Likewise, Amritsar, which had been home to many Muslim villages, remained on the Indian side due to the Golden Temple. This left hundreds of thousands on the wrong side of the border, something that put their lives at risk. The Sikhs were dispersed across the Punjab state and felt that they were not taken into account and saw their land cut in half, causing tensions to rise further. 

Since Partition, tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high as people are not ready to forget the suffering and trauma they went through, as well as what their families lost. I also believe this is due to a lack of education about the Partition, especially in India. Children are not taught the history of the two countries that were once one in a non-biased method and what little they are taught often causes them to take forward the anger that their ancestors had. I have been lucky enough to visit the Wagah Border in Punjab. Something that surprised me there was how similar the people on either side of the border seemed, despite the racial strains between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. Both sides were full of people happy to celebrate the independence of their country and there seemed to be no real difference between them except for which side of the border they fell on.

Wagah Border - see if you can find my sweaty face in the crowd

Pakistan to India

Both my grandfathers were in Pakistan during the partition. My mother’s father, Gurcharan Singh, was six at the time and visiting his uncle and aunt in Lahore. As the days until Partition drew closer my Gurcharan’s parents urged their family to come back to India and escape the racial violence that had broken out in Lahore. They were forced to leave their land and belongings, taking only the essentials with them. My grandfather remembers seeing masses of bodies piled along the railway and many more people fighting to get on the trains. He tells me about the refugee camps that sheltered those who had been injured along their journey to freedom. My grandfather and his family were extremely lucky that they were able to get back home to the Eastern side of Punjab. He was horrified as a child to come home and witnessing the sheer amount of bodies that lay in the streets of his own village. He remembers his father and many other men clearing away the bodies, burying them and the sight of blood across the villages around him.

Despite the bloodshed and violence that he witnessed, my grandfather is careful to make sure that I know about how people helped each other. Whilst some people were blinded by religious differences, many Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, helped each other. Neighbours made sure one another got across the border safely and even servants helped to hide their employees from locals who were looking to kill. These acts of bravery and humanity allowed many of those who wanted to stay in their homes, escape the violence and killings that were taking place.

My grandfather, Gurdeep Singh, from my father’s side was born in Pakistan and the Kalkat family had been living in the Western side of Punjab for as long as they could remember. They were hesitant to leave the place they called home but, due to increasing pressures from Muslim locals, decided it would be safer for them to relocate. Gurdeep Singh’s uncle was a police officer of high status and was revered by many in West Punjab. He was very lucky to have a car at the time, whilst the majority of Punjabis made their journeys by foot or carts. My grandfather and his family pleaded with his uncle to help them cross the border safely. He told them that he would take his own family across first and then come back for them. He never returned.

The partition had not only divided communities, but it had divided families who had once relied on each other for safety. My family were forced to make their own way across the border into India and my grandfather lost his own grandfather during the journey. They had become refugees with very little to their names. Once in Punjab, my grandfather had eventually managed to contact his uncle but the families soon became estranged and they were left to support themselves with no help from Gurdeep’s uncle. Since my grandfather’s death, my family have had no contact with the police officer or his family. Whilst my mother’s family had seen how people from opposing sides came together and helped each other, my father’s family had witnessed how danger and desperation could split apart a single family. 

telegraph.co.uk

India to Pakistan

Zafar Uddin was a highly respected officer living with his family in a village close to Ludhiana which fell on the Indian side of the border. He had managed to send his family across into Pakistan but felt it was his duty to protect the people of his town. Many villages on both sides of the borders had been attacked and were often set alight as mobs began to target anyone of the opposing race. Zafar Uddin was one of many officers and men who protected vulnerable families and brought them to safety. However, like many of those who were incredibly brave and worked to protect others, he was shot as Hindu mobs caught up with them as they continued to attack Muslim villages. This was due to the borders being undecided leading many people to the mentality that a majority would give their side more land.

His eldest son Zahir Uddin was seventeen at the time and now had to take up the responsibility as head of the family. He and his family had become refugees and joined hundreds of families in the refugee camps that had been set up either sides of the border. Zahir and his generation are an inspiration to us all as they had managed to build successful lives for themselves and their families despite the tragic experiences and suffering they endured, something which I believe is truly commendable. 

I urge you to explore your own families' stories if you are able to.

Thank you for reading!

Aman