HUMANS of the WAR
My grandpa's escape from Pakistan, and his personal story
My Grandpa recounts his escape from Pakistan:
"My family lived in a small village called Shahnagar in Rawalpindi, north of Pakistan. We were a family of eight; I had four brothers and two sisters. My father was a government servant and we lived happily in Rawalpindi. But in 1947 everything changed. Since we were hindus we were forced to leave Pakistan. The muslims were burning all the homes of the hindus, our women were raped, there was violence on the streets, people were beaten up, murdered, and there was a constant tension. However, one thing that was positive for us was the help of my dad’s childhood Muslim friend, Rahman; he was loyal to us and always informed us of what was going on regarding the protests. He would tell us when it was safe to sneak out and when it was crucial to hide and not be seen. We knew that we had to leave soon, and everyday we prepared towards the day we would have to leave all our belongings and flee. Rahman took us a hiding place where we lived for five days before we boarded the train to India. I can not forget that sight. There were people hanging from the train, on the roofs of the train and desparate to leave Pakistan. During this time, my youngest brother who was only three months old could not get enough to eat and drink, and he began to develop a high fever. After four days of this continuous torture, the dire conditions finally took away my brother’s life, and that was probably the worst part of the partition for my family and I. We were crying on the train like many of the others who had lost their loved ones. We finally reached Kullu, where a distant family member lived, he gave us food and shelter. After a few days, my father also arrived and we were reunited. Although, he had to leave everything behind and whatever little he carried with him, he was looted and lost it all. Since my father was a goverment servant, he was able to find a job and we started our life from scratch. There was so much hatred among the Hindus, Sikhs and the Muslims which had surfaced during the partition. We were all living happily before the partition. I think partition was one of the most saddest incidents of our history. We were happy that the British left after 200 years, but I truly wish that Nehru's and Gandhiji's dream of united India had come true. We are still paying the price of the partition and will continue to do so for many generations to come. I am deeply saddened by this." |
Slideshow of India - Pakistan Independence
"Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.” - Stanley Wolpert, Jinnah of Pakistan.
"There tarnished rays, this night-smudged light. This is not that Dawn for which, ravished with freedom, we had set out in sheer longing, so sure that somewhere in its desert the sky harbored a final haven for the stars, and we would find it. We had no doubt that night's vagrant wave would stray towards the shore that the heart rocked with sorrow would at last reach it's port. Friends come away from this false light. Come, we must search for that promised Dawn." - Revolutionary Poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz. “Hindustan had become free. Pakistan had become independent soon after its inception but man was still slave in both these countries -- slave of prejudice … slave of religious fanaticism … slave of barbarity and inhumanity.” - Writer, Saadat Manto. "Whole idea that india should be divided was based on a fantastic notion that religion constitutes nationality. While I was growing up the national movement cut across all religion, region, caste, class and sects. It was a truly unifying idea and the idea that india should be divided was an absurd idea for me. It made no sense of any kind." - Nayantara Sahgal, Nehru's niece Below are various anonymous quotes of the common man of India and Pakistan: "I feel like I am a potted plant. A potted plant can be put here there. I had no roots." "My memories of my childhood are not the sort of memories that one should have. Those experiences have taught me to have a lot of respect for everybody. I live for the people and I hope I will live for the people till I die." "Huge mass of humanity is moving along bare footed, thristy, hungry terrible sight terrible sight." "Senseless, utterly senseless but yet you can do nothing about it." "At one level we were very cordial, but hindus had peculiar inhibitions. My mohter's attitude was that she didn't allow any muslim in the kitchen or allow muslim to touch her. Such inhibitions and customs kept us apart. Muslims were not getting job, education and they envied hindus who had best of jobs. That's why slogan of Muslim homeland became popular." "Gradually at the prayer meetings the non hindus were absent. The Muslims were not keen to come to him or listen to him. Before Gandhiji went to his morning trip from one village to another they used to defile the path spread thorns and bones on the road. An advance party had to be sent because he would walk barefeet." "Once the british leave and there'll be a democracy form of government but hindus will always be a majority and we have no chance. We will always be a minority." "We had absolute faith in british authority we had absolute faith in the peace that the british has given us. For three days there was no sign of authority on the streets and anybody could murder anybody. Until then there was still a possibility that there could be an undivided india. That impression evaporated in the heat of what came to be known as the great calcutta killings. Once that impact spread through the rest of the country, the hope that india could remain undivided began to vanish." "After the riots Gandhiji's attitude was that we are the same people born in same country brought up in the same country we believed in community living whether we follow this faith or that does not matter. It's the humanity that concerns. Gandhi walked from one village to another and while he walked he sang. He rested in a muslim house then he rested in a hindu house." |