One planned a year and a half back to record the memories of the elderly persons who witnessed the Partition of India and bore it on their souls. The untold tales of the painful migration of 1947 should reach the common man. We have preserved on YouTube channel called ‘Partition Diary’ the stories of nearly 100 old men who now live in various places of Bahawalnagar and Pakpattan districts of Punjab (Pakistan).

They migrated in summer of 1947 to Pakistan from Ferozepur, Fazilka, Abohar, Ganganagar, Muktsar, Moga, Malout, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Dabwali, Sirsa, Rania and other areas of Eastern Punjab (India). Though seventy-five years are gone, the incidents of 1947 are still engraved on their hearts. They have clear memories of their hamlets.

These old men were children of 10 to 15 years at time of the historic migration. Now those children have become old ones. During our talk with them we asked these ‘old children’ if they see their villages in dreams. Do they want to visit their villages if they have an opportunity any day?

Lost in deep thoughts, some migrants fall silent as if it is a strange question for them. It seems they have not come across this question ever in their lives. Facing the question first time, they find themselves in a fix. Thinking about the strict visa policies of India and Pakistan, to visit their places in India seems impossible. They say sadly, ‘son, nobody would allow us to visit the native place.’

Eyes filled with tears of unfulfilled desire, they look gloomy. As if the train has left the station and destination has become only a dream. As if the string of a kite has slipped from a kid’s hands and he now stands in a shock. All elderly persons have strong wish to see their villages. For them it is nothing more than a fantasy to go to Indian side of border and see their native villages.

No one of them has gone back to India to roam about in the native place. Reasons may be numerous but the biggest one is the cold relations of both neighbouring countries and their strict policies. As the renowned poet Gulzar aptly says that birds, streams and winds can cross the borders but we men can’t. They enjoy far more free life than humans.

These old ones say that they see their villages in their daydreams. They left the homes in 1947 but homes have been residing in their hearts since then. Some people used to listen to Indian radio stations in the hope of listening to the name of their forefathers’ land.

My colleague in the college, Mr Saqib Navid tells that his father had to migrate from his birthplace Jogewal (Punjab, India) to Pakpattan (Punjab, Pakistan). A big wound mark on his neck is a grim reminder of a fatal attack on his family on the way. Once he was watching a kabaddi match played between India and Pakistan on TV, he came to know through commentary that one of Indian players belonged to Jogewal, his lovely and beloved hamlet. He kept supporting and clapping for the player of his village till end of the match. It was a unique example of a migrant’s love for his native land.

Baba Arif Dhuddhi now lives in Chak 27 SP near Pakpattan. Along with his family, he had to leave his village called Budhai in Muktsar district. Baba Arif states that his father, uncles and other members of the family used to recall Budhai frequently. They kept claiming till their last breath that one day they would return to Budhai and live there for good. Alas, they passed away and got buried along with their wishes.

Baba Jahan Khan Mandal lives in a small hamlet called Idlana near Minchinabad (Bahawalnagar). He has seen 90 springs of his life. Faridsar (now Kesri Singh Pur, Ganganagar, India) was his native town where he spent first 15 years of his life. Then came 1947, and he had to leave his beloved town. Tears surge in his old narrow eyes when he informs that his grandfather, mother, maternal uncle, elder sister and some other relatives were buried in graveyard of Faridsar. They slept in the same soil in which they took birth.

Baba Jahan Khan’s nine siblings are no more; he is alone in the last few years of his long life. Though his memory is awfully great, his eyesight is getting weaker day by day. He cries, ‘I wish I could see my Faridsar once before getting blind.’

Light of his eyes is going out with each passing moment. The fire of cherished wish of watching his Faridsar is still blazing in his heart and soul. His trembling voice shows that the flame of his hope would die down soon.

Baba Muhammad Boota once lived in Chaina (Jaito Mandi, India) in pre-partition days. Now he lives in Kalyana, a big village in Pakpattan. He had to flee for his life as his village was attacked and many Muslims were brutally killed there. His relatives were murdered and many were lost for ever. Boota, his father, uncle and two cousins were the only survivors who escaped the deadly assault. They somehow managed to reach Pakistan.

We uploaded the video of his memories on YouTube and a message popped up, stating that Boota’s cousin Khushi Muhammad also managed to run away from the murderous attack. His family now lives in Delianwali village near Chaina. After 75 years Baba Boota came to know that his brother was alive. Baba Boota says that I do not want to visit the place where my dear ones were butchered ruthlessly. And sometimes a strong wish urges me to see the place that was once mine and where our blood mixed up with our soil.

Subhash Chopra, a journalist and writer, lives in Delhi. He was kind enough to talk to me online during outbreak of corona epidemic. His native home was situated on dhakki (mound) near shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan. He had just passed matriculation exams when he had to go through the ordeal of Partition.

He got an opportunity to visit Pakpattan in 2004 about 57 years after Partition. He touched the worn-out walls of his home and also met his childhood friend Laddi. During his stay in Pakpattan, the owner of Mehran hotel refused to charge him the rent of the room. Local people showered a great deal of love on him. He wants to visit his city Pakpattan again if corona virus allows him to travel without restrictions.

Sardar Girdeep Singh talked to us via internet from Karnal (India) and shared his bundles of memories. He was 16 when he had to leave his city Arifwala (Pakpattan). In pre-partition era, Singh’s family was one of the biggest landlord families of united Punjab. Gurdeep Singh is a nephew of well-known farmer Sardar Bahadur Sir Datar Singh. Sir Datar Singh got education of agriculture and dairy farming from England and established first dairy farm of united India near Montgomery (now Sahiwal). The British Raj awarded him the title of Sir in recognition of his services in dairy farming.

Maneka Gandhi, the daughter-in-law of Indian ex-prime minister Indra Gandhi, is a granddaughter of Sir Datar Singh. The family owned hundreds of acres of land in Montgomery, Pakpattan and Arifwala. Their native village is Kalyana (Pakpattan). We uploaded a video of Kalyana and Chak Datar Singh on YouTube and Gurdeep Singh warmly contacted us. He was excited to watch his native land. He announced, ‘Chishti Sahib, you are Quaid-i-Azam for me as you have shown me my village.’

He told that he visited Arifwala with his wife in 2013 and went to their native homes called ‘Peeli Kothi’ (yellow house) and ‘Chitti kothi’ (white house). He was stupefied to see them after ages. The earth seemed to shiver beneath his footsteps.

Gurdeep Singh’s father Sardar Sher Singh was a close friend of ex-prime minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan. Sher Singh’s family shifted to Liaquat Ali Khan’s mansion in Karnal and agricultural land of Khan was also allotted to the family. Gurdeep Singh said some family members of Khan visited their native place in Karnal in 1970. They prayed at graves of their elders and shed silent tears. Liaquat Ali’s daughter said, ‘I have two homelands, one is Pakistan and the other is this one in Karnal.’

Sardar Gurdeep Singh’s eyes filled with tears while he was sharing his old memories with us. He spoke with heavy voice, ‘Chishti Sahib, just open the borders and we would come running to our native land.’

Kaana Singh is a famous poet and writer whose work depicts her native town Gujjar Khan as a land of her dreams. Talking on video call, she said: “In her stories and poems drips the love for her birthplace. She visited her home few years ago and has intense longing to visit Gujjar Khan again and again.”

All migrants miss their birthplaces a lot. Thousands of them have died with their unfulfilled wishes. Only a few are alive and they too do not have any hope of seeing their homes. India and Pakistan should open their borders for these elderly people. To cross the border and visit their villages is a pilgrimage for many of them.

(The writer is a professor at the Govt Faridia Postgraduate College, Pakpattan)

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2022