I was in Turkey over the Summer of 2019, a mere four-hour flight from Pakistan. Towards the end of my time in Turkey, I realised it would be a missed opportunity for me to not fly to Pakistan to meet my Grandparents, before flying back home to my parents in England. So I did. I flew straight from Istanbul to Islamabad and surprised my Grandparents.
Anyway, while I was there, I did something really special. I recorded my Grandfathers story of Partition. He was only 10 years old when one of the largest mass migrations took place. He told me the story, it was heart-breaking but full of hope, I hope you enjoy it, I love it! Here it is in the form of an interview.
(Translated from Urdu to English - This was hard as an English translation can never do justice to conversation in Urdu) _____________________________________________________
Maah-Noor: Abba (what I call my grandfather) please give me your full name and age.
Abba: Syed Inam Ali, aged 86
M: Where in India did you move to Pakistan from?
A: We came from Riwari in India, to Shujabad in Pakistan
M: Tell me about your childhood right before Partition.
A: We lived in a mahala (area) called ‘نئی بستی’ (new town) in district Rewari. We were small children in primary school. But I was in Govt High School Rewari during Partition. I passed 6th grade and was about to join 7th grade but Pakistan formed, and we left for Pakistan. It was Bakra Eid (Eid Al Adha) October, when we left Rewari. At 8pm we sat on the train and at 6am we reached the Pakistan border.
M: What was the atmosphere like in the days leading up to Partition?
A: We weren’t that aware of what was happening. We didn’t understand that much, we knew Pakistan would be formed, slogans of Pakistan were chanted on the streets. ‘Le ke raheynge Pakistan’ (we will have Pakistan), ‘Ban ke rahey ga Pakistan’ (Pakistan will be made)
We didn’t really know how Partition would happen, or how Pakistan would be made but what we did know was that we would go to Pakistan.
(Additional question M: How did you know you would go to Pakistan?
A: Because when Partition was declared we understood this much that Muslims would go to Pakistan and Hindus and others would remain in India. In some way, we were really happy that we were going to Pakistan)
Other than the days leading up to Partition, where we lived - it was a wonderful place with a harmonious feel to it. I was in a Government High School, there were Hindus, there were Muslims there was never any animosity or disagreements. But when it was time for Pakistan to be made, animosities cropped up and increased. We hadn’t been going to school for many days, but animosity was evident in the way that we wouldn’t go into predominantly Hindu neighbourhoods they wouldn’t come in our areas. Prior to this there was none of this tension, but it increased, especially when we were leaving for Pakistan. We couldn’t even celebrate Eid, early in the morning we were incredibly stressed that there would be an attack at any given moment and what the situation would become.
Another thing I do remember is that we would go to the roof in our city and look around. On all four sides of the city, there were villages set on fire. Our Father used to tell us that, this is X village burning this is Y village burning, all villages with a Muslim population. They were all being burnt to the ground. From these villages, Muslims in severely critical conditions would enter the city and receive treatment. So, in the days leading up to Partition there was excessive tension.
M: What was the moment when you realised that Partition was a reality and you would have to leave your home and everything else with it?
A: We found out around two to three months before Partition took place that Pakistan would be made. At first, we were incredibly happy that we were going to Pakistan, but then when we saw this atmosphere of animosity and breakouts of fights and enmity then it didn’t feel good that the Hindus were killing the Muslims and the Muslims are killing the Hindus. We didn’t like seeing this because Hindus and Muslims in our area had always lived peacefully together. Never any kind of disputes, but in the last few months the atmosphere became such that there was animosity. This was furthered by seeing the injured individuals coming in from the surrounding Muslim villages into the city, injured families, excessively injured. People in the city would help them but this also contributed to having bad blood between people because of anger at seeing their people in this state. Why are they killing and injuring each other?
M: What did your parents say to you when you were leaving? Did they give you a reason?
A: My Mother wasn’t around (she had passed away) but my Father and Brothers told us that we would be going to Pakistan because we couldn’t live here (in India) any longer. Our whole family, the area we lived in comprised only of our family, all decided that we would go to Pakistan. No Muslim remained in our whole city, they all migrated.
M: What’s your most vivid memory?
A: I remember everything from that time. I remember my school, my neighbourhood, my family members, my Primary school, my High School. My Highschool was beautiful, there was a huge body of water behind it and we used to go there to play. We really liked it there in our childhood. We all played together and have so many good memories. There were never any fights or issues. We had Hindu, Muslim and Sikh friends. But there were fewer Sikhs, more Muslims and Hindus. It was really peaceful. Our houses were really nice, with big verandas and wide roads outside, where we would play. The roads were not formed, they were made of mud but still every evening we would go out to play. In the day we would study after coming home from school and would play in the evening. These were our main activities. Things like Televisions and Radios didn’t exist. Radio did exist but was limited. So all of us children would play and tell stories, especially of the War – we were old enough to remember details of the War and would tell each other ‘Germany has done this’ ‘England has done this’. So, we used to tell each other small stories and when the night would come, we would go home and go to sleep and then wake up in the morning and go to school.
M: What do you miss the most?
A: I miss my city the most, my neighbourhood, my school, my mosque, the graveyard where my ancestors were, the bazaars, all the streets we would play in and walk around in. We understood and knew our city really well. There was no kind of threat or danger or fear, all of us Hindu and Muslim boys would be together and play. We would play football and cricket and we really liked it. And now I really miss it. I really want to go back at least once to have a look and come back. My neighbourhood, my house, my city, my streets, my schools, graveyard, mosque – all these things I want to go back to see. My heart really wants this.
M: The Night you left India, what was the night like? What things did you bring with you?
A: When we came, we had nothing with us. Just the clothes we were wearing. They didn’t let us ring anything with us. If anyone did have anything, they would take it from them at the station. The extent was that, even if someone was wearing a coat, they would snatch that from them too. No sheet or blanket, nothing, whatever you were wearing you would just be allowed that and told to sit in the train. We left absolutely everything there. We didn’t even know, but we didn’t even bring our school certificates with us, people weren’t even allowed to bring property documents with them. They would snatch at the station and if they found anything after, there was a bridge between the station and the train, the people standing on the bridge would search people and take whatever they had and throw it down from the top of the bridge. There were people standing under the bridge and they would take whatever was thrown home with them. They had all conspired together to make sure that the people migrating would not be able to take anything with them. The people snatching were not people we knew or recognised from the train station, they had come from somewhere else. They weren’t from our city, the people in our city never caused issues or disruptions or fights. To the extent that our neighbours that weren’t Muslim used to say to my father, you guys don’t go to Pakistan we will protect you and keep you safe. But my Father said there are so many of these people, they have come from outside, how will you protect us, you will need to protect yourselves there are so many of them. As in there are twenty, thirty, forty of you but over two hundred of them, you won’t be able to protect us, so by force and in desperation we had to leave. But in the villages surrounding our city, many many people were killed and injured. If one was out of the city, they were basically Shaheed (martyrs) . But thanks to the mercy of God they were unable to attack the city.
M: How did you feel when you were on the train? Were you scared?
A: No, we were really happy, we were going to Pakistan, to a new place, a new country and we were especially happy that Pakistan was a country for Muslims, we are Muslim, it will be our own country we were really happy.
M: What was the journey on the train like?
A: We got on the train late at 8 pm and we kept going, we didn’t really know what was going on. However, we found out that those people (similar to the outsiders that materialised at the station and were causing mayhem) stopped the train 3 or 4 times and tried to attack. But the army was with us on the roof of the train etc and they told them that if they would attack them they would retaliate with ammunition. They said they wouldn’t let anyone come near the train. They then stopped coming after the train, as they were scared. Then we reached Bhatinda, it was time for Azaan. Hindus and Sikhs were stood far from the train. But anyway, the train stopped at Bhatinda and they told us to get water, but only the children were allowed to get off the train to get water not the adults. I don’t remember the dishes we used to get water, but we got it and then came and sat back down on the train. Before reaching Bhatinda the shutters of the train windows were all shut but after Bhatinda Pakistan was on the Horizon and the sun was rising and we could see rays of sunshine and people came on galloping on horses with flags and surrounded our train hailing ‘Pakistan Zindabaad’ and we felt extremely happy. They were also really happy. We were really happy too. The trains window shutters were also opened at this point. Everyone was incredibly happy. We then got off the train in a small village, there wasn’t a station. We just sat there then a ‘goods train’ came at night and all of us sat in it and brought us to Shujabad and then we got off. They gave us an empty house to stay in for a few days. From there we went to Haider Abad and from there to Karachi. We then settled in Karachi where I completed my education and started my business and then in 1973 we came to Abbottabad, and remain here to this day.
M: Are you in contact with anyone in India?
There’s no one I know now in India, we had no communication. We heard later that some Muslims came and settled in our city in India later. But at the time of Partition every single Muslim from our city left to Pakistan.
I tried to go to India but then waited until the political climate there would get better, but instead of getting better it’s still just getting worse and now it’s extremely bad.
M: Are you glad Partition took place, was the promise of Pakistan and of Partition fulfilled?
A: Partition happened and that was a good thing, a very good thing. Otherwise in a Hindu majority, as now is the era of the vote where the majority is always in government. They wouldn’t let Muslims even live. Like there are many Muslims still in India but if it wasn’t for Pakistan it would be very hard in a Hindu majority.
M: If you could go back for one day, what would you do?
A: I would have a look and come back. I would go and have a look at my house, my neighbourhood, my school, my mosque, the graveyard and have a look at the whole city and come back. And if I had some more time, my mother’s village is there in Alwar State I would go there and have a look at that too.
M: Kashmir – is this relevant to Partition?
A: What’s happening in Kashmir is really wrong. In Partition the majority Hindu cities were taken. India took Hyderabad because the majority was Hindu. Manavadar and Junagadh were also Hindu majorities. Kashmiris should be given the right to choose who they want to be with or if they want to be independent then they should be given this right too. Hyderabad tried to remain independent, but India didn’t allow for this, but they surrounded it and captured it. Kashmir is right by Pakistan and is a Muslim Majority, 95%. Its evil what India is doing in Kashmir, it’s become a political pawn and was acquired through strength. This is against human nature, if someone or some place is born free, then allow them to remain free.
M: Any concluding remarks?
A: Partition is just a memory now, a hazy memory. It was a good time and it could still happen, Pakistan and India could move on peacefully if they give Kashmir their right.
M: Are you happy in Pakistan, are you glad to be in Pakistan?
A: I am extremely happy in Pakistan, I love Pakistan, I am thankful to God for Pakistan. Azaadi (freedom) is the biggest thing.
My Grandfather currently resides in Abbottabad Pakistan. Upon coming to Pakistan, he faced a magnitude of difficulties. They weren’t given any land or place to live in as the
Indian authorities didn’t allow them to bring property documents with them (to prove they had property in India and so should have been given a place to live in Pakistan). Despite this, he worked hard selling ‘Gur’ (refined sugarcane) in the streets, while still going to school at the same time. Over time he worked and studied hard and went on to open up a company in Karachi. Again, through sheer work ethic, he expanded his work and opened up multiple other companies across Pakistan. At one point, and even today - his businesses are still included in the leading factories and companies of Pakistan. Building a number of dams, bridges and refineries amongst others - quite literally building up Pakistan. Alongside creating some of the best mango and PVC products! An inspiration. His work ethic and unwavering faith in God is what allowed him to reach this stage. Even today at 86 years old, he’s fit healthy and up and running (May God keep him this way for many many more years Ameen) and showing no signs of stopping work or retiring. He firmly believes that if you’re able to walk and move, you still have it in you to work hard.
May God preserve and protect and immensely bless those that struggled yesterday, for our peaceful and easy sailing today. Ameen.
Inspirational true story about the partition 👌loved it!