Can we say that the partition of 1947 is a distant nightmare now? Or has it completely evaporated into thin air? The answer is, No. The aftermath of the partition has dug its claws too deep into our culture, country and the hearts of the citizens. During the influx, tens and thousands of people migrated from their homelands. They lost all their belongings due to the British rule. Many who had hailed from affluent families were brought down to the streets. Women fell prey to prostitution, mothers lost their children to malnutrition, men lost their jobs and the list of losses is never ending…
On the afternoon of 5th December 2023, I came across one unique personality in the city of Bangalore, who is still a prey to the aftermath of partition, to my surprise. The conversation with him using the technological aid made me realize that he hails originally from Pakistan. He remembers being brought up in a family with high spiritual aura as his forefathers and father were Maulvis. Due to the displacement of the 1947 partition he became a refugee, after which his family was stranded on the streets.
PC: Taniya Nandi
He barely had any remembrance of his grandfather but remembers his father committing suicide as a result of the obnoxious situation of the family which had taken a deep toll on him not only mentally but physically too. He has lost his speech as a result of the tragedy of his father right in front of his eyes. Being a teenager and having to sustain his family, he took up the financial responsibilities of his family. After working as a migrant labourer in factories, construction sites, small shacks and shops, he gradually settled down as an auto driver for the past twenty years. He said, ”Mai ghar ka matlab bhul chuka hu, aur abhi isi ko apna Mulk bana chuka hu” (I’ve forgotten the meaning of home and have started calling India my nation). He has made a home out of his plight and suffering here, joining one brick with the other.
There are numerous stories like his, that are hidden amidst people residing in the nook and corner of this country. Every lane is filled with pockmarked walls wrapped with a vast history history of violence and suffering that it followed. We still shelter victims who are thriving with a heavy heart and immense suffering working as labourers forgetting all the pompous grandeur that they had held once upon a time in their lives.
Feature Image Courtesy: jurist.org