Etched in the history of India, how partition in 1947 left permanent scars on Punjab

India is celebrating its 78th Independence Day on 15 August 2024. In the year 1947, the country saw an end to the British reign which lasted for more than two centuries. This occasion also marks the altruistic sacrifices made by soldiers, freedom fighters, leaders and tens of thousands of Indians who fought courageously for India's independence.

The year 1947 also witnessed one of the most devastating displacements in the history of humankind in the face of partition and the state that was at the core of it and suffered the most was Punjab. A province that was home to a myriad and vibrant population of different communities, including Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, saw its dissection into two parts. The north Indian state was split into'Charhda Punjab' (East Punjab or Indian Punjab) and 'Lehnda Punjab' (West Punjab or Pakistani Punjab).

Punj(five)-ab(water), the land of five rivers also witnessed its water bodies being split, with three of them, Sutlej, Ravi and Beas in 'Charhda Punjab' and the rest two, Chenab, and Jhelum, in 'Lehnda Punjab'. The pain of this division has also been beautifully described in various tracks, one being "Ki Banu Duniya Da"by renowned Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan where the latter says 'Ravi toh Chenab puchda, Ki haal ae Sutlej da' (Chenab often asks Ravi about the well being of Sutlej).

An intricate process, that involved extensive complex negotiations, political intrigues, communal tensions, and violent conflicts, resulted in massive displacement, death, and trauma for millions of people.

The creation of two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, led to around 15 million displacements and an estimated one million deaths.

My personal connection to partition

Being the third generation in a family that has witnessed the pain of partition, my personal connection comes from my grandmother's and grandfather's stories.

My grandmother, who was a young girl when the state was being split into two, was born in Lahore, the part of Punjab which is now in Pakistan. She, along with her family, migrated to India's Punjab, leaving behind her home and all her precious belongings. Her stories of undivided Punjab are filled with anecdotes of how people from all the communities used to live together in peace and harmony which usually end up in an ardent desire to go back to her birthplace and explore the streets where she spent her childhood.

Just like my grandmother, the partition left everlasting scars on the collective psyche of people on both sides of the state who saw the dark side of communal hatred.

The displacement not only broke people financially but also emotionally with some being separated from their loved ones.

There are stories of people who are still on the lookout for their missing family members whom they got separated from during one of the most violent migrations.

Partition, which is an event etched in the history of the subcontinent, also severely impacted Punjab due to its competitive religious landscape which gave birth to the politics of communitarian bigotry. Some Indians also referred to it as the policy of ‘divide and rule’ by the Britishers.

'Light in the dark'

Amid the stories of pain and suffering, there are stories of hope and light too.

Recently, a poignant and heartwarming incident emerged from both sides of the border where a woman in Pakistan reunited with her long-lost brother at the Kartarpur corridor after being separated from him for about 74 years since the partition.

74-year-old, Sakina Bi, a resident of Gurdas village in Pakistan’s Sheikhupura, did not lose hope and finally found her brother, Gurmail Singh Grewal, after embarking on a lifelong quest.

Acting as a facilitator for the duo's heartfelt reunion was social media influencer, Nasir Dhillon, the man behind "Punjabi Lehar” who started his YouTube channel in the year 2016 with an aim to find separated family members of the people on both sides of the border.

The description of his channel reads, "Punjabi Lehar is endeavouring to bridge a gap between the people of East and West Punjab, created by the partition of 1947. Most of the people have passed away with an unfulfilled ardent desire in their hearts, to see their birthplace and meet their childhood friends. Punjabi Lehar is attempting to fulfil the desire of remaining partition era Punjabis."

In another heartwarming event,last year, the kins of two Sikh brothers met at the Kartarpur Corridor, singing songs and showering flowers on each other in an emotional reunion made possible through social media.

The family members of Gurdev Singh and Daya Singh arrivedat the Kartarpur Corridor in the month of March for a reunion.

Muhammad Sharif, son of Gurdev, had then, in a press briefing said that over the years his father had written letters to the government of India to find the whereabouts of his brother Daya Singh.

"Six months ago, we managed to find Uncle Daya Singh through social media," he said, adding that both families decided to reach Kartarpur Sahib for the reunion, as per the news agency PTI.

Kartarpur Sahib, the, 4 km-long corridor that links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India's Punjab state, has been a witness to such heartening events.

The corridor that provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib has emerged as a channel of warmth, love and hope and an everlasting door of kinship.

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