Partition of The Sub Continent- This side of The Story

Muhammad Jahangir

1947 is the earliest I can recollect my memory lane, at about patritian time. We were at Lyallpur (Now Faisalabad) and my father was working as an office superintendent in Irrigation Department. This housing colony is situated near the railway station, on either side of road leading to the city. The colony had a boundary wall and I remember seeing many Sikhs moving on the road. Suddenly danger sirens would start and people would rush to homes, since it was an alarm of imposition of curfew and some fires some where. Water would start in the pipes immediately. Can remember some people rushing homewards with their half face shaved and having soap on the other side. So it was a complete emergency and no kidding.

There were frequent fires in the city and Fassadats also and we were instructed to be home and remain close to it while playing. We would mostly hide behind the boundary wall when some army trucks appeared on road. We were told and believed that if they see us they would shoot us.

Slowly the tension built up and immigrants started pouring in from across the border, clueless of where to stay and what to eat and  from. where. Kaflas of refugees started to move from this side also. We were in doubt about the future of Lyallpur being a part of India or Pakistan, so my father decided to shift the family to Sargodha our hope town.

Had started my schooling in a mission school, which I had to quit and change to Pakistan model school with my brother and cousin. They teased me for being a student of a coed institution, though at an early stage of life.

I joined them in Pakistan Model School not very far from the canal offices.

I can remember non Muslims sitting with their domestic Saman in the street of Lyallpur and Sargodha, making deals with shoppers, after serious negotiations. These families now started moving out of their houses to cams and onwards to India, had a complete confidence that they would be returning to their homes soon after the things settle down. Some of them were smart enough to sell their property as well, though the buyers were not that keen. Families moving out were digging and leaving their valuables underground and in walls, some of them were giving keys of their homes to their family friends , so thy can have them back when they come from India after the situation cools down. It was all in good faith and we believed that it is going to happen. Both in Lyallpur and Sargodha there was not much blood shed, and families were seen off with a heavy heart.

In Sargodha we live in Block No 16, a Muslim majority Mohalla and hence, were comfortable.. It is a planned city raised during British Empire and has a similar master plan like Montgomery, now called Sahiwal. Both these cities are at the heart of our canal systems and important from Irrigation Department’s point of view, Like Sargodha from PAF:’s focus now. Block No 16 is the starting Mohalla of Sargodha, if we enter the city from Mianwali, Gujrat and Jhang side. We cross the canal and just after the octori post I had my home  on the main road. Across this road we had a mission hospital where I was born in Dec 1941, in a very rainy and cold night. I am told that this house was purchased while we (Mom and me) were in the hospital and moved to our new abode just after my birth. Later when I was working at Bhalwal, in Noon Sugar Mills for about six years, was the time I made use of this location.  Got the bus or ride just from my doorstep and stepped down while coming back from job. Had very frequent travel on this route then, and prayed for my father for having purchased a home at a nice location.

As the time passed flow of migrates from across the borders increased so did their miseries and the issue s of rehabilitation, food , jobs and connecting the families separated during the travel. Any body or bodies not traceable was supposed to be dead by default, the close relatives having a hope in every corner of their heart that one day he/ she will knock the door and give us a surprise. The welcome spirit started going down and the incumbents started thinking at home and learning to break and occupy homes and shops for business. We were have families from all over India but major portion from Ambala and surroundings. Later they had lands also in the surrounding area and thank God life started taking its course. People settled in the city and surrounding villages occupying lands and residential property. Some locals also tried their hands on property left by Hindus and Sikhs , but had a feeling of guilt with them and other locals looked at them with some reservations having done something mean. With time several stories of having False claims approved and occupy property started being a routine and people say the claims exceeded total Indian property by two folds. All in all it was an unlucky situation and there was a gloom surrounded situation.

A mixed cultural scenario started emerging and we had strangers as our class fellows, and neighbors in the society. But all of it was in a brotherly manner and people never showed hate or distrust in new comers. Main diff was the language and strangely enough many homes in centre of Punjab started switching to Urdu as a language with their children. As our great Father of the nation declared it our national language. Every body had great expectations and life of a new nation started with struggle, regard and sacrifice for each other. The youngsters of Mahalla would stand guard at nights also for some law and order situation and in day time also we would not aloww any strangers making suspicious karkat in the area. That was the time any senior of the mohalla would send u home after dant duppat ,if found playing in the heat or sun. Block no 16 was a majority Muslim area and hence we did not get many new families and friends.

By now as the partition affairs started settling down , our family consisting of mother two sisters and tree brothers went back to Lyallpur where as my uncles family and elder brother Mohammad Wazir , who was a Delhi qualified Hakim and had a clinic or shop in the city centre stayed back in Sargodha house. Soon after shifting we had to come back when Hakim Sahib had a mishap of the death of his wife , the second burial in the main Sargodha grave yard , housing most of our family.

Life started at Lyallpur in the same canal colony where we lived afterwards.

Many new people could be seen in the offices some were coming from India and some new hires. Care was being taken that jobs are preferably given to Mohajars. Luckily they were educated and smarter people and must have been an asset to the new ly established systems of the nascent government.

Later when in school one of my class fellows told that we from Sargodha and Lyallpur are Janglis, as they liked to call us. It could be in response to the natural but not good name of Mohajar or our classic way of life, but was the first unpleasant shock of partition. However no ill feeling and we were class fellows and friends all along.

Muhammad Jahangir

June 10, 2012 near Islamabad

Remembering Malik Muhammad Nawaz PSP. A teacher, a Cop or Reformer ?

 Died in Islamabad. he was the first top cop of Islamabad. 

Never met him as a police officer and never forgot him as a teacher. 1960-61 he was a teacher at 

Government College Sargodha , now Sargodha university. His class always began with a few lines from the book, placed inverted open on the desk, Malik sahib sitting on the table and started discussing any thing on his mind about the students , development and Pakistan.

end of the period bell he would say remind me when astray, we have to finish the course work also.
when he came back from his civil services exam, asked about the papers , he responded not good, he was selected and explained it , " It was not that I was very good, the others were not.'
Still feel he might have brought about a bigger change , had he continued as a teacher.
God bless u malik sahib.end of the period bell he would say remind me when astray, we have to finish the course work also.when he came back from his civil services exam, asked about the papers , he responded not good, he was selected and explained it , " It was not that I was very good, the others were not.'Still feel he might have brought about a bigger change , had he continued as a teacher.God bless u Malik sahib.