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HYDERABAD, Pakistan – On the night of September 8, 1947, Muhammad Saleem Pirzada, then a ten-year-old boy, was awakened by his father with a stark directive: gather what little they could carry and prepare to flee. The family lived in Narnaul, a town then part of the princely state of Patiala, now in India, and the streets outside were rapidly becoming treacherous.
Armed Hindu and Sikh mobs had already begun targeting Muslim neighborhoods, and the order was clear – leave immediately or face certain death. Pirzada recalls his father instructing his mother to have the children walk barefoot and remain silent, stifling their cries with cloth.
The Exodus from Narnaul
The Pirzada family, including Muhammad, his father, grandfather, four siblings, and three other relatives, embarked on a two-kilometer walk to the railway station. His mother would follow months later. “It’s natural, when a person is ill, near death, and then Allah grants them health, that moment of near-death comes back to mind,” Pirzada reflected. “It was just like that, only Allah saved us.”
Britain’s swift partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan unleashed one of history’s largest mass migrations.Approximately 15 million people were displaced along religious lines, and independent estimates suggest over one million perished in the ensuing violence and retaliatory attacks [UN report on Partition].
in Narnaul, violence erupted on September 6th with attacks on Muslim homes. The following day brought further killings and looting. By September 8th, the Pirzada family joined a throng of terrified Muslims at the railway station. Sikh state police initially attempted to halt their departure, but relented following intervention from the British Railways’ Watch and Ward force.
“We boarded from there and set off,” Pirzada recounts. The journey was harrowing, with the train stopping at stations littered with the bodies of victims. “We saw bodies, wounded people, some without limbs,” he remembers with painful clarity.
The family eventually reached Hyderabad, in Pakistan’s Sindh province, traveling through Munabao in Rajasthan, India.
Did You Know?
Munabao served as a crucial transit point for many Muslims migrating to Pakistan during the partition.
A community Torn Apart
Pirzada estimates that at least eighty members of his extended family were killed during those turbulent weeks. Before 1947, Narnaul was a community built on mutual trust. Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims routinely attended each other’s weddings, and summer evenings saw neighbors gathering together for companionship.
“the Hindus would come and sit there [in the Muslim neighborhoods] at night in the summer… That’s how relations were with the Hindus. They would attend our weddings,” he recalls fondly. Hindu fathers sometimes entrusted Muslim traders with escorting their daughters to their in-laws’ homes. “The hindus would say, ‘Mian ji, you are going there, take my daughter along.’ I have seen those days of affection.”
He still remembers the names of his Hindu schoolteachers, even while acknowledging the violence in Eastern Punjab was part of a larger cycle of retribution. “In eastern Punjab, the atrocities were greater… the Muslims there were martyred,” he says, accusing Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala of arming Hindu and Sikh mobs. “The riots took place at the instigation of the Maharaja of Patiala.”
When asked if his family would have migrated had peace prevailed, Pirzada is resolute: “There would be no question of coming [to Pakistan].We had land, the crops were good, and life went on. Had we stayed there,we would have used new technology and increased production.”
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Violence begins in Narnaul | September 6, 1947 | Narnaul, India |
| Pirzada family decides to leave Narnaul | September 8, 1947 | Narnaul, India |
| Arrival in Hyderabad | months after September 8, 1947 | Hyderabad, Pakistan |
Life in pakistan and Lasting Memories
In Pakistan, Pirzada initially worked as a clerk before his family received a land allotment in rural Hyderabad. Farming became his livelihood, and today, at eighty-eight years old, he lives surrounded by his two sons, one daughter, and ten grandchildren.
Despite the new life, Narnaul remains deeply etched in his memory. “One’s homeland, the place of one’s birth, is always remembered. the desire is still there. May Allah grant the opportunity so I can visit it once,” he said.
Pro Tip:
Exploring family history and oral accounts like Pirzada’s provides invaluable insights into historical events.
“We even saw some people who died in Pakistan insisting,’No,no,we will go back! We will go back!'”
The Enduring Legacy of Partition
The 1947 Partition continues to shape the geopolitical landscape of the Indian subcontinent. Its legacy includes ongoing border disputes, communal tensions, and the displacement of millions. Understanding this historical event is crucial for fostering peace and reconciliation in the region. The Partition also serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of political decisions and the importance of protecting minority rights [Britannica: Partition of India].
Frequently Asked Questions about the 1947 Partition
- What was the primary cause of the 1947 Partition? The Partition was primarily caused by the British government’s decision to grant independence to India and pakistan,coupled with growing religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims.
- How many people were displaced during the Partition? Approximately 15 million people were displaced during the Partition,making it one of the largest mass migrations in human history.
- what were the main consequences of the Partition? The Partition led to widespread violence, displacement, and the creation of two independent nations: India and Pakistan. It also resulted in lasting geopolitical tensions in the region.
- What role did the princely states play in the Partition? Princely states, like Patiala, were given the option to join either India or Pakistan, leading to further complexities and conflicts during the Partition.
- How is the Partition remembered today? The Partition is remembered as a traumatic event by millions of people on both sides of the border. It continues to be a subject of historical study and remembrance.
What are your thoughts on the importance of preserving personal stories like Mr. Pirzada’s to understand historical events?
How do you think communities can work towards healing and reconciliation after periods of intense conflict?
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