The 1947 Partition was a horrific event for Sindh and Sindhis. Within a matter of months, the entire character of the province changed. For Hindu Sindhis who crossed over to India, it meant being in a new place and having to start from scratch. However, to my mind, this is where the similarity with the usual "Indian Sub Continent Partition" narrative ends. In my various readings on the subject, unlike Punjab, where there was a lot of bloodshed, a substantial amount of movement of Hindu Sindhis happened not because there were riots (which eventually did happen upon influx of immigrant Muslims in late 1947/ 1948 ) but because of the fear and the general expectation that things would eventually go out of hand. The assassination of great premier Shri Allah Bux Soomro in 1943 by religious extremists must also have weighed in as it was a stark reflection of the growing influence of extremists. However, most Muslim Sindhis in Sindh were equally sad and disappointed at Hindu Sindhis moving out. This aspect of partition is peculiar to Sindh and one that in my opinion hasn't received much attention.
I reproduce two extracts from (Late) Dada K R Malkani's book "The Sindh Story" which capture this little known aspect of partition :-
It
was in Sindh towards the end of 1947. Partition had taken place and
Hindus were leaving the province in large numbers. One day some of us
RSS workers were walking down Tilak Incline in Hyderabad. Suddenly an
elderly Muslim lady coming from the opposite direction stopped in front
of us and asked in pain: ``Brothers, will you, too, go away?''
One day
I was standing in my balcony. A Muslim gentleman was happily carrying a
big framed group photograph Soon he could contain his joy no more. And
so he stopped, held up the picture for me to see and said he had just
bought it because of the respected Seth of his village sitting in that
group. It was a great memento for him.
One day
I was travelling in a city bus. The front seats were reserved for
women. Suddenly a Muslim lady sitting in front noticed that an elderly
Hindu neighbour was standing. She got up and insisted on the man taking
her seat. In vain did the man protest that he was alright standing, and
that, in any case, those seats were reserved for women. He had to sit
down as the lady persisted with an anguished voice: ``I know, you, too,
will goaway.''
I'm not sure there were many areas in the India of 1947, where incidents like these could occur.
The other letter from Saeen Aziz Kaleiri to (Late) Dada K R Malkani
"Sir, I
was born in 1966. 1 was not witness to the gross injustice done to you
(Hindus) and to Sindh at the time of Partition. But when I read the
accounts of those times and see the edifices left behind by you, I
cannot help crying. When I ponder over your forced migration from Sindh,
I feel that Sindh today lives only a fragmented, fractured existence.
For long I have been wanting to correspond with a Sindhi in India so
that I can re-integrate my splintered self. And recently I had the
opportunity to read the Sindhi translation of your book 'The Sindh
Story'. This book carried your address.
"I am
bewildered. Many times I wake up in the morning with sobs. I have read
the travelogues of Imdad Ali Serai and Mahatab Mahboob and their talks
with Sindhi brethren in Hindustan. From these I have learnt of your
great love for, and attachment to, the land of Sindh. I have recalled
all that with tears. There is no sorrow, and no deprivation, as serious
as the loss of ones own land of birth.
"I am
sorry that Prof. Ram Punjwani, Master Chander and Mohan Kalpana left
this world with the sorrow of Sindh in their hearts. I am reminded of
what Sheikh Ayaz said on the passing of Narayan Shyam. 'Your sorrow was
swept to the sea by the waters of Ganga while the Sindhu threw its arms
about in vain.'
"Hope seems to be fading that : 'Things will change; it will rain again, and the days of separation will be over.'
"Sir, I
belong to Kandiaro in Sahiti region which also has the holy town of
Halani. Here, even now, the harvest season is marked by Vaisakhi Mela.
But I feel- "The cotton trees don't have their old blossoms; the
spinners are gone; the sight of empty shops only fills me with a deep
sadness. "
"I am a broken splinter of your own life, Aziz Kaleiri."
In my household, the discussions regarding partition have always focused on the associated hardships , about how elders thought of this as a transient phase but never has there been a discussion regarding the bloodshed. In that sense, the Sindh partition story is a departure from the usual partition narrative. The hardening of religious identities on both sides as far as Sindhis are concerned has (in my opinion) happened much after partition.
I end with this video of a lovely contemporary take on Master Chander Sahib's " Dil Tuhinji Muhinji Hik Aa" by a talented singer, Mohit Lalwani. I hope you like it too.
Jiye Sindhiyat!
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