Partition of India into two nations- India and Pakistan in 1947 was the biggest and the bloodiest event of the last century. It was basically on religious lines ‘Muslims and Hindus cannot live together’ being the basic premise.
Pakistan became an Islamic state but India for God knows what reasons, chose to be a secular state- willing to accommodate all religions. Actually, come to think of it- secularism with stealth and deceit may be on purpose.

Most Hindus decided to move from newly created Pakistani Islamic nation to India. They had very little time to decide and almost no means to take anything which belonged to them to their new homeland called India.
People just wanted to save their lives as Hindu Muslim riots broke out on both sides.

Millions were displaced and thousands butchered in hate and rage. Every one was brought down to ground zero- it was an equalizer of sorts. In theory it is an equalizer but for those who suffered this partition it was a painful amputation. The rich and mighty from Lahore, Karachi, Pindi and Peshawar had to leave everything behind they created over generations. They were now refugees in a new country called India. Millions of refugees were born on both sides of the fence; the invisible fence called a ‘partition’. The people with same or at least similar DNA were torn apart into two different geographical contagious land masses. As one would recall the elders saying ‘Ghar se beghar ho gaye’ that roughly translates into – from home to homeless situation. Though both countries allowed people to be accepted, yet it is difficult to imagine a family of 20 people leaving behind everything, their property, cash, business, jobs, clothes, jewelry and worst - their own identity, own land - ‘mitti’; now they were refugees within their own people. I am not even factoring in the Hindu-Muslim riots which triggered mass murders.

Do you know when you visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahab now in Pakistan, you are clearly told not to get ‘mitti’ from there- as many feel getting back a handful of their erstwhile land in a bottle would give them some solace! These are human emotions which cannot be measured in any sense of the word.

Yes, you are simply a refugee, at someone’s mercy. It took them almost an entire generation to find their feet and build a new life altogether. They were brave people. They initially lived in tents and makeshift shelters with very little to eat or drink. They were directionless and with no one to guide them to their final destination within their chosen country. Some settled in Punjab, some in Delhi and many went down South and to the western parts of India like Mumbai and Pune. Yesterday, you were a millionaire and today you have been reduced to a pauper; you had to leave your Nation behind. Since, the political support and administrative help was available to some extent, they managed to merge into their newly found nation called Bharat or Hindustan. They got an identity of a nation - an Indian.

Those who were not put through this ordeal of being uprooted and partitioned were very lucky. But for them to be able to feel the pain of those who were now refugees is next to impossible. You may sympathize but you will not be able to empathize with them. There is a big difference- ‘sympathy’ means I know how bad you feel whereas ‘empathy’ is I feel how you feel.

Can you feel as Foladi feels?

“I was only 8 years old when I lost my entire family.
Only I and my younger brother survived….” - Kamran Foladi, from Afghanistan

Partition boomers

Baby boomers are individuals born between 1946 and 1964 a generation defined by the surge in births following World War II.

They in the US grew up during a period of economic prosperity, social change, and technological advancements, including the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.

But almost at the same time- post partition, those who were born after 1947 August or thereabout had no idea of life lead by their parents or older siblings during pre-partition days in Lahore or Peshawar. In a way they were ‘naturally insulated’ and were fortunate not to recount ‘good old days’ of Lahore where their parents lived in luxury and an affluent life style- ignorance in a way is bliss.

But those who were born around 1930 to 1940 would have been between seven to seventeen years of age- times one cannot forget. Therefore, they had great fond memories of pre-partition days preserved in their hearts and heads!

“Refugees didn’t just escape a place. They had to escape a thousand memories until they’d put enough time and distance between them and their misery to wake to a better day.” - Nadia Hashimi

The pain and hatred were so much that they somehow wanted to not to remember those good days.
They devised a very unique way of handling this. I remember my big brothers or even parents while going to the toilette for the big job, would say,

‘main, Pakistan ho kar ataa hoon’- ‘I will go to Pakistan (akin to shit pot) and come’.

Those days we didn’t have fancy toilets, toiletries, deodorants, exhaust fans and Harpiks of the world and toilets were really smelly and bad. You wanted to be out before you were in. Fresh, clean scents like eucalyptus, lavender, or citrus were unheard of. Airodo Dual Technology Magic Rose Power Pocket Air Freshener - now costing 20,000 Rs; OMG for a potty was a no-no. especially Pakistan- yuk.

So, Pakistan it was.

But on the hindside they now must be feeling grateful to God that they came to Indian side as Pakistan today is nothing more than a shit hole for the people who live there. May be their curse has come true and Karma of Pakistanis caught up with them to haunt them till they last. How long is the moot question.

‘What goes around, comes around.’
Unknown.