Beacons of Humanity Amidst Massacres

History is the witness to the rise of humanity just like a phoenix in the most trying of times and the most devastating situations so that the legends spread as sun rays to bring the brightness of hope for a new future. Why don’t we have a glimpse through this aspect of history by continuing with the memories of a few fortunate refugees and their unsung benefactors?

Partition. Image Source: India Today

In contemporary times, the pandemic showcased the same rise to the cause of reviving humanity where the dedication of the front liners and common heroes created a history page that asserts the strings of hope even in dire situations. Partition of India was another phase where we witnessed many such un-uniformed warriors and un-lettered saviors.

Many authors have capsulized, the tragic and devastating tales of the displaced people on either side of the India-Pakistan border in 1947 through their pens. The media have since then romanticized the whole trauma into movies and series. The real events of lynching, burning villages, gang rapes, betrayals, etc, have been prioritized in our school history books. It is true that their importance must not be undermined but the authors forgot to acknowledge the rare and unique ones who were martyrs in their mission to keep humanity and sanity alive. Here are some tales to recreate and share their selfless valor.

On the other side of the border, Muslims from Amritsar who are now settled in Lahore rever the name of Bawa Ghansham. They do not tire from retelling the tales heard from their grandparents about the Sikh from the Communist party of Amritsar. He gave shelter to hundreds of Muslims in his house when the rage of violence between fanatics of Hindus and Sikhs against Muslims was at its peak during the partition. Ironically, it is the communist party on either side that contributed a ton to the cause of protecting and sending victims of violence across the borders safely, irrespective of religion, gender, and class.

One of the most traumatic aspects of the partition was that the women on both sides of the border had to bear the brunt of all the pent-up vendetta, angst, and even opportunistic malevolence. It is estimated that around one lakh or more women were abducted, raped, and left with either fate of being killed on the streets or forced to stay with the marauders' families. In all this socially gruesome darkness, one knight without any shining armor from Delhi was discriminated against by society as a ‘harijan’ and saved at least two hundred women.

When the Inter-Dominion Treaty, was passed on December 6, 1947, a mass hunt was conducted on both sides to rescue these women and help them return to their families who were seeking them back or rehabilitate them at safe paces as per their wish of these women. Many NGOs and activist groups like the Jamiat worked relentlessly for this noble cause. Among the rescued ones, most of the women when asked about who saved or helped them reach safe camps, one name kept popping up – Harijan Baba.

When Anis Kidwai penned down the memoirs of her experiences as a social activist during those harrowing days after partition, in the book In Freedom’s Shade, she recollects –

“A significant number was recovered by one man, working alone. This noble chamar rescued scores of abducted girls and secretly returned them to their homes. How I wish I could have learned his name, but that remained forever a secret.”

Cricket enthusiasts will know the teddy bear ke jaisa Pakistani cricketer, Inzamam-ul-Haq. So, once when the cricketer was on tour for matches in India, he was approached by a young man who requested to share his mother Pushpa Goel’s phone number with Haq’s parents. When he conveyed the message to his parents, his father’s joy knew no bounds and Pushpa immediately received a call from Multan.

The Pakistani cricketer’s father could never forget the benevolence of Pushpa’s parents who had saved their family from the mobsters raging through Hissar of Haryana during the partition. Pushpa then became a special invitee from India to the wedding of Inzamam-ul-Haq at Multan. Reminiscing about her visit, Pushpa says –

“It was like coming back to one’s own family. I can never forget my visit to Multan”

These poignant stories revive our faith in the human soul and make us believe once again that, no matter how many epochs of history have seen waging wars, massacring fellow beings, and witnessing gruesome violence – humanity has been able to hold on to those last, flimsy straws, to save itself from succumbing to the claws of rage. But, this is not the end because the picture of such brave yet kind souls abhi baki hai mere dost, so look out for the final part.