The ordeal and pain are still fresh in the mind

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 10

Donning a white kurta pyjama, a pen in his pocket, an Urdu newspaper placed on the table to his left, which he just finished reading, Sardari Lal (85) says he only reads Urdu newspaper, the language which he learnt in Sialkot, now in Pakistan.

The mention of Sialkot suddenly brought back the memories of Partition. The pain from which he went through and the agony which he faced popped up in his mind and his relaxed demeanour suddenly vanished and sadness came to his eyes.

Lal, who is an ex-MC councilor, says he left Sialkot with his parents and uncles and experienced this tragedy at the tender age of 16.

“I can never forget that place where I was born and that moment when I left it, I was very young,” Lal says with a heavy voice.

After a small pause, he continues, “When we boarded a train from Pakistan and reached Badami Bagh of Lahore, the train was attacked by miscreants, but the military that was along with us guided us to safety.”

“And the moment the train crossed Wagah Border, people celebrated by shouting in happiness and hugging each other. We were happy that at least we were safe at that moment,” remembers Lal.

The journey after reaching here was also not so easy. Lal says when he reached Jalandhar, the name of the place was not even known to him.

“Asi ik desh to doosre desh aaye si, kuch nahee pata si ki kithe jana hai, kithe rehna hai, ki khana hai, oh time kadi nahee bhul sakda” (We had shifted from one country to another, we didn’t know where we were, where to stay and what to eat, I will never forget those times)

When they saw Indian flag

“We were made to stay in a camp where I remember that our nation’s flag and only one tent was installed,” said Lal. “We felt relaxed and confident to see our flag, but all the people were made to stay under one tent,” he smiles.

Sipping tea, Lal said they did not sleep for the whole time in the tent and they did not even eat.

“They used to give us chickpeas (“chane”) and we would run to eat.”

As he came out of the thinking mode, he said he felt that today’s generation would never understand the problems people had to face then. “You all are lucky that you are born in present times, only we know what we went through,” Lal says while keeping aside the cup of tea.

After living in camps in Burlton Park, he said that all people got shifted in the quarters in Bhargo Camp that were especially got built by the government for the people who came here after Partition.

“They really came as a relief, and then I started my work here in 1950 of manufacturing surgical instruments, and things eventually fell in place,” he said.

From riches to rags

“Once I was coming back from work and found that an ice-cream vendor was arguing with a man who had stolen his spoon after eating the ice cream,” he said.

The man initially denied and afterwards, he accepted and cried that he had stolen the spoon. “Voh aadmi crorepati tha, yahan par ek chammach ke liye chori ki, ye alam tha us waqt,” says Lal before signing off.