Partition Revealed: When green flag on train changed course of his family’s life forever

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, August 14

As India marks Independence Day on August 15, memories of the 1947 Partition remain vivid for those who lived through it.

One such individual is 88-year-old Master Desraj from Sirsa, who was just 11 years old when the Partition upheaval began. Born in Chak Wasabi Wala, Montgomery district, Pakistan, he recalls the drastic change that reshaped his life.

Desraj recounts how, on August 14, 1947, his village was startled to see a green flag on a train. Village headman Chaudhary Gehna Ram promptly alerted Mahant Girdhari Das, who advised the villagers to flee across the Sutlej as the country transitioned to Hindustan.

On August 15, as India celebrated independence, Desraj and 400 families began their desperate journey, abandoning their 90 acres of land. The river crossing was perilous, but the villagers were aided by local Muslims and safeguarded by military patrols.

After a night of terror and violence from nearby villages, the convoy reached Fazilka on August 16. They initially settled in Tahli wala Bodla village before moving to Bighar village in Fatehabad in October 1947. His family, along with other refugees, laboured for meager wages and worked on a barren land allocated to them by the government.

Desraj recalls his grandmother’s hidden 200 silver coins, which provided some help to them after their harrowing escape. Settling in Saharani village, Sirsa, in 1950, Desraj faced tough farming conditions reliant on rainfall.

Despite financial constraints, he completed his matriculation in 1957 and did various jobs, including a cooperative sugar seller, to support his education. He eventually joined the malaria department in 1960, but resigned to pursue higher education, earning degrees in BA and BEd, thanks to the encouragement of Chandra Shekhar Sangha, general secretary of the Punjab Kamboj Sabha.

Harrowing time

Master Desraj (88) from Sirsa recounts how, on August 14, 1947, his village was startled to see a green flag on a train. Village headman Chaudhary Gehna Ram promptly alerted Mahant Girdhari Das, who advised the villagers to flee across the Sutlej as the country transitioned to Hindustan