By Ali Jabir
ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP):The forefathers of the country demand nation to reinvigorate founding father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s motto of Unity, Faith and Discipline to fight the prevailing crisis of pandemic and many other pressing issues gripping the motherland in its deep meshes.
The pioneers of Pakistan Movement who saw the Muslims of the sub-continent emerging as a nation and state on the map of the world revived the passion of patriotism and selfless devotion that lead to a separate homeland where they could live their lives peacefully as per their religious, social customs and traditions.
Abdul Razzaq Malik told APP that his parents migrated from eastern Punjab to join Pakistan and left their family’s property, heritage, centuries’ old stature of clan and unflinchingly resolved to embrace their true state and their last abode forever.
He narrated his mother’s account of migration at the time of partition who started her journey from Ludhiana with her relatives, where her father and younger sister were left behind who travelled on foot throughout the journey and came to Pakistan later.
“My mother Sarwari Begum was the daughter of a landlord (Muhammad Bukksh) who also owned few soap manufacturing factories which he used to sell in Rawalpindi.
She used to recall the day of partition that was somewhat tumultuous and abrupt due to sudden gloomy events of bloodshed that prevailed after riots broke out,” he recalled with calm eyes remembering the pain he felt in her mother’s eyes.
Razzaq said the day of riots in Ludhiana was probably one of the last days of Ramazan Ul Mubarak as Ms Sarwari used to remember whereas both her mother and she were preparing vermicelli as dessert to be served on Eid Day.
“The next thing was unimaginable as her father rushed into the home and asked her mother to just take all the kids with her and leave as soon as possible because Hindu and Sikh mobs had started killing Muslims and there is no other way out now, they had to rush,” he continued the tale of her parents journey to Pakistan.
The most painful thing her mother told her was that there used to live a Sikh family in their neighbourhood and especially an old man who used to listen to Ms Sarwari’s recitation of Holy Quran. My mother used to have a balcony in her room which was at the second storey of her house and had a closed door to see out and was mostly closed but due to close proximity and her loud voice of recitation the old man could listen and respond when she halted, “Why did you stop my child? Continue reciting the Quran. It pleases me.”
But, the fire of hatred and politics let such relationships tainted with bloodshed, he said and revealed that the old man was the first to attack her family. “It was a hair breadth escape and my maternal grandfather with her younger daughter managed to leave Ludhiana without any farewell, aching heart and running eyes.
My mother, maternal grandmother and her brothers managed to board on a truck of her maternal uncle who was in the British Army and allotted a truck to safely take his family to Pakistan,” Abdul Razzaq said while continuing the journey of migration which was the largest in recorded history of mankind.
“Maternal grandfather and her aunt travelled on foot throughout their journey when she felt thirsty. He had kept his turban wet wherever found any water during his journey and used to squeeze it to offer her water to quench her little daughter’s thirst,” he added.
When questioned about her father, he said my father belonged to Philor, Jalandhar where his tribe was based for centuries and owned a huge estate and house whereas my paternal grandfather and great grandfather’s graves were submerged there before partition.
My father (Mohmmad Sadiq) had come to visit his cousins in Lahore as he used to tell us that suddenly it was announced that the situation across the entire Punjab had gone worse due to unrest and bloodshed amid migration towards India and Pakistan. His family including his widowed mother and two younger sisters also travelled along Ms. Sarwari’s family in that truck where they reached after leaving Philor in the same manner as my maternal grandparents did, Abdul Razzaq concluded the journey with a heavy heart.
“My father once asked me if someone enter your courtyard and shout that he’s going to slap your mother. What will you do? And I promptly replied that I would mark a history on that day by shredding my enemy into pieces.
He then replied that this you would have to replicate if someone attacks your country not a single iota of emotions should be reduced,” he concluded his message learnt from his parents and he transferred through the next generations on this Independence Day.
He said the country was undergoing an unprecedented challenge of Coronavirus pandemic which it had efficiently managed through the unique forum of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) that showed this nation could face any challenge, once it resolved to fight and stay resilient against all problems.