My mother told me about this incident that happened when she was little and was travelling in the train with her mother and chachi. She recalls it because it became one of the talking points later in the family.
It was well after Partition. A couple of Sindhi women were sitting across. At some point the train got crowded. My grandma was recognisable as a Muslim because she wore a Khoja long gown-like dress and dupatta with a kor (border).
Kutchi, the language our women spoke, and Sindhi are quite similar. At some point those women started saying, “Why are these people here?”
My grandmother preferred querying them in Hindi, “Kyon?”
“Udhar jaana tha,” said one of those women.
My Nani shot back, “Sind udhar hai, tum log ko jaana tha!”
That train had many stops and each got off at their destinations.
That train was another one at another time…
Some things change only superficially…
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ReplyDeleteFv's nani seems to be as solid as FV.
Yes, no train to Pakistan. Why does even pakistan exist?
Why freedom? Why separation?
Yes, no train to Pakistan?
My Nani died several years ago, but her impact on all of us, esp. me, has been tremendous. And she was far more 'solid' than I can ever be, although in the family I come the closest to her!
ReplyDeleteSo if nothing has changed then why are you still in India? Those Sindhis were driven out of their homelands, while you live among Hindus whom you consider your eternal enemies for inhabiting your homeland without your approval. What are you going to do?
ReplyDeleteonly those ppl can really understand d agony of partition who hav really gone thru it. we can just hav a feel through various films, n i must admit, they make me restless.
ReplyDeleteur family must b very bold to stay here n find ur destiny in indian soil. particularly ur grandmother . hope we forget these division one day n again become one!
Avinash:
ReplyDeleteI think people make choices, they may or may not be 'bold'. Instead of aspiring to become 'one', we should just accept that we are two and respect that.
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Btw, March 31 is time to file IT returns, which I always do on time and so do my family members. That is good enough reason for me to tell others whose nationality, identity are unknown to shut up and not interfere about where I stay.
Sindhis being Hindus don't pay taxes, of course.
ReplyDeleteAnd let me clarify - your grandmother said exactly the right thing to the Sindhis. My problem is your not recognising a. that the Sindhis were in India because they were driven out of their homeland and b. that things are not really the same today as they were in the immediate aftermath of Partition.
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