The Day when Sub-continent was
partitioned was a day of mixed feeling. It was marred by sadness as well as by
happiness. People were happy because they were now free from the foreign rule
but sad because various tragic incidents were happening.
As I was living in the Bombay
district of India, I saw some of the most tragic and painful events. Whenever I
remember them, I shudder. Mass migrations were the natural outcome of the
partition. People of one land were going to the other. In those days there
happened most tragic incidents like kidnapping, abductions, arsons, murders,
rapes, loots, and bloodshed.
I left my hearth and home on
August 14, 1947 and reached Delhi with great difficulty. From Delhi I caught a
train so that I might reach Lahore, near the border. I got some space for
standing in the train. The train was packed to its capacity with the refugees.
Many people were sitting on the roof of the train. The train steamed on and
sped very slowly. On the way I saw one man murdering another with his sword. I
was shocked to see this ghastly murder. In the meanwhile, our train reached a
station. It was night time. It was a perfectly dark night. The driver of the
engine refused to start the train on the pretext that engine was out of order.
It was a difficult time for me. The train was standing at a wayside. The
raiders attacked the train mercilessly. I took some of my belongings and tried
to cross the bridge. As I was very tired, I rested for a while. People were
rushing forth screaming and crying. The families were disunited and separated.
I spent my night on the bridge along
with other people who were also passing that dark and dreadful night there. But
as ill-luck would have, it rained very heavily. Rivers and streams were flooded.
The gurgling water was gushing forth on the plains. Nothing could be seen. Many
persons became the victims of cold and fell ill. There was no conveyance. The
fear was ruling my mind. Anyhow I ventured to walk through the water which was
knee deep onwards to the city.