Brajinder Dhillon described today her terrible experiences as a 9 year old girl during Partition of India in 1947, when the country was divided into India and Pakistan. India was for the Hindus and Sikhs while Pakistan was for the Muslims. People who had shared the whole of the previous India amicably now tried to resettle in their appropriate country causing terrible bloodshed, rape, massacre and holocaust. At the end of 1948 15 million had re-settled and 1-2 million had been killed.
Brajinder’s family pressed her to record her life during this terrible period and it has resulted in her writing a book. All her life she has suffered terrifying nightmares as a result of experiences during this period. She found since writing the book she now copes better with her nightmares.
Before Partition she enjoyed a happy family life with her father, a respected sub-inspector of police, her mother, her older sister who was living in Lahore, studying and engaged to be married, her teenage brother, little sister and brother. The children played happily with their friends, many of whom were Muslims. Once Partition started their lives were greatly restricted and they lived in ever increasing fear. Their father advised and helped many to leave but felt he, as a policeman, should stay. Tragically one day he was shot by his Muslim colleague in broad daylight. Brajinder’s father’s Sikh colleagues rushed to the family home telling her mother they had to leave their house immediately as it was to be torched. These policemen took them and their own families to the police station where they sat in a stifling room all day, leaving at night in a truck which was supposedly taking them to a camp in Lahore, across the border. Her mother was sitting in the front of the truck but a guard made her give up her seat, which he then sat in. He was stabbed with a dagger by a goon, the victim crying out as he fell “why me, I am a Muselman”. The dagger had been meant for Brajinder’s mother. Later the truck, while stuck in mud was confronted by another goon
claiming he would save the family if he were allowed to marry Brajinder’s sister. This sister was in fact her teenage brother in girl’s disguise. When her mother was forced to give an answer she allowed the marriage could go ahead if the goon would swear on his bible to find and save her son. The goon swore and was dismayed as his future bride turned out to be the son, but he kept his promise and furthermore realized as a God fearing Muslim he would no longer kill. Brajinder’s mother claimed she had reformed this Muslim, Akbar, and proclaimed him as Her Angel of Death. After 1½ months, many scares and incredible hardships they reached the camp in Lahore. While waiting for the bus to take them to their final destination they found themselves sitting near a man who had lost his entire family. He commiserated with her mother, then touched her arm and said she need not worry he would look after her and the family for the rest of their lives. Her mother slapped him and said she was quite able to look after her family.
Eventually they were given a small house, their mother found a job as a teacher and the children returned to school. But their neighbours resented them and made their lives very uncomfortable, shouting at the children “Refugees, Refugees, drive them away, go back”. This to the people who had sacrificed so much to get to India.
Brajinder’s book describes in painful detail the massacre, brutality and loss so many millions underwent during Partition.
