Islamabad [Pakistan], August 10 : Even after 75 years of independence, the wound of partition is still open and it still hurts the Sikh men as well as women, who lost their families and homes in Sheikhupura district in Pakistan, reported Khalsa Vox.
Sheikhupura, a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab, was earlier a non-Muslim stronghold and only 20 percent of Sikhs resided there. However, the town considered them to be the most important and formidable community in the district. Hence, even after the announcement of the Mountbatten Plan of Partition of India, Hindus and Sikhs did not evacuate the area as it was considered to be safe.
On August 24, 1947, a curfew was imposed as a non-Muslim’s house was set on fire at night. The people who tried to douse the blaze were shot by the Military, according to Khalsa Vox.
This incident was just the beginning of what next was coming. Following that day, the curfew was again imposed at 2 pm and all petrol pumps were asked to give petrol to local authorities due to an ‘unforeseen emergency’.
Qazi Ahmad Shafi, the magistrate led the Military from one end of the town to the other. They killed all men and old women along their way, abducting young girls, looting properties and setting non-Muslim houses and shops on fire.
In the New Ihatas locality, men and women were forced to stand in queues and then the young girls were chosen and distributed among Muslim men in front of their brothers, husbands and fathers. Whereas men who tried to object in between were shot dead, Khalsa Vox reported.
Moreover, People who were settled in the refugee camp in a rice factory in Sheikhupura were mass murdered by Sten and Bren guns. However, men and women were bifurcated, following which women were demeaned and ‘examined vulgarity’ and men were shot dead without a blink.
These episodes of bloodshed continued for two to three days and only 1500 non-Muslims remained alive out of 15000.
Even after that, brutality did not stop and it was still going on. Former Prime Minister Jinnah falsely assured them of safety and protection, however, on Aug 27, 1947, they faced betrayal and brutishness, reported Khalsa Vox.
On that same day, a gang of men, including most of the Muslim League members and Muslim National Guard and some constables were armed with rifles .303 (Lee-Enfield) and Sten guns. They started attacking and killing non-Muslims rampantly, leaving no one, neither young nor old.
Adding to the brutality, people’s eyeballs were scraped out and some of them were maimed and thrown alive in Deg Nala. Moreover, the government school principal of Sharaqpur Tek Chand Nanda was executed on the road in front of everyone. Infants were thrown out against the wall and some were even slaughtered into pieces, according to Khalsa Vox.
Meanwhile, out of around one thousand non-Muslims, merely 71 managed to escape. However, the bloodshed continued and streets were littered with bloodied bodies.
However, before all these happened, Mohammad and Gurpreet used to play marbles in their gully. Faiza and Sukhjeet celebrated Lohri together. But now, suddenly, a line has been drawn which has brought hatred, brutality and helplessness. This line has made Mohammad and Gurpreet enemies. Whereas, Faiza and Sukhpreet jumped into wells to save themselves from being ravaged by savages, reported Khalsa Vox.
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