Senior Congress leader and former deputy speaker of Punjab assembly Darbari Lal is a victim of the Partition of Punjab between India and Pakistan. He was eight years old in 1947 when the country was divided into two. While he had undergone the pain of migration, he also made it big in the world of politics after starting from scratch. The Indian Express talked to Darbari Lal about the effect of the Partition on Punjabi Hindu community, which was living in West Punjab before the division.
Which part of West Punjab do you belong to?
My village was Gole Ki on the banks of River Chenab in district Gujrat (Pakistan). I am still connected to my village after 75 years of the Partition. I often get calls from villagers. They check on my health. My father had received a letter enquiring about our well-being in 1951 from Muslim natives of our village. I still have that letter. We are still connected.
If you are asked today to choose between Partition or no Partition, what would you prefer?
Some rich Hindus had converted to Islam in 1947 to avoid migration. Most of the Hindus and Sikhs in the villages were relatives. Our family was economically sound and had a good time. We had a rice sheller and flour mill there. We had a 10,000 sq m ‘haveli’. While we were the richest in our village as on August 13, 1947, we were quite the opposite when we landed in Amritsar on August 15, 1947. We were barefoot and homeless. But this city helped us get back on our feet. Still it was a struggle. Pardon me. But was there any reason for us to leave our village? I would say no. So I would not choose the Partition if given a choice again.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee tried to keep tabs on the gurdwaras left behind. No such big effort was seen from the migrated Punjabi Hindu community for the temples left behind. Why?
The Hindu temples had been destroyed in large scale during the period of Mughal and Afghan rulers. Not much old temples were left in Punjab. Then Maharaja Ranjit Singh came and revived the gurdwaras. Maharajas of Patiala also restored many gurdwaras. When gurdwaras started coming up during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Hindus didn’t feel the need for temples.
There was no temple, only gurdwara in my village. Most of the Hindus would go to gurdwaras for their spiritual upliftment. So the issue of Hindu temples in West Punjab were not taken up, unlike the gurdwaras. Katas Raj is the only place still visited by the Hindus from India. In 2005, I had taken a group of MLAs to Katas Raj. The place is also mentioned in Mahabharat.
What was the impact of sharp divisive politics over the issue of language – that started soon after the Partition in Punjab – on the Hindu community migrated from Pakistan?
Migrated Hindus were already suffering as they had left everything behind. To add to their woes, they were exploited by political leaders. While they spoke Punjabi, they were told to mention their mother tongue as Hindi. It was not the sentiment of the community in general to write Hindi as their mother tongue. Mother tongue of every Punjabi from Peshawar to Delhi is Punjabi. Only the dialect differed. But the mother tongue is same. But the political class used the language to rule. It was dirty politics.
How did this politics impact migrated Punjabi Hindu community?
Well, it had taken a toll on the psyche of Punjabi Hindu community. They had come here after facing one division, and a similar politics was taking shape in Punjab. Jan Sangh took along Arya Samajis to created an issue with Hindi in Punjab and with Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh. Such politics polarise people. I had seen Punjabi Suba movement.
The situation had become as obnoxious as it was in 1947. Political leaders and their vote-bank politics were responsible for this.
Migrated Sikhs settled in far-flung areas of India are still somehow connected with Punjab. Is this true for migrated Punjabi Hindus?
The next generations of migrated Hindus are disconnected from Punjab.
My uncle had settled in Delhi. He is not even in touch with me for the last 45 years. Many Punjabi Hindu families settled down far deep in India. They are no more connected to Punjab.
Do you see any difference in politics of migrated Punjabi Hindu community pre-and post-Partition?
Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs were largely connected with Congress party before the Partition. Punjabi Hindus were not much associated with Hindu Mahasabha. There was also impact of Arya Samaj, but most of the Punjabi Hindus were Sanatani before the Partition. When Lala Lajpat Rai became an Arya Samaji, its influence increased.
You will not find any Sanatani establishments in Amritsar, but there are five to six Arya Samaj establishments in the Golden City. Jan Sangh exploited the migrated Hindus. Now, the political situation is such that Hindus get aligned with the BJP. Majority of the Hindu community is still secular.
You will not find a single line on communalism in Hindu scriptures. Hindus had taken shelter in gurdwaras during the Partition before moving to this side. There was no issue between the Hindus and the Sikhs before the Partition. It was the dirty politics that tried to create the divide.