STAMPED IMPRESSIONS
Ties that bind, and hurt
Reeta Sharma

The so-called warmth between India and Pakistan is being projected enthusiastically. Indians, as usual, have been getting excited about exchange programmes and joint conferences and delegations between the two countries. And, the latest in the series is the cricket match at Mohali.

People, who have crossed the border from both sides to attend some conference or the other in the past six months, rave about their experiences in the other country. But unfortunately people are always emotional and often mistake hugs, embraces and good hospitality as an end to the hostility between the two countries. People often overlook practical considerations of power-hungry politicians.

I feel all these cultural exchanges or sports events serve only as a measure to vent out their emotions. The vested interests of the international powers will continue to interfere in any process initiated to bring normalcy between India and Pakistan.

Whenever any feverish activity takes place between India and Pakistan, whether it is a hyped cricket match or talk of renewing trade ties or cultural exchange, wounds of one section of refugees from Pakistan, known as ‘Mirpuris’ are opened.

Mirpur, district headquarters of the erstwhile J and K state, was invaded by Pakistan on November 25, 1947. The Hindu population was brutally uprooted and the town was pounded, shelled and blasted. Thousands of people were captured. Only 4,600 could reach Indian refugee camps. These people, who lost their dear and near ones in brutal attacks and had to cope with agonising situations in settling down to a challenging life, have not received justice from the government till date.

A family was given a grant of Rs 3,500 only if the total income of all surviving members was less than Rs 150 per month. The linking of relief amount to income made a mockery of the rehabilitation plans. The surviving Mirpuris formed the Mirpur Association, which has been fighting for their case for the past five decades. According to the amended rules, the income has been raised to Rs 300 and the government has offered to pay Rs 25,000 as final payment to surviving families.

Dr Sansar Chandra, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and a Mirpuri, has struggled all these years to get justice for the Mirpuris. On the much-hyped Indo-Pak relations, he says, "India is opening gates for Pakistanis. My question is will we, the Mirpuris, be allowed to visit our birthplace by Pakistan? I have learnt that a new Mirpur at a hillock called Palah-ka-Gala has come up."

Recalling the most horrifying day of his life, Sansar Chandra narrated, "On that fateful day on November 25, 1947. I was shaving when our residence was hit by a bomb, which blew off the roof of an adjoining room. We rushed out and left our house unlocked. Soon we were part of a crowd that was fleeing from the area.
Looking for a refugee camp, I happened to look at a mirror hanging in front of a shop. I was shocked by what I saw. In a week’s time, my face had withered and hair on my temples had gone white. I was just 30 years old then. The doleful words of Lord Byron flashed before me: My hair are grey/Not with years/ It grew white/In a single night.

"My father, a former conservator of forests, was held captive by the Pakistan government and died in prison. He had done his graduation from Panjab University two years after it was founded. My mother, who was also arrested and put behind bars, died of shock soon after. My married sister, a teacher, was killed along with her husband and her baby. My mother-in-law, who tried to prevent the abduction of her granddaughter, was mercilessly dragged out and shot dead. The fate of her granddaughter, who was only six years old, is still unknown.
"There is a long list of relatives, friends, students and loved ones who suffered imprisonment or were done to death or died of hunger or intense cold," says Sansar Chandra. His eyes are moist even today while narrating the tragedy. Will the opening of new chapters wipe away these tears?

This feature was published on March 12, 2005