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Hijrat
Spanning over a historical period of 50 years beginning 1947, the novel is a moving saga of those Sikhs who left their abodes in Pakistan during the Partition days and took refuge in Afghanistan. But there, political disturbances, particularly after the rise of the Taliban, forced them shift their home yet again. Hijrat is a sequel to the author’s earlier two writings—Nadion Vichhre Neer and Luarhgi—wherein he has presented a slice of life of Khatrams and Pathans living harmoniously in Luarhgi. This translated version of the book, originally scripted in Punjabi, is an attempt by the author to reach out to the masses and make them aware of the plight of the Sikh refugees in Afghanistan. As communal violence spreads its roots, Malik Inayat Khan advises his Sikh friend Manak Singh and his kin to leave Luarhgi. Having already lost one of their kin to the bullets of Muslim League activists, the families resolve to move to Jalalabad. With God’s name on their lips, tears in their eyes and a hope of homecoming in their hearts, they set out on the arduous journey. After a brief stay with their hospitable relatives at Jalalabad, the cousins find a separate house and busy themselves in their respective businesses. The chariot of time runs fast and the notion of returning Luarhgi almost vanishes from their memory. Days turn into months and months into years, and they become one with the culture and lifestyle of the locals. However, hard times keep chasing them. Difficulties one after the other raise heads, but the Sikhs put up a united front to brave them all. Their hope is kept alive by the presence of a microscopic minority of kind-hearted Afghans like Gul Mohammad and Firdous who stand by their Sikh brethren in need of the hour and go to any length to help them. However, events take a gory turn and the Sikhs, who had found safe refuge in Afghanistan after Partition, once again feel insecure due to the orthodoxy and rigid rule of the Taliban. Giving an insight into the political turmoil in Afghanistan, the narrative paints a realistic picture of religious oppression, kidnappings, bribery and betrayals. It gives a first-hand account of the hell witnessed not only by the refugees but also by the Afghans. The story is touching and takes reader on an emotional voyage. Vivid description by the author transports reader to the fictional world, where he finds himself immersed in the emotions felt by the characters.
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AFTER Partition, Khatrams
(Hindus and Sikhs) living in Luarhgi, a village on the Indo-Afghan
frontier prior to the great split, migrated in two different directions.
Most of them reached India, but those who had their kin in Afghan cities
like Jalalabad and Kabul preferred moving there. However, turbulence in
Afghanistan forced them to migrate en masse once again.