Separated in '47, duo looks forward to Raksha Bandhan

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, July 28

This sawan may prove auspicious to the brother-sister duo separated during the Partition, as they plan to meet and celebrate rakhi, if all goes as per the plan.

Gurmail Singh Grewal (75) from Ludhiana’s Jassowal Soodan village wants to take “teeian da sandhara” (gifts given to a married girl by her family during teej) for her sister Sakina Bibi (67), who lives in Sheikhpura, Pakistan.

Sakina Bibi, too, is eager to tie the sacred thread — rakhi — on the wrist of her only brother.

But how did they meet? The arduous search ended through a YouTube channel — Punjabi Lehar. Her brother, now known as Gurmail Singh Grewal, got separated from the family during the Partition.

Sakina Bibi was ardently searching for her long lost brother for years and, seeing her desperation, her sons-in-law suggested that she share her story on social media through the channel. The channel is run by Pakistan-based YouTuber Nasir Dhillon and helps those who got separated during the Partition.

“I was sitting near the village sath, when someone showed me a picture of my childhood on some channel. Everyone siting in the sath recognised that it was me in the picture. While siting at this very sath, I’ve heard a lot of stories about the Partition. Call it destiny, I came to know about the whereabouts of my sister while sitting in this very sath only. I recalled all these stories as they were coming true in front of my eyes after seeing the video,” said Gurmail Singh.

Jagtar Singh, sarpanch of the village, said he often heard stories of Gurmail’s separation from his family.

“A 95-year-old man from the village used to tell us how the police came and took his mother with them, while Gurmail, who was playing nearby, was left behind since the policemen said they cannot wait too long,” he said.

In the video, Sakini Bibi said she came to know about her brother through a letter sent to her. The letter mentioned that the family back in India was raising him as his own child and it also had a photograph of her brother along. He must be studying in Class VIII at that time. “We were unable to read the address though,” she said.

Gurmail Singh, however, said he was too small to write a letter then and according to the villagers, some Bhajan Singh of the same village wrote it.

“This sawan has proved auspicious for me and it is my desire to take sandhara for my sister. Atta biscuits made in our village are tasty and I will take these as well in the sandhara,” he said.

Now, the first and foremost work that Gurmail wants to do is make his passport, so that he can visit his sister.

Gurmail is yet to talk to his sister as she is admitted to the hospital after a gallbladder surgery. “In a day or two, we will talk through a video call and finally meet once my passport is ready,” he said with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Siblings got in touch on youtube

• Gurmail Singh Grewal wants to take teeian da sandhara (gifts given to a married girl by her family during teej) for her sister Sakina Bibi
• Sakina, too, is eager to tie rakhi on the wrist of her only brother; the two connected via YouTube
• Gurmail wants to make his passport so that he can visit her