Daily Times

Yusuf Ali Badar’s (b. 1936) father was employed in the Indian Railway. Their family was allotted a residence in aRailway Colony inMuradabad, United Provinces.

“Railway colonies had been established outside the city. We were living in a colony near the Railway Station during those days,” he says, recalling the time close to the Partition of British India.

The station at Muradabad was not a central station.Rather, it was the divisional headquarters of the Northern Railway (NR).

Badar recalls that the rail buggies is use in those were painted in brown and yellow colours.”Muradabad was a predominantly Hindu city. It was famous for its brass industry. There were also cottage industries,” he says.

Badar says those owning businesses in the brass industry weremostly Muslims. “Most merchants supplying the brass products like steel pots to markets in other areas were from the Hindu community,” he says, “businesses in the cottage industries were also predominantly owned by the Muslim community of the city.”

Badar recalls processions taken out by the Muslim community where slogans like lay k raheygey Pakistanand Pakistan Zindabadwere chanted.

Since his father was in government’s service, he says, he got to only hear and observe such processions and couldn’t take part in them actively.”We had sympathy with the Muslim League but we did not join its political processions,” he says.

He says he would follow the Muslim League’s activities through newspapers as well as radio transmission. Whenever Muslim League took out large processions in Muradabad,we got to know everything about those gatherings through newspapers and radio coverage.

Badar says it seemed that most government officials back then were not really worried about bloodshed that happened during Partition. They remained on duty as partition violence engulfed the region.

“After three months, those in government service [in Muradabad] who opted for Pakistan were asked to quit their jobs. Such officers in the Railway vacated their houses in September 1947,” he says. Since his father, too, had opted for Pakistan, Badar’s family alsovacated their government quarter and shifted to the main city. Subsequently, they migrated to Pakistan in December 1947.

Security remained a huge concern for these families during their journey to Pakistan. They tried staying in India until the security situation was clearer. Badar notes that most train connections had already been cut off and the road link between Saharanpur and Amritsar was also very dangerous. Whenever there would be news of a special train coming to the town, a communally-charged crowd would gather at the railway station, encircle the train and indulge in mass slaughter of passengers.

“Indian government had arrangedspecial security for the traincarrying government employees. Our family also came to Pakistan in that train amid tight security,”Badar reminisces.

Since emotions were running high among communities living in areas affected by partition, Badar says, despite tight security the train carrying his family was stopped at Ambala. A few carriages were damaged in the unrest, he notes.

Barring a few such incidents, the journey remained trouble free, he says. Far from the horrors that would befell civilians making similar journeys to cross the newly-established international border.

“We had left in peace. We managed to take our essential luggage with us. There were no unnecessary fears. We left Murabad like one leaves their house in a normalcircumstance,” he says.

Badar says his family rode to the station on a tonga. When they reached the station, the train [arranged by the Indian government] was already waiting for them.It had arrived at the station a day earlier. A list withRailway employees to be carried by the train had already been sharedwith those concerned.So there was no difficulty.

“We left Muradabad in the evening; it was a five-hour long journey to Saharanpur from where Punjab begins. Our train stopped at Sharanpurstation for almost five to six hours and we resumedour journey in the morning,” he says.

At Ambala, the train was stopped by a party of Sikhs who tried to attack the passengers but the situation was brought under control by Indian Army soldiers who were on board for security purposes, Badar says.

“From there onwards till the Wagha border, we were accompanied by an Indian Army escort. We reached the border at 5am on December 19.

Since the track from Saharanpur to Amabala was dangerous,the Army escort had directed us not to open train windows during the journey.”

Badar sayshis family’s migration continued till 1952. “Many of my relatives migrated after 47. The borders remained open for visa-free movement of people till 1952, he adds.

Since those who had left government jobs to move to Pakistan were given similar jobs in their respective fields on arrival in the new country – tasks like finding a secure job, housing and other facilities were hassle free for Badar’s family.

“When we reached in Pakistan, our elders reported to the Pakistani government about the jobs they had quitted. They were facilitated and were given jobs in Pakistani government. The system was efficient during those days. No one asked you for money and bribes, favouritism was not known,” he recalls.

Published in Daily Times, July 5^th  , 2017.