Tag: Partition

Tamas, it’s impact on me…

I wasn’t raised in Punjab where a lot of familial, societal and environmental exposures & influences would have shaped my upbringing.  Instead, my father’s Indian Air Force (IAF) career, made for a rich but unconventional childhood.  Due to his postings, we generally moved every two years to live in a different part of India and got to experience a brand new culture. For instance, we could go from an urban city like ‘New Delhi’ to rural/remote ‘Chabua’ in upper Assam surrounded by tea gardens and jungles.  These Air Force stations were truly a melting pot of various cultures of India.  Although, Sikhs and Punjabis had a robust representation in the Indian Military, my exposure to Punjab’s language, food, culture, religions, people, etc., took place mainly during summer vacations spent in Punjab with my grandparents and other relatives (where we would hear about our family roots in west-Punjab, now in Pakistan),  listening to my parents and their friends conversing in Punjabi, and going to the Gurudwara for the ubiquitous holidays or during the weekends.

41V5FqnJs9LThen in 1988, came this 10-part miniseries called ‘Tamas’, directed by Govind Nihalani (based on a 1974 novel of Bhisham Sahni of the same name).  This TV film depicted the 1947 partition of Punjab that resulted in Sikh-Muslim-Hindu genocide (part of India’s independence from Great Britain that saw the creation of Pakistan).  This series had a profound and deeply transformational effect on me.  Not only was I exposed to certain truths and circumstances, I realized that what I thought to be my grandparent’s folktales was in fact my family’s story and reality (how they had to leave all their possession in a haste and start a new life in India-Punjab with not much to their name).  I understood the family’s (and punjabi people’s) deep loss, suffering and true grit that got them thru this ordeal and transformed them as people, culture and clan, and grasped how I was part of that fabric and needed to honor their bravery and sacrifices.

In addition, the series had a very powerful ‘Shabad‘ (hymn) ‘Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Hai‘ sung exceptionally by ‘Singh Bandhus’ (Mr. Tejpal Singh and Surinder Singh), which not only evoked in me a lifetime love for hindustani classical music but this awe-inspiring shabad and its stalwart wordings transmogrified me forever.  This is a prayer that asks the Almighty to give the follower a life of courage and bravery of the highest levels of righteousness, and never fearing, hesitating, shying or shirking from undertaking virtuous acts that defend human rights including protecting poor, weak and/or needy.  

Manji, Our Matriarch…

 

 

My great-grandmother Ajaib Kaur, whom we lovingly called ‘Manji’ (pronounced maa-jee), was our hero.  She was not only loving and kind but also brave and respected by all.  Although her life was tough, she never complained of her hardships, challenges or restrictions, which were many, including, loosing her husband early from injuries sustained during WW1;  loosing everything (home, farm, livestock, family, friends, etc.), becoming displaced, ferrying a bullock-cart with her son (my grandfather Ranjit Singh) for over three months thru dangerous carnage of 1947 partition of India, and starting a new life as a refugee with nothing; becoming paralyzed on the entire left side of her body in the early 70’s rendered her house-bound and with mobility challenges, till her passing in 1991; etc.

She practically raised my father and he in return has great love, respect, devotion, adoration, and reverence for her.  He has very fond childhood memories of her including how she would be worried and look for him whenever he would run late from his errand of bringing ‘pathe’ (fodder for the cattle), and how he could spot the light from her lantern in the field; how she told him stories of the Gurus – their glory and sacrifices; how she was strict regarding studies; how she made the best ‘dahi-vada’ that even his teachers would ask for (and how he had to make a special run home to bring it them on days Manji made them); how she was immense respected in the village that everyone irrespective of age called her ‘Bhua’ (father’s sister); etc. My memories of her is seeing her happiness each time we visited her, and how talked to us, gave us her wisdom, allowed us to groom her, and play with her rustic wheelchair (sometimes with her in it).

What we know of Manji is that she was born in Badhni Kalan village near Moga (where the family also settled after partition) in the Dhaliwal Clan to Nidhan Singh (date of birth and mother’s name unknown).  It is said that a ‘Gwad’ named ‘Dhana Pati’ in the village was named after her father (‘Gwad’ or ‘Pati’ is part of the village where people of the same clan live).  She was married to my great grandfather Inder Singh and was his second-wife and bore him a son (my grandfather Ranjit Singh).  Babaji Inder Singh is believed to have succumbed to his injuries around 1934-35 during the  ‘Kate Di Bimari’ (plague epidemic) in Punjab.  

In closing,  Manji was a woman of grit, strong values, and faith.  She was steadfast, disciplined, clear-headed, committed, realistic, resilient and responsible, who believed in honest work, strengthening family bonds/connections and enduring relationships. She was a wise woman who everyone went to for advice, direction and reassurance.  We, her descendants, not only thank her for her dedication, perseverance and steadiness, but also for being a strong role-model and inspiration to how to live life with resolve and tenacity despite life’s challenges and setbacks.  Thank you Manji for everything and we all love you.