Memories of Partition

Monday (Aug 14) marked the 70th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence. Undoubtedly, this day calls for celebrations. It might also be interesting to tell a story to our young generation. The story is about a seven-year-old boy who witnessed the happenings on August 14, 1947. It described the feelings the boy had at that time and the feelings he, now all grown up, has now. On August 14, 1947 this little boy was traveling with his family by train. According to his narrative, when the train reached Lahore, he saw humans from different religions turned into savages, leading to indiscriminate killings of each other. He witnessed dead bodies and blood spilled all over. He was horrified. Then, he couldn’t understand the meaning of ‘independence’ at the time. When things started to stabilise and return to normalcy, he started his studies. He completed his primary education and yet was not in a position to develop a deeper understanding of the meanings of freedom and independence. When he entered the high school, he started to realise the rationale for the creation of an independent state known as Pakistan. He read the work of Allama Iqbal that explains why the demand for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent was necessary. He also read a few speeches of Quaid-e-Azam about the kind of state an independent Pakistan would become. Throughout his life, the boy kept thinking whether the creation of Pakistan fulfilled the promises of the founding fathers. Yes, there are arguments and counter arguments over this.

After spending seven decades in Pakistan, he wonders whether or not he would have been able to achieve all this, if there were no independent Pakistan. And, the answer he gets suggests that Pakistan had given him so much that he could not have imagined to achieve if he were not living in an independent country. Being a senior citizen of the country, he would like the young generation to make the following commitments to make Pakistan even greater: Commit to do hard work without complaining to make Pakistan a prosperous country. Commit to value time and not waste it to make Pakistan a healthier society. Commit to choose our own destiny and not allow others to control it. Commit not to be afraid of the bullies and not to bully the weak. Commit to speak, protect and spread the truth, no matter how hard that might be.

Dr Zafar I Qureshi (Lahore)