The Road to India from Bannu is an extravagant topic.
Bannu, a fort city built by the British in almost under a year, for outposts to maintain order within the region of Khyber and Waziristan, from where reports of Kabul and their tribes were delivered. Although based far from Punjab, Bannu housed a max capacity of SIkhs and Hindus, accounting for nearly 80% of their households.
The year of 1947 has claims to birthing many nations, but only one area of the world faced the largest exodus and martyrs.
The Indian Historians have turned to blaming the Muslims and Jinnah for fulfilling Churchills requests (a fictional position), the Muslims blame the British for their direct involvement of the tactic of divide and conquer, the Sikhs on the other hand suffered as gravely as either, and maybe more. The Muslim and Hindu elites found safe passages and quick land compensations, but it was the Sikhs that lost their cities. There is blame that the Sikhs carried out British orders, yet it was them who fought to safeguard their families that took railways from Lahore onto Amritsar.
14th of Aug. may be a great day to celebrate a great political victory for two Countries, but a Nation suffered. Those of you who have swords passed down as family heirlooms, will know that the stories attached to these swords are filled with Blood of Sikhs.
The victor writes the books they say. Well, history is analysed differently. The Sikhs left Bannu after hearing the outcry that took place in Garrison cities across the Western areas of India. The Dewans and Mirs of Khyber regions who help built Gurdwaras and worship areas, were now secretly asked to pursue routes of safety at the dead of night.
In a vicious cycle of it all, the story of Khalsa shifted. Where once, Lahore, where even today areas are influenced by tongue, architecture and virtue of the Sikhs, is now missing them as they hurried onto safer lands.
You may pick whichever historian suits you best, The Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, all went for each others throats, and all, laid rest to heirlooms and family homes that even today, generations wish they could have back.
Today is no day of joy. Today is the day of a mass exodus and killing of beings that lost family and homes. Today is the day of our fallen countryman, both Indian and Pakistani, Muslim Sikh or Hindu. The people who once invited each other for their favorited evening Kava’ are now miles apart, and deep in stains of Blood.
We shall see you tomorrow…
– Editor
