Ganishka Bakshi
“Dad what is that light shining on the other side of river “I asked my father while travelling back via road from Jammu to Hoshiarpur late in the evening and crossing over the river Devak near Vijaypur. I became attracted to an abundance of brightly shining lights in larger concentration near the highway. I asked my father Pankaj (Jugnu) Bakshi who is quite familiar with the geography of our home state, where those light were coming from. He told me the lights we were seeing were from the Pakistani town of Sialkot once a part of undivided Hindustan and state of Jammu and Kashmir. I got really excited about hearing that we were so close to Pakistan and asked him if could drive to Sialkot on our next visit since it was so close to Jammu. My father told me that it would be difficult; we would need to get a Visa from The Pakistani Embassy in New Delhi before we would be allowed to cross over the border. After crossing US and Canada border many a times over the years by showing only my US Green card I couldn’t understand why would I need to get a Visa to visit Sialkot which was once a part of my Home state? This question about not just being able to cross Border anytime and visit your friends and family at your will kept nagging me. I did some research over the last year and found out that in the 1947 partition lots of families got separated and still have some surviving members on the other side of the Borders longing to see their loved ones at least once before there death. While doing this research I also came across a 90 years old lady Sheila Devi now living in Pakistan not far from Jammu/Sialkot border that is looking for her long lost family with the help of her Granddaughter via social networking sites likes Facebook and Orkut.
This is Sheila Devi’s real life story:
My maiden name was Sheila Devi I was born into a Mohyal Brahmin family in a majority Muslim village named Thora, District Mirpur now part of Pakistan .My father Bakshi Matra, Mother Eeshar Devi brothers Sat Parkash Bakshi and Upanisht Dev Bakshi owned a money lending business in Thora and later moved to Mirpur to setup their business. When I was in my teens I fell in love converted from Hinduism to Islam and married a Muslim man against the wishes of family and was disowned by them for marrying outside my religion. Soon after marriage I moved to Soya in Punjab, Pakistan hoping to unite with my family once time healed the differences but as luck would have it in 1947 Hindustan got divided into Hindu majority India and Muslim majority Pakistan. Being married to a Muslim and converted to Islam I stayed back in Pakistan and my parents and brothers with other family members moved to India. I was totally cut off from my relatives who moved to India and I was never to see them again. I wish there was no Border separating me from family and I could go looking for them. Till couple years back it was almost impossible to get Visa to India and especially to Jammu & Kashmir. I have heard that in recent years India Pakistan relations have improved and now there is a bus service to Poonch but I am too old to travel but wish I could meet my Brothers and sisters at least once before my death and would give all my worldly procession to just see and touch them once before my death.
The partition of India and Pakistan occurred in 1947. Neighbors turned against each other and families were torn apart. Doesn’t this act of cruelty make you wonder why? I think it was due to the fact that Politicians only thought about themselves and still do, Politicians force you to choose a side and it doesn’t matter if you have to choose between relatives or Prime Ministers. You MUST CHOOSE. This is why most of Northern India had to choose which mattered more friends and family or religious beliefs. Even today many people are being forced to pick a side in battles caused by politicians. Many Countries such as Korea, India, Pakistan and Poland have been divided into many parts. This was just because some higher power decided that the country could not function properly unless its people turn against each other. Because a country that has its people joined together won’t function. When a country separates its citizens have to choose a side and which side they choose will affect generations to come.
Sheila Devi’s interview made me aware of the pain of not being able to meet your family because there is a line drawn on a piece of land though which air, water and even light can shine through but you are not allowed to see, touch, hear or hug your relatives.
Why is that you can see lights on the other side of the Border but are not allowed to see your relatives?
(The writer is 8th Grade student who was born in Jammu and raised near Washington D.C., U.S.A.)
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