"At
the time of migration around Oct. 1947 I was studying in
secondary
(grade) Vidalaya
School
at Hyderabad Sindh. My parents were living in Hirabad area of Hyderabad
City. At that time Hirabad was
considered
a posh area of the city. We all cousins were living
in the same neighbourhood. I had
a
cousin who was in high school at that time and he was very
close to me . We were just like two close friends and always were
together
. He was very much
interested
in country's political movements and used to tell me all the news of
freedom struggle with the English
and
Gandhi's quit India movement and kept me update on
the acceptance of partition by Congress party. I remember I attended
with
him Acharya Kripalani's
public meeting at Azad Maidan in Hirabad, where Acharyaji cried
openly
because of his signing the
document
of acceptance of country's partition on behalf of All
India Congress party. Acharya
Kripalani
was the president of the party at that time.
After the announcement by British Labour
government,
Jinnah of Muslim League was
trying all possible ways to have his way, of dividing the country.
Therefore
lots of tension
was building
up between Muslims and Hindus in various parts of India. Muslim
league provincial governments
were
trying to make things harder for the country to function
as united. Suhardeen then prime minister of Bengal's Direct
Action
day declaration,
was
the result of Noakali riots and similarly the riots broke out in Punjab
area. These all happened before
actual
acceptance of country's partition. Millions of people
were massacred and thousands became refugees. Thus when Sindh became
part of Pakistan on August 1947,
refugees
from all over India started pouring in Sindh. Sindh
was one of the few states of India where every thing were quiet. All
Sindhi
Hindus were nervous the way
Hindus-
Muslims tensions were building up in Sindh, because
of influx of refugees from riot stricken areas of other Indian states.
Soon after partition
my cousin friend left with his parents as they had their daughter
living
in Delhi. Many
Sindhis
who had some kind of relations living out of Sindh started leaving their
homes out of fear. At this
stage
refugees were pouring in large numbers in all parts of Sindh
specially in Hyderabad and Karachi. Government of Sind, closed all the
schools in
Hyderabad
Sind and used the school buildings as refugees camps. All riot stricken
refugees with all their horrible
tales
of family tragedies started spreading their tragic stories
amongst the local muslim population. Indirectly telling how they could
tolerate Sindhi
Hindus
living peacefully when their fellow muslims have been driven out
and killed. These
horrible
stories of the refugees and their attitude of vengeance created
lots of tensions in all Sindhi
Hindus
families in Hyderabad. I was alone at that time and
was running around in the Hyderabad areas when I saw the Sindh
government
officials were opening up the
houses
of the Hindus who had left, and allotted the properties
to the Muslim refugees. Thus I saw houses of my relatives and others
who had left being given away to
the
refugees without any permission from any legal
source. Sindh government at this stage knew that riots will break
and they did declare
curfew on few occasions to avoid the riots. One September day (I don't
remember the date) curfew was
declared
in the city and all Hindus families were told
that refugees are out of control and all Hindus are at risk. This was
directly
saying that the government can
not
protect Hindus anymore. We all family members were
together in our locked houses frightened and terrified. I remember my
father
were very frightened for his four
kids
specially more for his two daughters (because of
rapes etc.) On that whole day and night we were awake in
fear.
Thanks God day passed
without any incident. But that was the red letter day, for most
of
Sindhis Hindus of
Hyderabad
that they made up their minds of getting out from Sindh safe
before it was too late and leave
their
material belongings. My father and elder brother (who
was teaching Physics at DG National College in Hyderabad Sind) decided
that father and I
(as
I was youngest kid and was always with father) should leave first for
Baroda and make
arrangements
for the remaining family members who will then join us
in Baroda. We were five in the family, two sisters and father and elder
brother. All schools
were closed but the college was still opened thus my brother wanted to
continue there until he found
suitable
job in India. Thus he and my two sisters stayed behind
with him and they moved with my auntie and uncle's family in Amil Colony
house that was north of Hirabad
and
perhaps more secured. I left with my father by train
to Baroda State within one week from that red letter day. The memory of
that day has clung
to
me these many years. Thus Sindhi Hindus of Hyderabad made
decision to migrate and leave
their
homes peacefully. Unlike Palestinians and others in
the world who have fought for their land and lost millions of people.
My father and I went to Baroda stayed two nights in refugees camp
there,
that was right at
railway
station. Then moved to my aunty's place in Dandia bazaar area
of Baroda. My auntie had moved
there
few weeks before our arrival. Her landlord a Gujarati
was frequently checking out his rented place. Afterwards my father
started
looking for rented apartment
in
the same Dandia bazar area, he found out that local people
(Gujarati) refused to rent out to Sindhis as they had experienced
Sindhis were meat
eaters
and even if they promised that they would not eat meat at their
place
some how they could not refrain
from
eating meat at home. My father had hard time to
rent the apartment and finally he ended up renting in a chal (in
Navapura area) a low
income apartment after intense efforts. I started my schooling in
Jayshree Model School.
My sisters joined us after about 4-6 months and my brother got job in
government college at Dharwar. It
took
around 2 years for my brother to get his job transferred
to Bombay area so we all family be together in Bombay. Since I have left
Sindh I always have been
wishing
to visit my birth place Hyderabad Sindh. And also visit
my grand father's great monumental Vidalaya School building. But
because
of uncertainty and
safety,
I have not been able to do so. Hope things
will get better and will
be able to do so."