Good, virtuous people existed in all ages as also during the dark days of Partition when one million people were killed and 10 million fled to safety across borders — the time that has no parallel in the living memory of mankind anywhere in the world, writes Madan lall Manchanda
Poet-philosopher Dr Mohd Iqbal wished the wheel of time to race backwards as he yearned to see man in his natural state, shorn of the mask of pseudo-civilisation. Good, virtuous people existed in all ages as also during the dark days of Partition when one million people were killed and around 10 million fled to safety across borders — the time that has no parallel in the living memory of mankind anywhere in the world.
From this emerged an inspiring story of a good Muslim, World War I veteran, Capt Sardar Tikka Khan, who was the headman of a village called Matore in Rawalpindi, Punjab, in undivided India (now Pakistan), and his eldest daughter Sahiban Begum, a true follower of Islam.
When times changed and winds of discord blew to take a heavy human toll on the periphery, not a single untoward incident took place in that village. Outsiders sent signals of their intention to storm the area inhabited by the minority community. A gallant officer and a fine gentleman, Sardar Tikka Khan, with a strong sense of fellow feelings, responded forcefully with a clear and firm warning at the peril of his own life: “Before touching a single Hindu here, you will have to first behead all of us (Muslims).” This daring warning worked and kept at bay the miscreants, and not a single Hindu was killed in Matore.
A gruesome tragedy took place in a nearby village, Toha Khalsa. As many as 90 women of the minority community, after several men were eliminated in a mass hara-kiri, met their end by jumping into a well. This news sent shockwaves far and wide. The terror-stricken minority was shaken to the core and decided to leave despite the assurance of safety by the stalwart headman. leaving their gold ornaments in the custody of the village headman’s daughter, Sahiba Begum (elder sister of INA hero General Shah Nawaz Khan), the caravan moved, never to return to the soil of their origin.
For Sahiba Begum, it was an unending ordeal, and in her old age, she became restive to return the gold ornaments left in her custody. She wrote to Gen Khan (then a Minister, first in the Jawaharlal Nehru Government and subsequently in Indira Gandhi’s Government) to find out the addresses of the owners of the gold ornaments. God-fearing Sahiba Begum, who was above the greed of gold, conveyed in her words: “Qabar mein paon latkaye baithi hoon, Allah ko kya muh dikhaongiIJ” (I am nearing my death, how will I face GodIJ)
After a massive hunt was launched to trace the families concerned and all arrangements were made, the infirm and old Sahiban undertook the long and arduous journey to Delhi to return the gold ornaments to each one of the families personally. Afterwards, she returned home with a clear conscience and in due course of time this great daughter of Islam became a part of good earth. But her memory remains preserved. All this was revealed to the writer by Gen Khan when he met him at 11 Akbar Road, New Delhi, the day Jagjivan Ram quit the Congress.
Similarly, an illustrious Swayamsevak came to the rescue of Muslim women and children during the perilous days in the wake of Partition. RSS bravely stood up and gave a heroic fight to the barbarism let loose in the sub-continent at the time. Hindus were slaughtered in the Muslim majority areas; their women were dishonoured and became easy preys of assault on their modesty. The fabric of civic behaviour was torn to shreds and even innocent children were not spared.
However, the RSS rank and file maintained its chivalry under the illustrious leadership of the late Swayamsevak Chaman lal, who ensured that no distinction was made between the helpless on the basis of religion. Born on March 25, 1920, in Sialkot — the birthplace of Allama Iqbal — he secured a gold medal in MSc Botany. He was made karyalaya pramukh at Jalandhar in 1947. Under his mature counsel, helpless Muslim women and children were escorted out of Hindumohallas and sent to Muslim league centre in lahore.
Chaman lal was indeed a rare yet true religionist whose glorious deeds are worthy of emulation. later, he was sent to Delhi, where he remained in Keshav Kunj beginning 1948. He played an instrumental role in forging the global network of RSS. During his long service, he did not hanker for power in the organisation nor in the NDA Government, which was then in power. He lived a simple life after renouncing all comforts and a lucrative career and dedicated himself to helping people.
While on a brief visit to Mumbai in 2003, he met his end at the age of 82, and his body was flown to Delhi. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, described him as an epitome of humility. The Capital’s roads were choked with people who gathered to pay their last respects to the departed soul; Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, too, paid floral tributes to him.
Chaman lal was a great soul, who was loved equally by the poor, rich and powerful. He was undoubtedly a trusted guide who will continue to inspire generations of tolerant Indians.
madanlallmanchanda@gmail.com