NAGMA's BANGLES PART-TWO

Story So far:-

----You have read that ASGARI---had come to Balachaur(Indian Punjab--Hoshiarpur district) in June 1961---she had brought with her a gift for Rai Singh---'Bhagtani's'son.
----Ashgari had narrated the story of what happened in those gory months of Partition of Indian sub-continent----How human beings had become worse than animals.
----Now read what had happened to Nagma and her family. It is parlyt true and partly fiction---but mostly based on real facts. Names and characters are fictitious other than some historical names.
-----It is essential to give out a background information to the readers before continuing with Nagma's story. It would be interesting to note that the strange links would only emerge in Part Three.
----Part Three--Of the story would link you with the present times.

Backdrop of 1947




In the months of July-October 1947, administration everywhere in Punjab and Bengal had collapsed.Administrators and law enforcers were disappearing into thin air. Balachaur police station was abandoned,too, because all the policemen i.e. constables and others,being mostly Muslims, had deserted. Their places were not filled up. Surprisingly, no thought was given to such administrative needs by the British Government. No arrangements were made to prevent the lawlessness and violence which would follow such a hasty partition. Was it a deliberate act by the colonialists? The story was same everywhere. Chaos and disorder marked the British India of 1947. It seems Britain wanted lawlessness and Chaos---there is no other explanation.
Charge of the police station was taken over by some volunteer ex-servicemen of army. It was their own initiative to bring some orderliness in the area. But they had no authority to check the marauding mischief makers and violent gangs belonging to Hindu and Sikh Communities. All the same,they ensured that no riots took place in Balachaur and all the Muslim families were safe. The worst thing was that the villages around Balachaur were being filled with refugees from West Pakistan. They were seething with anger and sought revenge. It was the 'hold' of 'Ghodewaha Rajputs' in the region that there was no major cases of violence till August-September 1947. However, onrush of refugees had begun to change the equation. Sentiments began to rise high against Muslim community.
Partition of Indian subcontinent had taken place on August 15 , 1947. Punjab and Bengal were the two major provinces which bore the brunt. Lakhs of people were moving across the man-made boundaries. There was total chaos everywhere. For the common man,there was no administration worth its name, which was coordinating the transmigration of refugees across the RADCLIFFE line. It passed through houses and villages like a butcher's knife slaughters a goat. Men and women of Punjab across Radcliffe line, no matter of what religion, had become 'goats of sacrifice'. Britain had hurriedly drawn this line on the ground based on a proposal made by Field Marsha,l A P WAVEL on February 18, 1946.
The proposal was implemented by Lord Mountbatten, who joined as the last viceroy of India in March 1947. He was sent with a mission to create a future role in 'Jewel of the Crown' for the dying British Empire by way of some kind of British presence in the subcontinent. He was told that it could only be achieved if Hindu-Muslim divide is enhanced and partition of the subcontinent was immediately affected. This he did with magnificent finesse over the dead bodies of lakhs of innocent people. Ironically, Government of Punjab led by KHIZR HAYAT KHAN, the Chief Minister of Punjab, from the Unionist Party of Farmers and Landlords, was against this partition. But despite his good intentions, it could neither avert partition not it could avoid communal violence, which had acquired a monstrous proportions by July -August 1947.
It is in this context that one ought to appreciate the work of these retired ex-servicemen of Balachaur who voluntarily had manned police station and brought peace to make sure that no untoward incident had taken place in and around Balachaur. Unfortunately,the area around Balachaur had, however, become unsafe and villages of Muslims were attacked by Sikh and Hindu radicals who were baying for revenge for atrocities on their communities in West Punjab. Refugees from West Punjab were coming with gory tales and some of them had joined these killer gangs to seek revenge. Most of the Muslim families from neighboring areas, thus, moved to Balachaur, to be in the protection of voluntary force of 'self-styled policemen', of Balachaur.
These ex-servicemen, mostly retired 'Hindu Ghodewaha Rajputs', who had assumed command of police station, organized a transit camp in a military style, for these Muslim families in a mango orchard, near Baba Balraj's tomb. ( Area is now a complex mess of residential colonies). With continuous flow of affected families every day, the strength of the camp was steadily increasing. If fifty persons left the camp for their onward journey to Pakistan, then one hundred new persons came in. All the same, it was organized in an orderly manner and some sanity was restored by these volunteer ex-servicemen. Baba Balraj Temple Committee organized a free kitchen for these refugees.
Balachaur, then, was a small village of merely 3-400 families, mostly Rajputs but Jats, Sainis, Brahmins, Jains and some low caste Hindu families also existed along with low caste Muslims with their family vocations. It lay around 125 kms North West of Ambala.(Chandigarh had no existence, then). The village had no metalled road connecting it to district headquarters at Hoshiarpur. It was connected by two unmetalled roads to Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahar,some 20 Kms West of Balachaur. People mostly traveled on foot or bullock carts or the landlords had their own horses. To catch a train to go to distant places, people used to go to Rahon , some 20 Kms South West of Balachaur, or Nawanshahar.
The unique thing about Balachaur, then, was that along with villages-of Jadla-&-Samundra, it was the only other HINDU village of 'GHODE WAHA- KACHHWAHA RAJPUTS' North of River Satluj. This clan had some 720 villages, North and South of River Satluj, then. Over a period of time, all other RAJPUT villages around Balachaur, North of Satluj River, had converted to Islam, voluntarily or through coercion. The Rajputs of Balachaur did not convert due to 'BABA RAJ DEV', father of 'BABA BALRAJ'. Raj Dev had himself converted to Islam but got his sons exempted from the SUBEDAR of SIRHIND. Due to this, his youngest son, BALRAJ used to organise a CHHINJ (WRESTLING COMPETITION) in the village on the following day of DIWALI to commemorate the memory of his father. (The tomb of BABA RAJDEV--though it is called BALRAJ MANDIR----- in the village on the main Chandigarh-Hoshiarpur/Nawanshahar Road today, is a big temple and it is managed by Rajputs--its income is in lakhs on the CHHINJ DAY-----it is gets a lot of devotees on every Thursday, too)
Muslim GHODEWAHA Rajputs of villages around Balachaur were very big landlords, as were the Rajputs of Balachaur. They had good social relations. DIWALI
and ID used to be celebrated with equal enthusiasm. There were two bodies with one mind. Therefore, a conference was organized at Village Asron to discuss the fate of Ghodewaha Rajputs, belonging to Muslim community in June 1947. Hindu Rajput elders and leaders requested their Muslim brethren to stay on In India. The offer was also made to accept them back into their fold. But Rao Sahib, Major General Farman Ali's (Pakistan army)father declined the offer politely. He pointed out toward the religious-divide which had broken the centuries -old trust and confidence. He was very categorical to state that it would be unsafe to live in a country ruled by untrustworthy congressmen. However a resolution was passed to ensure that the Muslim Rajputs of the area would be protected by Hindu Rajputs volunteer force, led by ex-servicemen.
Therefore, though the minds had been divided yet the Muslim camp at Balachaur was well protected by the volunteer force of ex-servicemen Rajputs. They also used to daily escort columns of Muslim families to Nawanshahar for their onward journey to their PROMISED HOME LAND. The news of murder and mayhem all around used to be very very disturbing. The volunteer force was constrained for manpower and weapons.


-- With this back grounder,now further read the story of Nagma.

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One day in September 1947, Muslims of Balachaur also moved to the camp. This included Nooro and Sarbrati Bharai, too, who were the domestic servants of 'Bhagtani, mother of Rai singh. There, they found Rai Singh and Nagma. It is to be noted that Rai Singh had been missing from the home for almost 15-20 days prior to this. 'Bhagtan'i was very worried about him thinking that he might become a victim of ongoing riots. Sarbrati,then also learnt there that Rai Singh had converted to Islam and he was going to Pakistan along with Nagma's family.
Out of sheer loyalty to 'Bhagtani', the brother-sister duo, came out of the camp to inform Mrs Hakam Badan Singh, Rai Singh's mother, about the whereabouts of her son and his future plans. Their arrival was seen by one Rulia Ram, a distant brother-in-law of Bhagtani. He was a very tough young man. But he had suddenly developed hatred for Muslims because he had got the news of the killing of his wife and her family at Lahore. His wife had had gone to Lahore,to her parental place to bring out her parents from there. But she fell victim to partition riots in Lahore.
Rulia Ram, then, sought revenge by killing Muslims. He had joined joined a gang of . When he saw the two servants, he was not in control of himself and he came to kill them. 'Bhagtani' warned him not to do so. When he did not listen and insisted, 'Bhagtani' picked up her husband's sword and struck Rulia Ram's sword carrying arm, thereby badly wounding him. wounded and injured , he withdrew. 'Bhagtani' then escorted Sarbati Bharai and Nooro back to the transit camp, hoping to meet her son Rai Singh. But he did not come out of the camp.
Bhagtani came back and told Vijay Singh Sodhi,(Satpal Chhatankoo's father---master mind of MOHINI MANTRA) another respected man of the village and their neighbor. He went to the camp to convince Rai Singh to return to his mother. There, Rai Singh put forward the condition that he would come back if Noorudin's family was also allowed to come. But Vijay Singh Sodhi told him that such an assurance could not be given and it was silly of him to leave his mother like this. But it did not affect him. Next day, Noorudin and his family moved out in a column to Nawanshahar, for their further move to Pakistan via Jalandhar. Rai Singh was also in the party.
On September 24, 1947, Sardar Bakhtawar Singh, a Sikh priest and a gang leader of anti-Muslim organization came to Vijay Singh Sodhi. After the initial formalities, he asked if there was some grand son of Thakur Lehna Singh by the name of Rai Singh . Vijay Singh gave the affirmative reply and also abused Rai Singh for having deserted his widowed mother for a Muslim girl. Bakhtawar Singh, then said, " Thank God, good senses prevailed upon me and I did not kill the boy when he cried that he was a Hindu boy and a grand son of Thakur Lehna Singh. First, I did not believe him but on his repeated pleas,I have come to cross-check with you. He is wounded but safe".
Thus, Rai Singh came back home on September 25, 1947. He had a broken leg and a stab wound. It took three months to recover. He left singing and the music group, headed by him, was disbanded. In 1950, he married his immediate elder brother's Sister-in-law. He forgot about Nagma and her family. Only he had known as to what had happened to Nagma and her family. He never told anyone about this. In fact he refused to talk about his past.
Villagers came to know the real facts, when Ashgari came to the village in June1961 and she gave away the gift sent by Nagma. What was the mystery of bangles?

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JUNE 1961

Ashgari had heard Nagma's story direct from her . She had met her at her brother's shop when she came to know about her. Initially, when she learnt about Nagma from her brother, Rehmat ali, Ashgari wanted to meet her due to curiosity but after her first meeting, she again met her three /four times because of sympathy.
In order not to annoy the Rajput sensitivities of her women audience, she had said right at the outset, " Mainu nahi pata eh kahaani vich kinna jhooth te kinna sachch hai---main te oh hi dus rahi hai jo mainu Nagma ne dasya---baaki 'Rai singh' jaane" ( I don't know what are the proportions of truth and lies in this story-----I am narrating what has been fed to me by Nagma----rest Rai Singh would know it better.) She began Nagma-story.

September 1947

It was the last week of September 1947 ---date was not remembered by Nagma--may be 22 or 23 September 1947------ when Nagma's family moved out from the refugee camp at Balachaur. They were escorted by four retired army men---two had guns and two were with swords. The convoy had moved out on foot in the early hours of the morning. It was still dark, when they left. It was said that they would get army protection at Jalandhar cantonment. There were some 50-60 persons in the convoy--mostly women and children. There were some 20 male members who carried spears and swords for self -defense. Rai Singh was also part of this group. The convoy had left early morning.
As soon as the convoy reached the 'Khudd' (a dry stream) short of village GarhiKanugo, they were attacked by a mob of rioters carrying swords and rifles. It was not even 6 AM in the morning and they had barely covered some two kilometers from the camp. There was no trace of escort persons. They had just disappeared in the thin air. Male members of the column did try to fight but they were out- numbered.
Nagma asked Rai Singh to help her father who had over powered a Sikh but Rai Singh just ran away from there and Nagma followed him. At this precise moment, she saw two Sikhs slicing her father's neck with their sword. She had earlier seen her brothers being killed in cold blood while they begged for mercy. All male members were, thus, butchered. Women ran helter-skelter. Nagma's sisters were caught by the raiders. But she ran behind Rai Singh---who entered a sugarcane field. She followed him but did not find him.
After some time, Nagma saw Rai Singh talking to a hefty Sikh. She thought being a known landlord's son, probably, he had established his identity. She too came out to join them, thinking their life could be saved.The moment she came out of the field, she shouted for Rai singh. He looked back and pointed a finger towards her. The tall and hefty Sikh sent his men and brought her. She said to Rai Singh, " Tell them I am your wife" . But Rai Singh kept quiet. And hefty Sikh told his men, " Oye, Mundiyo, eh kehndi hai ki eh da viah hoya hai,------ Chalo , fir manao eh di bhi Suhaag Raat" (Hey boys, this woman says that she was married-------OK, then , let us make her enjoy her wedding night).
She kept crying but no mercy was shown nor Rai Singh intervened on her behalf. She begged and begged. But Rai Singh stood motionless. The hefty Sikh abused her, " Saali, Chudail, Eh Ghodewahayan de munde nuN fasa ke tu bach jawangi----Eh Nu Pakistan lajaaongi---chal tera Pakistan ta---ajj asin itthe hi banande haN (You bloody witch---you think you can escape our wrath by hooking a Gohdewaha rajput Boy. you want to take him to Pakistan. Right, we would make Pakistan out of you here, today).
She was taken to the fields, nearby. She saw some more women in that field and men mounted on them like hungry dogs. Her two elder sisters were also there. The scene was awful. Some women had been murdered while resisting. Their bodies lay there as one finds the cut-vegetables in a plate. There was some sort of a mass rape of captured women underway in that fields.
Some of the rapists spoke in a very funny dialect. Nagma noticed that it was not of local people. Ashgari told the her women audience that it was much later Nagma came to know that they could be from Multan--Jhang area of Pakistan---they were refugees who had come in the months of June-July 1947. They were now seeking revenge on Muslims for, what they had undergone while migrating. Human madness had reached its pinnacle.
As Ashgari was narrating this story, the gathering became emotional. Women were sobbing and crying. Even three young friends, Rajinder, Partap and Dilawar had tears in their eyes. Some one asked her about her own experience. She said that her family had faced similar situations at Jandiala Guru and Wagha border. Her family had migrated in early August 1947. Those were horrific experiences, she did not want to narrate. All the same, she did bring out the fact that she had not married till date.
When asked as to what had happened to Nagma thereafter. It was revealed by Ashgari that Nagma was taken as a 'keep' by one Surjan Singh (not the real name) of village Langroya, some five Kilometers East of Nawanshahar. In 1948, she gave birth to a daughter, Jaswant Kaur (not real name). In May 1950, she got an opportunity and ran away from the clutches of Surjan Singh. She came to Balachaur but was not accepted by Rai Singh and his mother. Rai Singh was already married. In fact,he informed the police and she was taken away.
She did not tell the police about her stay with Surjan Singh at Langroya. She was sent to a "Missing Women's Home" at Amritasar. In 195,1 she was repatriated to Pakistan, through the efforts of her cousin sister Mehraj, who was the surviving daughter of her 'khala' (maternal aunt or Massi). Mehraj had been trying to find news about her parents and sisters, who were lost in the partition. One day, in 1950, she found Nagma's name and particulars in the missing woman's list and Nagma was contacted.
Nagma stayed with her for some days in Hira Mandi of Lahore. Mehraj had worked at Shamima's Kotha as a Nautch girl. Nagma had also joined her. But soon Mehraj was arrested for murdering a client when he tried to act funny. She died in the prison in 1959.
What was the mystery of the bangles? According to Ashgari, they were of gold, some 4-5 seven to eight tolas (70-80 grams). Rai Singh had stolen them from his mother and had given it to Nagma as a 'present' in 1946. The blame for the theft was passed on to eldest daughter-in-law of 'Bhagtani'---who had just moved to Jabalpur along with her husband in October 1946. It is because of this her eldest daughter -in-law and Bhagtani did not like each other. The mystery could be solved in 1961. It was because of this Bhagtani was furious when she saw her own bangles.
Ashgari also informed the collected people that Nagma had married her brother Rehmat Ali in 1960. They have a son named Inayat Ali.
"What about Jaswant kaur?" some one asked. "Oh, Nagma had written letters to her, but there was no response." Asghari had informed them.
There after Asghari got up and walked away. She did not want to answer more questions. She left for Pakistan, the next day. She never came back after this. No one knows what happened to Nagma, till----------something happened in USA in 2009.

-----------To Be Continued in Part Three