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Hindus and Sikhs: Common Suffering
Hindus and Sikhs: Common Suffering
--------------------------------
Lately, there have been some posts by an anon gentleman poster, exhorting
sikhs to rebel against the Hindus. The anon gentleman contends that
Sikhism is closer to Islam than Hinduism, and the sikhs would be safe
living with the Muslims. It may sound an enthusiastic appeal to the sikhs
on the surface, but there is something more to it.
Something similar was contended by various Muslim League leaders in the
1945-46 timeframe. So potent was their propaganda that a section of sikh
political leadership, esp. belonging to the S. Akali Dal, had almost
bought into their propaganda. These sikh leaders were seriously
considering a proposal wherein the Sikh community would stay in its place
on both sides of the border after the Partition, in some kind of
semi-autonomous arrangement where their rights would be protected. Mr.
Jinnah himself issued such statements, something to the effect that,
Pakistan would be a "secular" state of majority Muslims. [To describe the
immediate pre-partition political scenerio is out of the scope of this
posting.]
As it turned out in the immediate aftermath of such political manouvering
by the League leaders, that this was just a smokescreen, and the real
motivation of Muslim leaders was to give false assurances to the
minorities for their safety in both parts of the Pakistan-to-be, so that
they don't leave their hearths and homes. Thus making a large population
of the Kafirs available to be thrown to the Islamist goondas and wolves,
when the right time comes. The real intention of Muslim leaders was to
inflict the maximum possible damage to the minorities (both Hindus and
Sikhs), in all possible ways - life, property and conversion. This bare
fact indicates that Muslim leaders did not want non-Muslims to just
leave, in peace or otherwise, the part of India which they would gobble
up. Instead, they wanted to eliminate them once and for all. Perhaps even
that early they had made up their minds of not limiting themselves to
Pakistan, but penetrate later into the residual India, and affect a
pogrom of further converting the leftover Darul-Harab into Darul-Islam.
As the events have turned out since then, the Islamic jihadists have been
near successful in Kashmir, and now are eyeing the rest of India.
The likes of Kuldip Nayars and Khushwant Singhs, themselves the victims
of Partition, who turned a blind eye to such continuity in the pogrom of
Jihadists, are certainly guilty of victimizing the current and future
generations of Kafirs in the left-over or residual India, as the Kafir
(Hindus, Sikhs and others) intelligentsia has bought their argument that
horrors of Partition were a one time thing, and it will never happen in
the future. Those who disgreed with such worthies have been time and
again labeled as 'communalists', 'fanatics', 'revivalists', 'chauvinists'
and what not.
What has happened in the Valley and now happening in Doda, has once again
disproved the contention that horrors of Partition were a one time thing.
It has happened in the past, it is happening now and will continue to
happen until the real reason behind these events are investigated,
debated.
Coming back to the central theme of this posting. Do jihadists
differentiate between Hindus and Sikhs? Yes or No? What is the real
answer? What treatment Islam has meted out to both the communities? Is it
the same, or it has different standards to deal with the two communities?
Answers can be found in the events of Partition, when in the undivided
Punjab the three (Punjabi) communities were faced with their tryst with
destiny. It was no longer a case of few political leaders squabbaling or
religious leaders debating philosophical points or political opportunists
making hay in broad daylight, IT WAS AN AVERAGE PUNJABI MUSLIM AGAINST AN
AVERAGE PUNJABI HINDU AND SIKH.
Another word on behaviour patterns of people -- even though their leaders
may squabble politically, if two communities are inherently close, the
average common man who may even take sides with their political
leadership, generally will not murder or rape his neighbour. Whatever
Muslim mobs did to their Hindu and Sikh bretheren during Partition is no
longer an exception, since such a large numbers participated in this
genocide. Did a common culture, i.e. Punjabiat, had the requisite power
to stop Punjabi muslims from committing this genocide? Yes or No? Was
(and is) Punjabiat (or for that matter any other culture) powerful enough
to override the passions generated among the Muslim masses to kill and
rape their fellow non-Muslims? Yes or No? The answers to these questions
are very troubling indeed.
As a window on the above phenomenon (esp. in this forum, SCPu), I would
like point out to the post of one Mr. Haroon Dogar, in response to some
hallucinative post by Mr. S.S. Bajwa (or someone else?) who went around
seeking input on a common political viability of Punjabiat ......
something to the effect that all Punjabis coming together regardless of
their religious persuasions ........ in my opinion, a noble goal in
itself ........ but Mr. Dogar gave a very honest response, somewhat on
the lines that ........ the overriding factor in his life is Islam which
overshadows his Punjabiat or Dogariat ........ I don't have access to the
post now, and I might be making a mistake with the names of the posters
and the exact language, but I vividly remember the overall position taken
by Mr. Dogar. It was a very honest response from Mr. Dogar. In fact he
ought to be applauded for his courage to say the truth.
As far as Muslim attitude towards Hindus and Sikhs is concerned,
arguments like Hindus and Sikhs are one, or Hindus and Siks are
different, are useless and meaningless. Islam does not differentiate
between the two. Hindus and Sikhs, together or apart, are still Kafirs in
the eyes of Islam. For argument sake, let's say Khalistan (whatever it
means) comes into being. However, for Pakistan's sake it is still going
to be Darul-Harab. No matter how hard the so called Punjabi Separatist
Nationalists, prevalent on SCPu, try, are they going to change Islam? Do
they possess the power to do so?
Partial List of Incidents and Atrocities Done to the Sikhs and Hindus
-------------------------------------------------------------
While reading this list, it must be kept in mind that:
(a) By no means the list is full. Perhaps, one has to multiply hundred or
thousand times to get a fuller picture. This list serves as a window only.
(b) During the Partition, the media had not penetrated into the Punjabi
hinterland. Most of the sources have been goverment reports, civil and
military gazzettes, eyewitness accounts and stray media reports.
(c) I have a list of approx. 600 such incidents (in West Pakistan alone),
out of which I will be able to list very few (due to lack of time on my
part).
(d) Most importantly, the list gives only a miniscule window on how the
Punjabi Muslim Masses treated their Hindu and Sikh brothers, and the
common suffering of both the communities.
(e) There is a saying that one killing is a murder, whereas mass murder
is a statistic. The enormity of atrocities committed by Muslims during
and after Partition have never been comprehended to their fullest extent
by the Indian masses. They were wittingly or unwittingly suppressed by
the Congress political establishment, media and the intellectuals in
India. All had their own reasons. There was very little media, and it was
busy with too many issue and events at that time. Nehruvian Congressmen
wanted to save their Muslim vote-banks in Residual India, and Marxist
infested intelligentsia, mostly Hindu, had a queer attitude towards
Hindus (and Sikhs).
The Partial List
--------------
Format :-
No.:
Place(s) of Occurrence:
District:
Date(s):
Assailants:
Atrocities Committed (very brief):
1. Bata, Hazara; 14/12-16/12/46; Muslim mob; One Gurudwara and one Hindu
house burned. One Sikh murdered, two women wounded.
2. Sihalian, Hazara; 19/12/46; Muslim mob; Two Hindus killed.
3. Samadhra, Hazara; 10/12/46; Muslim mob; Gurudwara burnt.
4. Jabori, Hazara; 12/12/46; Muslim mob; 16 Hindu evacuees to Manshera
waylaid and killed.
5. Sankiari, Hazara; Middle Dec. '46; Muslim mob; Hindu temples broken
and murtis desecrated.
6. Balakot Hazara; Middle Dec. '46; Muslim mob; One Sikh killed for
refusing to embrace Islam.
7. Bhata, Hazara; Middle Dec. '46; Muslim mob; 116 Sikhs burnt alive,
several shot dead.
8. Mallachh, Hazara; 3/1/47; Muslim mob; 115 Hindus and Sikhs killed,
large scale looting and arson, women abducted.
9. Dakhali Siar, Hazara; 10/1/47; Muslim mob; Sikhs' houses looted and burnt.
10. Jhan, Campbellpur; Early march '47; Muslim mob; 150 Sikhs killed,
their houses burnt.
11-14. Taurwan (tehsil Talagang), Dhurnala, Dhiba, Suka, Panchnad; All
Campbellpur; 4/9/47 and after; Muslim mob; Jehad declared by Moulvis
against Hindus and Sikhs. Massacare of Sikhs in Dhurnala Dhiba, Suka and
Panchnad, besides Taurwan. Women and children abducted on a large scale.
In many places false promises of safety given to Hindus and Sikhs. Whole
area overrun.
15. Narali (tehsil Gujarkhan); Rawalpindi; 12/3/47; Muslim mob; Attacking
force 15,000, Gurudwara attacked repeatedly. Hindus and Sikhs besieged
inside gurudwara put up stiff resistance, several hindus and sikhs
killed, large scale looting of hindus and sikhs.
16. Dhudial, Rawalpindi; 13/3/47 and 13/3/47; Muslim mob; First attack
resisted by the Sikhs. Large scale looting and arson of Sikh houses,
besides 314 houses, 4 gurudwaras, Hind-Iran Bank and Khalsa High School
burnt. Many sikhs slaughtered.
17. Adiala, Rawalpindi; 8/3/47; Muslim mob; Mobs collected by beat of
drums, false alarm of sikh attack raised, large scale looting, arson in
Hindu-sikh quarters, Hindus and Sikhs fereted out and burnt alive,
stabbed and shot dead, 40 forcibly converted, muslim police looked the
other way and did nothing about the attack.
18. Gorsian (tehsil Gujarkhan); Rawalpindi; 10/3/47; Muslim mob;
Attacking force 600, Muslims persuaded that to kill sikhs a holy deed,
several sikhs killed, large scale looting.
19. Ghugg, Jhelum; Early March '47; Muslim mob; 128 sikhs killed, large
scale arson and looting, 40 women abducted.
20. Mandra, Rawalpindi; 9/3/47; Muslim mob; large scale looting and arson
of hindu sikh businesses, 200 sikhs killed, 40 missing, Gurudwara and
School burnt.
21. Rajar (tehsil Fatehjung), Campbellpur; 10/3/47; Muslim mob; Mob armed
with rifles, 300 sikhs killed, 3 Gurudwaras burnt and Sikh scriptures
desecrated, 16 sikhs incl. women and children burnt alive, all Sikh
houses looted and burnt, 95 women abducted and forcibly married to Muslims.
22. Jia Bagha, Jhelum; Early March, 1947; Muslim mob; 18 sikhs killed, 52
forcibly converted, 66 sikhs houses burnt.
23. Sarkal Kaser, Jhelum; Early March '47; Muslim mob; 43 sikhs and
hindus killed, rest forcibly converted, most hindu-sikh houses burnt.
24. Darwal, Jhelum; Early March '47; Muslim mob; 9 Hindus and Sikhs
killed, 80 forcibly converted, 50 Hindu-sikh houses burnt.
25. Narang, Jhelum; Early March '47; Musim mob; 6 Hindus and Sikhs killed
over 100 Hindu-Sikh houses burnt.
26. Bhasin, Jhelum; Early March '47; Muslim mob; 35 Hindu-Sikh houses
burnt and looted.
27. Chak Sewak, Jhelum, Early March '47; Muslim mob; All Hindu-Sikh
houses looted.
28. Bhagwal, Jhelum, Early March '47; Muslim mob; All Hindu-Sikh houses
looted.
29. Athwal, Jhelum, Early March '47; Muslim mob; 10 Hindu-Sikh houses
looted and burnt.
30. Tahar, Jhelum, 7/3/47 and later, Muslim mob; All hindu-Sikh houses
looted.
31. Mangwal, Jhelum, 7/3/47 and later, Muslim mob; Almost all Hindu-sikh
houses looted.
32. Sahola, Jhelum, 7/3/47 and later, Muslim mob; All Hindu-Sikh houses
looted and burnt.
33-34. Jhanel, Fatahi; Jhelum; 7/3/47 and onwards; Muslim mob; one
non-Muslim killed.
35. Rupwal, Jhelum; 7/3/47 and onwards; Muslim mob; one non-Muslim killed.
36. Ranjha, Jhelum; 7/3/47 and onwards; Muslim mob; one Gurudwara burned.
37. Dharogi, Jhelum; 7/3/47 and later; Muslim mob; Some hindu-Sikh houses
looted and burnt.
38. Namazian, Jhelum; 7/3/47 and later; Muslim mob; 5 hindu-Sikh houses
burnt and looted.
39-42. Tarakwal, Deri Dhok, Hasail, Dhab Kalan; Dist. Jhelum; 7/3/47 and
later; Muslim mob; Hindus and Sikh houses looted and burnt in all these
villages.
43. 128 villages, Rawalpindi; 7/3/47; Muslim mob; Villages attacked,
Hindus and Sikhs killed, No. of killed estimated at 7,000. Other
casualties in proportion, houses burnt and looted, Gurudwaras attacked
and burnt, Approx 1,000 women abducted.
44. 23 villages, Campbellpur; 7/3/47 and onwards; Muslim mob; 610 Hindus
and Sikhs killed, 1,656 Hindu-Sikh houses incl. Gurudwaras burnt and
looted. 1,471 forcibly converted, aprox 1,000 women and children abducted.
45. Garhi Habibullah, Abbottabad (Tehsil Manshera); 18/12/46 and 14/3/47;
Muslim mob; One Hindu abducted and killed 18/12/46, On 14/3/47 8
Hindu-Sikh houses burnt and 4 temples-gurudwaras burnt, large scale
looting by the muslims, Several Hindus and Sikhs killed.
46. Ramgarh (Tehsil Kharian), Dist. Gujrat; 14/3/37 and 15/3/47; Muslim
mob; Hindus and Sikhs extensively looted.
47-50. Batal, Uggi, Sum Ilahi Mung, Garhi Jalli, Dist. Hazara; 7/12/46
and 9/12/46; Muslim mob; 11 Hindus and Sahejdhari sikhs killed in Batal,
11 wounded, looting of Hindu-Sikh houses. Bazar of Uggi burnt and Sikh
shops burnt, 5 Hindus and Sikhs killed, Hindu-Sikh evacuees attacked, 14
killed, 27 injured, gurudwaras burnt.
..................................... so these are the first 50 cases out
of approx. 600 I have. May continue to post the rest, as time permits.
There are many districts to be covered, as the first 50 cases covered
only 3-4 districts. As we look at what went in Lahore, Bahawalpur,
Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Montgomery, Shiekhupura, and other districts,
these first 50 look like the tip of the tip of the iceberg. [The 600
documented ones itself being the tip of the iceberg.]
Another point which could be raised by the opponents is that in East
Punjab, with the exception of Malerkotla (princely) state, very few
muslims remain. Very valid point. However, it is important to know the
nature of violence in the Eastern Punjab. Towns like Jalandhar had 70%
muslims. True, these people moved out to Pakistan eventually. But only
after inflicting heavy damage on their Hindu and Sikh neighbors. Whatever
counter-violence they faced was purely a retaliation done MUCH AFTER what
happened in West Pakistan. The dates are given above to compare the
violence on both sides of the border. Also, the govt. machinery in the
Eastern side was neutral, and protected the Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs
alike, whereever they could, whereas on the other side Muslim police and
army took part in attacking the Hindus and Sikhs.
Wishing for a better tommorrow .......
regards,
Rajiv
