Witnesses of India partition share personal experiences at CTU

CT University holds seminar on ‘Reminiscences of Partition in India’ Ludhiana, September 24, 2018: Partition of India in 1947 was a bone chilling happening which resulted into untold miseries, vast loss of life and property and unbearable trauma to the people who experienced it. It is still a home in memories for many. This was shared by the speakers who were actual witnesses to the event that created history. To gather the accounts of horrible reminiscences of the mega historical episode, CT University School of Humanities and Physical Education organised a seminar on ‘Reminiscences of Partition in India’ in collaboration with the 1947 Partition Archive – a Berkley based NGO having a global team recording and saving the eyewitness accounts of 1947, at its campus. The guest speakers for the day were Dr Amarjit Singh Hayer, Retd. Professor and Head Department of Agricultural Journalism, Languages and Culture, Punjab Agricultural University; Jenab Mehnga Khan, Retd. Accountant, Punjab State Civil Supplies; Mohinder Singh Grewal, a progressive farmer and Former Member of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, Government of India, and Malkit Singh, North West Programme Development Coordinator of the 1947 Partition Archive. Dr Harsh Sadawarti, Vice Chancellor, in his welcome remarks said that the large scale migration of people was a world record together with the trauma that they were exposed. Dr Amarjit Hayer said that when he recalls the days of partition, he saw humanity turning apart but he saw that with time, the culprits suffered the worst. He said that if we do evil to our fellow beings, God does not punish us whereas our self-respect kills us from inside. Believing that Partition could have been avoided, he said that the spread of hatred must stop as only love can conquer hatred. Similarly, Jenab Mehnga Khan, wiping off his tears said that when he recalls his days of being in time of partition, his world stops. He saw that all over there was bloodshed and people were dying but his faith in God never diluted. He motivated the students to not judge the others by their religion, as all are humans first. Also, Mohinder Singh Grewal said that we must grow out of the evil in us. No bad shall be blessed whereas if one does well for society, he gets good in return. He elaborated the story of how he and his family rehabilitated after losing everything, land, house, bullocks, gold and everything. The speakers were facilitated by honouring the speakers by the registrar, Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman who traced how the development priorities were fixed in Independent India and how India progressed.