Tears Of Joy! Indian, Pakistani Siblings Reunite 75 Years After Partition
Sika, a Sikh laborer, was only six months old when he and his elder brother, Sadiq Khan, were torn apart as Britain split the subcontinent at the end of colonial rule.
Reunions are always special; if it means transcending borders and boundaries after over seven decades, it involves happy tears. Tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks when Indian Sika Khan met his Pakistani brother for the first time since the partition in 1947.
Sika, a Sikh laborer, was only six months old when he and his elder brother, Sadiq Khan, were torn apart as Britain split the subcontinent at the end of colonial rule.
PTA News
In communal killings, Sika's father and sister died, but Sadiq, who was only ten years old, was able to escape and reach Pakistan.
"My mother could not bear the trauma and jumped into the river and killed herself," Sika spoke at his humble brick home in Bhatinda, a region of Punjab. This western Indian state was the center of Partition-era violence.
"I was left at the mercy of villagers and some relatives who brought me up."
Sika's desire to learn more about his brother, the only surviving relative, has been since he was a small kid. But until a doctor in the region offered to help three years ago, he could not progress.
PTA News
Sika was reunited with Sadiq after numerous phone calls and assistance from Pakistani YouTuber Nasir Dhillon.
Dhillon, a 38-year-old Muslim farmer and real estate agent from Pakistan, says that he and his Sikh friend Bhupinder Singh have reunited 300 families through their YouTube channel.
Pakistani, Indian siblings reunite 75 years after partition. Tears of joy rolled down his wizened cheeks when Indian Sika Khan met his Pakistani brother for the first time since being separated by #Partition1947 #IndependenceDay #75YearsofIndependence #India #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/lloUwcg8oj
¡ª PTA News (@PTANews_) August 12, 2022
The brothers finally met in January at the Kartarpur Corridor, a rare, visa-free crossing that enables Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit a temple in Pakistan.
Despite the continuing hostilities between the two nations, the corridor opened in 2019 and has become a symbol of unity and reconciliation for estranged families.
YouTube
"I am from India, and he is from Pakistan, but we have so much love for each other," said Sika, clutching a faded and framed family photograph.
"We hugged and cried so much when we met for the first time. The countries can keep on fighting. We don't care about India-Pakistan politics."
Despite their cultural and linguistic ties, the repercussions of Partition continue to this day, resulting in a fierce rivalry between the nuclear-armed neighbors. However, stories like these prove there is still hope that love can overcome barriers.
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This year is the 75th anniversary of Partition, a period of sectarian violence that may have caused the deaths of over a million people, the splitting of families like Sika's, and the foundation of two independent nations, Pakistan and India.
(With AFP inputs)
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