CHANDIGARH: After a separation of 77 years, 85-year-old Chotta Singh has reunited with his family members in Pakistan. As a young boy of around 10, Chotta was separated from his family during the chaos of the Partition and remained in India, while his family, who were Muslim, migrated to Pakistan.Originally known as Bashir, Chotta’s family lived in Ghungali Rajputtan village in Khanana Tehsil of Ludhiana district. He was brought to Libra village by Gulzar Singh, who raised him as his own after losing his son during the Partition. Mohammed Shakir, a social worker from Libra village who has known Chotta, recalls the traumatic events.”Our elders knew his story and how he was brought to the village, but our generation had no idea until he narrated his story to us in February this year,” said Shakir in a phone conversation with this newspaper.Shakir continued, “Chotta, who is now 85 and worked as a daily-wage labourer all his life, has no family left in the village, as he never got married. When he was 10 years old, he lived with his family in Ghungali Rajputtan. During the Partition, his family, including his parents and siblings, left for Pakistan amidst the bloodshed. He was holding the hand of his aunt, his mother’s younger sister, who had recently married. As they were leaving the house, her neck was chopped off, and in terror, he ran back into the house to hide.”According to Shakir, villagers found Chotta hiding in a corner of the burnt house, where animals including a camel, cows, and buffaloes had been left behind. “Then Gulzar Singh, who had lost his own son just a day before, brought him to Libra village and raised him. Gulzar had a daughter and wife, but now both have passed away,” said Shakir. “Throughout his life, Chotta did odd jobs, never married, and lives alone in a one-room house. He receives a pension of Rs 1,500 per month from the Punjab Government.”In February, during a period of illness, Chotta expressed to his neighbours how he wished he had family to care for him. Moved by his story, Shakir and others in the village uploaded a video online in April, hoping to find his relatives. Soon, they received calls from Pakistan, and a family there provided detailed information about their village, the animals in their home, and descriptions that matched Chotta’s memories. The family confirmed their relation, revealing that while his siblings had all passed away, their children were still alive.Once they confirmed the connection, Chotta’s passport was arranged, and he was granted a visa. Shakir accompanied him to the Attari border, where his nephews and other family members received him on the Wagah side and took him to Toba Tek Singh in Faisalabad, Pakistan, where they now reside.“They have an extended family of about 50 members, and one of Chotta’s nephews called from Italy, offering to bear his travel expenses, though we assured him it wasn’t necessary,” said Shakir.On Monday, Chotta finally crossed into Pakistan, reuniting with his family after more than seven decades. His family in Pakistan is overjoyed at his arrival and plans to host him for a month before his return. His visa is valid for three months.
Source link
