“Please deliver me a visa. I need to visit my brother as quickly as possible,” says Sikka Khan. A frail guy in his 70s, Sikka has spent his whole existence anticipating the instant whilst he met his elder brother this sunny Monday at Kartarpur Gurdwara. Now, each day of being aside is tough.
Sitting on the residence of Jagsir Singh in Phulewal village of Bathinda district, surrounded via way of means of listeners who can’t have sufficient of this misplaced-and-discovered Partition tale, Sikka says: “This village has continually supported me. I actually have lived an excellent existence here. I love them and that they love me. But I additionally need to stay with my brother. I desire the Pakistan authorities offers me a visa… I will preserve coming again for some months each year. This is how I need to spend the relaxation of my existence.”
Seventy-4 years after the border break up the 2 Punjabs, leaving Sikka and his mom on one facet and his elder brother Sadiq Khan and father withinside the Pakistani part – by no means to be collectively again – all it took for the quest to quit become a video shared on social media. A day after a YouTuber in Pakistan, Nasir Dhillon, uploaded Sadiq’s appeal, he were given a name from a rural scientific practitioner from Sikka’s village. It took greater years aleven though for the brothers to eventually meet, overcoming the paperwork.
Dhillon runs a YouTube channel referred to as Punjabi Lehar with greater than 5 lakh subscribers withinside the Punjabs, specializing in Partition stories, and the shared Punjabi tradition and heritage.
Dhillon become passing via village Bogran in Pakistan’s Faisalabad district as a part of his paintings in 2019 whilst he heard the tale of Sadiq, who’s in his 80s. About how, withinside the summer time season of 1947, he and his father left his maternal domestic in what might end up Indian Punjab, with out his more youthful brother and mom, and discovered themselves in extraordinary countries.
“Sadiq believed strongly that his brother become nonetheless alive, and asked me to assist him,” says Dhillon. The YouTuber made a video and shared it on social media, soliciting for records on Sadiq’s own circle of relatives.
Within a day, he become contacted via way of means of Jagsir Singh, the agricultural scientific practitioner and dairy proprietor from Phulewal. He stated the person Sadiq become seeking out become Habib alias Sikka Khan, who lived of their village.
Singh says Sikka Khan and his family have been the various Muslim households the village sheltered in the course of Partition. “Sikka and his mom have been visitors on the village on the time. His maternal grandparents’ own circle of relatives nonetheless lives in Phulewal.” There are seven Muslim households withinside the village in all.
The brothers misplaced each dad and mom quickly after. Sikka advised Sadiq how their mom killed herself whilst he become 4. Sadiq stated their father Wali were given separated from the relaxation of the own circle of relatives withinside the mayhem after Partition and that they by no means discovered him.
Singh says the mom couldn’t endure the ache of the lack of her husband and elder son. “She misplaced her intellectual balance, and devoted suicide via way of means of leaping right into a canal. Sikka become introduced up via way of means of his maternal grandparents.”
Sikka made a residing running as a farm labourer with a Sikh own circle of relatives. Most Muslim households withinside the village enhance farm animals for a residing, having bought their lands. While many have taken on Sikh names, and a few put on turbans, they retain to instruction Islam.
Singh says the village may be very keen on Sikka, a hardworking guy who has by no means been any hassle for anyone. “As he by no means married, he handled the entire village as his own circle of relatives.”
Just approximately on the time of Partition, Sikka says he saved looking for any clue that might lead him to his brother and father. “A Muslim guy in a neighbouring village had own circle of relatives in Pakistan and he might move there. He as soon as gave me an cope with pronouncing it become of my brother. I discovered a person to put in writing a letter in Urdu and despatched it. But I by no means were given a response. Then I got here to understand the cope with become wrong.”
Soon after Dhillon’s video positioned them in touch, Sadiq and Sikka noticed every different for the primary time in 70 years on a video-convention name. They exchanged photos. However, their wait to fulfill saved getting extended.
“The didn’t have passports, so first we organized those. Then, neither ought to get a visa. After that got here Covid-19 and the borders have been closed. Finally, the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor in November offered an opportunity. We determined to set up the assembly of the 2 there,” says Dhillon. The hall permits pilgrims from India get admission to with out visa to the shrine, however they ought to go back from there.
Singh says that they’d additionally implemented for a visa for Sikka to journey with the Sikh jatha that is going to Pakistan at the beginning anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. “He were given the visa however we got here to understand of it overdue and he couldn’t move.”
The entire Phulewal village joined withinside the birthday party whilst Sikka eventually left for Kartarpur Gurdwara. “Many gave me cash as I become leaving. Around 15 of them went with me,” says Sikka.
Phulewal feels as though it’s far a part of a film script, laughs Singh. “Our village included the Muslim households here. We have new pleasure in what our elders did.”
In the video of the union that has on the grounds that long gone viral, the 2 brothers may be visible making their manner uncertainly closer to every different, earlier than collapsing into every different’s palms and breaking down in loud sobs. “See, I advised you we might meet,” Sikka tells Sadiq.
Dhillon says: “Every character who become gift at the sacred land of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib had tears once they noticed the 2.”
Sikka says Phulewal ensured he by no means overlooked having a own circle of relatives of own, until now. “My brother has a huge own circle of relatives. He has youngsters and grandchildren. Around 50 of them got here to the gurdwara. I need to spend time with them. We had little or no time on the Kartarpur shrine… ship me to them,” he appeals again.
Hard of hearing, Sadiq tells The Indian Express over the telecellsmartphone from Pakistan that he can’t wait to have his more youthful brother with him. Barely a boy of 10 once they have been all collectively last, he recollects them residing in Kokari village close to Jagraon. “I discovered him at this age, however I am happy I did. I need him to return back to me. I request the authorities to provide him a visa.”
They communicate now nearly each day. In a telecellsmartphone name on Thursday, Sadiq cautioned to Sikka that he get married now. Both had a hearty laugh.
