Commentary Conflict

Old Sins

It is time for Punjabis to atone for the sins of 1947

14 August 2022
The Akali leader Tara Singh addressing a public meeting in Lahore, in 1946. He later led the Akal Sena, which carried out brutal violence against Muslims during Partition.
FE Chaudhary/Amarjit Chandan/NCA Archive, Lahore
The Akali leader Tara Singh addressing a public meeting in Lahore, in 1946. He later led the Akal Sena, which carried out brutal violence against Muslims during Partition.
FE Chaudhary/Amarjit Chandan/NCA Archive, Lahore

The renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote a short poem in Punjabi about the Partition of 1947:

Kise beejiya ae, tusan waddhna ae
Kise keetiyan ne, tusan wartana ae
Aap wele sir puchhna gichhna si
Hun kise theen ki hisab manggo

Someone sowed, and you shall reap.
Someone did, and you deal with it.
You did not probe, and question either when it was time.
From whom will you seek explanations now?

Amarjit Chandan is a writer and activist who has lived in London since 1980. He co-edits Baramah, an annual Punjabi-language magazine in the Farsi script, published in Lahore.

Keywords: Partition Punjab Indian Independence Pakistan 1947 The Caravan Collection #13
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