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Memories of a visit to Sindh - by Arjan Daswani HI FELLOW SINDHIS! Previously I was excited to read the stories the Indian sports team had narrated about their experience of love and affection they received across the border during their match there. But now reading the story of Shri Suresh Keswani, I have got into emotion. And that prompts me to write part of the stories I wrote before concerning my experience of a visit there. I had left Hyderabad, Sindh, on 14th August 1947, assumed to be for a short visit to Bangalore, together with my 2 Maamaas (uncles) who had the business there. Life at Sindh was perfectly normal. I did not have the slightest idea that I was leaving my hometown for good. Our train passed through many towns of Sindh/Marwar/Gujrat. On 15 August 1947, we changed the train at Bombay and continued journey to Bangalore routed via Guntakal. During whole of our journey, from moving train, we saw many towns and cities celebrating Independence. Soon thereafter, I got a telegram at Bangalore, from my parents, telling me that they left Hyderabad and have come over to Devlali (Maharashtra). I joined them there. For me it was a shock because I did not bid a farewell to my sweet little hometown of Hyderabad. I matriculated from Bombay University in March 1948 and came over to Singapore in 1949 for a job assignment and ever since, have always been here only, except for some business trips to abroad. I always longed to go back to Hyderabad at least for once for old memories sake. But I was always tied up with the job because of my responsibilities towards my parents, brothers and sisters, back home at India. As years passed by my yearning to visit Hyderabad grew. I used to cry within and pray. And one day my prayer was answered; I had an opportunity in 1973, when I was returning from a business trip to Europe, together with a friend from Singapore, Murli Mahtani and we routed our return journey via Karachi and Bombay. Murli and me had heard lot of unpleasant stories of the happenings during partition and exodus days. We were scared, lest we be recognized as Hindus and get into trouble. But we must nevertheless, visit our birthplace, that was our strong desire ! We decided that we would not speak in Sindhi while in Sindh and would communicate with each other only in Malay, the Malaysian language. We both had Singapore passports and had no problem and got free entry at Karachi, without a Visa. We proceeded to Hyderabad without a problem, until at Hyderabad our coachman (Ghore Gaadi Wala) told us in Sindhi "Saaeen, awhan ta Sindhi ahyo na, poi bhala parai boli chhotha galhayo ?" We were absolutely stunned and speechless, only looked at each other in a gaze. We began to talk to Gaadi Wala in Sindhi. He told us "Saeen, awhan asaan khe chho chhade viya; aseen awhan saan daado khush huasoon; baahraan vilayat maan paiso jaam aneenda hwa, dado kharch kanda hwa; haane ta saeen asaan je mathaan Punjabi Musulman charhi wetha aahin, asseen ta barbaad thee viya ahyoon." We became friendly with him and hired him for rest of our days at Hyderabad. He became our guide and guard. Wherever we went, we had love and affection from Muslim Sindhi. If at all, some Punjabi Muslims looked at us with strange gaze, especially when we began to take photographs of places of our old memory. But once they were satisfied that we are genuine and had lived there before, they co-operated. We had plenty good time and went to Nasarpur, Uderolal, Tando Aadam, Phuleli, Gidu Bandar, Kotri, Das Garden, Sadar, Qilo, Shahi Bazaar, Khatoo Bandan Ji Ghiti, Sipahimalani Ghiti, Miyan Fakir jo pir, Thore Chaari, Thathara Ghiti, Mukhki Ghiti, Chhodki Ghiti, Advani Ghiti, Siro Ghaat, Navalrai Market, Tilak Chaari, Hirabad and many more. Shahi Bazaar had shrunk in the width with extra stallholders; Victoria carts did not pass through Shahi Bazaar any more. What is more I still saw at Hyderabad Rail Station a tea stall which had a sign in Sindhi, meaning "advantages of drinking tea: 1. There is no disadvantage. 2.. and 3.." Hirabad was messy, not the same clean as before but that brought back my memories; I remember how we young teenagers used to walk along at the main road there in groups of 3 or 4, in the evenings, gazing at girls of equal age coming in the opposite direction, clad casually; the girls would be whispering and laughing, as exactly what we boys would be doing; we just exchanged stares and some times there were smiles. Those were lovely days. It is always nice to talk about the old memories! I thank you! Arjan Daswani, Singapore |