Partition: Then & Now

Sometimes you wonder what was the outcome of an event?? Was the outcome of the event what was expected??? I've benn reading The Train to Pakistan by Kushwant Singh, which shows how the life of a little village, Mano Majra, was changed with the appearance of a train full of dead Sikhs from Lahore. Reading the book makes you wonder that was this what was intended when the country partitioned? Reading (and seeing the images) of all the looting, killing, raping, plundering, makes you wonder what were the benefits of partition. The lives of thousands were changed forever. They lost everything, their livelihood, their property, their families and even their lives. And why??? Bescause some people tried to incite the situation by giving a communal outlook. An eye for an eye, kill two or every person killed, rape and dishonour woman, all this does makes you sick. Your blood even boils when you read about people who took advantage of the situation and incited the mob to go on a killing spree. The Partition will always be a blot on both the countries' history, a barberic act that was committed.

The partition occurred in 1947, but you wonder if the situation has changed in present time??? There is still communal tension between these communities. This was seen in the Babri Masjid demolotion and the riots that occured after it and not forgeting the Mumbai blasts and the riots in Godra. Still thousands of people loose their lives, properties and woman their honour. And why does this happens because we still have people who incite people to riots. They are now politician and no longer some ordinary person, politician with a huge clout, who can get away with racial comments and even murder. They use their gathering to call for chasing a particular community from the country and bringing them to their knees. And not to forget attacking gathering of other communities. They use their gathering and newspapers to spread their propaganda. And what do we do, we elect them back to power.

Sometimes I wonder how many people more have to loose their lives, livelihood, properties, families and woman their honour, before we take some action against them???