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he asked me again what was my surname achieved independence. Over the last 75
and I said Mahaar. We didn’t speak after years, we have channeled our civilisational
that till we reached Gare Du Nord, Paris. strengths and cultural diversity into
Then again they asked me where the clock a future of achievement, progress and
was because they were all had to assemble prosperity. Leaving behind our neighbours,
under the clock, I pointed it out to them Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh by
and walked away. All through the journey not just yards but miles. Yet, we hand down
they had Chivda, bhakarvadi, chakli…the to the future generation all the divisions of
strong smell of the food embarrassment caste and creed. While it may be alright for
wafted through the compartment. Indians Rabindranath Tagore to want to wake up
who were traveling also knew there was an in that freedom where the head is held high
Indian tourist on the train. and mind without fear, as long as we hold
on to these prejudices we can never be truly
free. Someone will use these social norms
as a guide to enslave us. True freedom will
be achieved when we do not fear each other,
but respect each one no matter where we
are in the social strata.
In the 1960s and ’70s I often visited
Jhansi, where my mother came from. It
was always an annual trip and sometimes
if there was a wedding in the family there
India’s independence was won at a huge would be two trips a year. In those days, it
cost, the tragedy of Partition is unknown was a done thing to visit your grandparents
to the rest of India except Hindus and in the holidays. The telephone system
Muslims living on either sides of the was run by operators, you picked up the
border. Hundreds of thousands of Indians receiver and an operator on the other side
were killed. It was the greatest tragedy in would ask number please. It was quite
India’s history, probably a lot more people possible that you would be recognised and
died than in the holocaust. The Jews market pleasantries exchanged, the operator would
the tragedy of holocaust in such a way that ask about my parents and would ask how
for next hundred years no one will forget. long would I be here, from here to being
Unfortunately, in India we seem to have able to do a video call to a remote place in
already forgotten the pain of Partition. Iceland is a great achievement for India.
The Punjabis moved on and today very Our telecom industry is amongst the best
few young people would know about the in the world, in the digital space, we are far
horrors of the Partitions. ahead of many of the so-called developed
Those who forget history are condemned nations. Technology has changed the way
to repeat it - George Santayana. God forbid we live and yet compared to others we are
we have to go through a partition ever at the bottom run.
again. Many international quality of life index
August 15 is etched deep in our history surveys place us in the bottom five. The
and our collective memory as the day India pandemic really exposed us to the weak
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #38 | AUGUST 2022 7
