Anatomy Of A Riot

Those who’ve lived in Lahore remember what a fascinating city it was. But it wasrent asunder on the eve of Partition, and hell was let loose; bewildered refugees fromEast Punjab thronged its streets for shelter, and other equally bewildered refugees fledfrom Lahore to save their lives.

In a collection of reminiscences from those living in Lahore in those fateful days,including eminent names from both sides, here is a vivid and authentic account of whatreally happened.

At one level, personal loyalties remained strong till the end, friend helping friend,and neighbour helping neighbour, despite religious frenzy. Khushwant Singh writes howMuslim friend Manzur Qadir hid his servant Dalip Singh in his house when Khushwant wasaway. In another account, even as riots raged, a Hindu bank manager went by car all theway from Lahore to Kapurthala to bring his Muslim friend’s family; Satish Gujraldescribes how refugee columns on their way from West Punjab to India, and vice versa,would help each other with water and other necessities when their paths crossed.

One aspect of the situation was the belief, mostly among the elderly, that there was noneed to migrate: “One ruler may exit and another take his place, but the subjectsremain where they are....” Another facet was the mistrust that had long been growingbetween the communities, largely fostered by the British. This mistrust increased when theboundaries were nonchalantly marked by the Radcliffe Commission.

But the one factor that whipped up communal frenzy and led to brutalities of the worstkind was when trains, plying between East and West Punjab, steamed in with loads of deadand wounded co-religionists. This was the flare-up that turned Lahore into a burning hell.In the words of Sir Mohd Zafarullah Khan: “The Punjab seemed to have become a howlingwilderness of beasts rather than a land of human beings. All humanity disappeared.”