This is how brothers separated during Partition finally met at Kartarpur Corridor after 74 years. Read full story
India Today
A video of two octogenarian siblings reuniting at the Kartarpur Corridor had been doing the rounds of the internet recently. Here's how the siblings who separated 74 years ago met again.
A video of two octogenarian siblings reuniting at the Kartarpur Corridor had been doing the rounds of the internet. The clip had left netizens emotional. Now, Humans of Bombay has shared a post that details how the brothers who separated 74 years ago finally reunited after so many years.
“I was 10 during the partition; we lived in the Indian part of Punjab. I was close to my bhai, Habib. I’d carry him around on my shoulders. We were happy. But around the partition, when us Muslims were forced to move to Pakistan, Abba ji said, ‘Hum Hindustani hai, yahi rahenge!’ But when Ammi & Habib were at Nani’s, soldiers opened fire in our village; Abba ji died on the spot. My sister, cousin and I escaped. We were rescued by the Pakistani Military who brought us to Faisalabad. Overnight we became Pakistanis (sic),” Mohammad Siqqique said.
Over the years, Siqqique started working with a zamindar in Pakistan and got married. He eventually had his own family but he couldn't stop thinking about his younger brother. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Ammi & Habib, wondering if they were alive. Meanwhile, I worked with a zamindar; I worked there for 15 years before getting married. Over the years, my wife & I had 4 boys & 2 girls. Every evening, I’d narrate stories from my childhood, the sister I lost & the brother I hoped to meet. Even after becoming a grandpa to 14 kids, these sessions continued. These stories kept my family alive,” he said.
Two years ago, the zamindar’s son Ishraq spoke to YouTuber Nasir who wanted to interview him where Siqqique spoke about his brother Habib. Somehow, the interview happened to reach his younger brother and the rest, as they say, is history. “2 years ago, Ishraq spoke to Naasir, a YouTuber about me. Nasir interviewed me- I spoke about Habib, hoping to reach him. Aur wohi hua! A few days later, Ishraq told me, ‘Aapka bhai mil gaya hai!’ Davinder from India had gotten in touch- they’d found Habib! The 1st time we spoke was on a video call. We were strangers & yet, there was familiarity. Like me, he too, was an old man. He was 74-I was 83. I cried when he told me about losing me & trying to trace me,” he added.
The brothers wanted to meet sooner but then the pandemic happened. They finally met last month at the Kartarpur Corridor. A video from their meeting went viral on social media. The video left everyone emotional.
