MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010
Captain S.N.Sharma's Story


D.O.B: October, 1936
Place of Birth: Sahiwal, now in Pakistan

 I am Group Captain S.N.Sharma, retired from Indian Air Force. I am a graduate of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. In the year 1947, we were in a town called Pindi Bhatian, in district Gujranwala. My father was the headmaster of Govt High School there and I was a student in 5th class. Sometime in June/July 1947 (I do not remember exactly), we left our house to spend summer vacation in our maternal grand-parents place, which is now Pak-occupied Kashmir.  But trouble was already brewing in places and we decided to stop at Gurdaspur, at a friend’s place.
We were just in our holiday kit. We never went back to our house in Pindi Bhatian and lost our entire belongings.
While at Gurdaspur, we young boys would see long caravans of people crossing the borders with whatever they could carry. This would go on for days, non-stop, 24 hours a day. We also heard from elders about communal riots in the city and killings, murders etc.
We never saw our grandparents after this. Some told us that they were killed and their house burnt. My maasi, mother’s younger sister was shot and killed while trying to leave Rawalpindi. My uncle, father’s brother was also murdered. We heard of whole train loads being massacred. Hindus as well as Muslims indulged in carnage.
Finally we settled at Bhiwani in late 1947 when my father became head of high school there.

15th August, 1947
I probably did hear Pandit Nehru's speech on 15th August.
Nehru chose to speak in English. According to Pawan Verma, in his book "The Great Indian Middle Class" only two percent of Indians, at that time, could have understood his English speech. But of course we all knew its importance.
At that time of my life, we all felt a spirit of patriotism for a free and independent India. But now I also feel that partition was essentially a religious divide. It has left scars that are yet to heal.

This interview was conducted via email. Capt.Sharma wrote that he had tears in his eyes as he recounted his story