(This story was originally published on 25 January 2022 and has been reposted from The Quint's archives to mark 75 Years of India’s Independence)
Sikka Khan was six months old when the partition divided Punjab into two. His family too was left divided; he and his mother were on one side, while his brother, sister, and father left for Pakistan.
Now, in his home at Phulewal in Bathinda district, Sikka, who is in his mid-70s, recalls how he spent years trying to reach out to his family, once he found out about them.
It was only two years ago that he spoke to his brother over a video call for the first time. On 10 January 2022, he was finally reunited with his brother in Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.
Looking back at the day they were reunited, he said that when his brother saw him, he instantaneously put his arms around Sikka and started crying. Sikka said that he comforted his brother by telling him, “There are people from your village and there are people from mine. Why are you making everyone sad? Whatever had to happen, has already happened. Nothing will change by crying…”
He hopes to make up for lost time, but that is only possible if either of the brothers is granted a visa. He said, “I want the government to grant me a visa, and them as well."
"All those in villages who lost touch with their family members during the partition should be granted visas so that they too can meet their families. The corridor should be open…,” he added.
How Sikka’s Family Was Divided in 1947
Then an infant, Sikka was with his mother when she went to visit her maiden home. But in August 1947, a border was created and his father and his two siblings left for Pakistan. Because there was no communication between the family at the time, his mother decided to stay back.
Sikka said, “After things got better, my mother realised that there was nobody around, and that made her mentally unstable. She used to think, ‘Now what do I do?’ One night, she left home and went to the river and jumped from there.”
People in the village took care of him for four to five years, after which his maternal family took custody of him and brought him up.
It was his maternal aunt who showed him photos of his family. Recollecting the memory of when he first saw their photos, Sikka said, “My aunt told me that they were photos of my family. She pointed at the photo and said, 'This is your brother, your sister, your uncles.'”
Attempts to Reconnect
When a few from his village had traveled to the other side of the border, Sikka’s brother had sent a few photos. With the few details that Sikka had, about the village and tehsil his family stayed in, he tried writing to them.
But one day, he found out that the family had moved to another village. Feeling dejected, he gave up all hope of finding them. But things took a turn a few years ago, when his nephew, who was on the other side, started making efforts to reconnect Sikka and Sadiq.
With the help of Pakistani YouTuber, Nasir Dhillon, a link between the two was finally established. Dhillon runs a channel that is dedicated to making families such as Sikka’s reconnect.
Dhillon posted Sadiq’s appeal to find his brother and someone from Sikka’s village reached out to him. The two brothers spoke on a video call for the first time.
After Two Years of Planning, the Brothers Finally Met
For two years after the call, the brothers kept in touch over the phone. They did not have passports at the time so they got passports made. The plan was on hold due to COVID for some time. Finally, on 10 December, the two met in Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.
The Kartarpur corridor is a visa-free corridor connecting India and Pakistan. Sadiq, who came from Bogran village in Faisalabad, met Sikka at the gurdwara. People from both their villages accompanied them. The two brothers embraced, leaving almost everyone around them teary-eyed.
Everyone was extremely happy that we finally met. People from our village and people from their village, everyone was happy that we were finally reunited after so long. I want to meet him and then only we can talk more. We could not talk much that day as we did not have much time…Sikka Khan
The two spoke about the other members of their family, who had passed away. Sadiq introduced Sikka to his grandchildren. But they did not have enough time that day.
Hoping that other families like his own get a chance to reunite, Sikka said that the corridor should be left open. He appealed to the government for a visa, with the hope of visiting his brother in Pakistan.
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