Historic Over view of the Radcliffe Line It is extremely important to understand the timeline of the Border. Right from the 1930’s when the early ideas for the demand of a separate Muslim state of Pakistan were born, to its present day status has seen a series of transformations. Having gone through short turbulances during the wars, to an environement of complete peace have been witnessed on the Radcliffe Line. All the multiple narratives have been brought together here. The Radliffe has always been distinct from the LOC in Kashmir.
9_4th Dec, 1971 India Pakistan go to war over East Pakistan for liberation of Bangladesh. Zero line threatened again
10_16th Dec, 1971 War ends. Zero Line sanctity again gets stronger. Push towards going back to pre war positions
11_2nd Jul, 1972 Shimla agreement signed. Ceased areas returned. Zero line remains intact and unchanged
12_1988 Indian govt. decides to begin work on fencing the zero line. Thus creating a wider gap for no man’s land
1_17th Aug, 1947 Public announcement of partition made. No plan to execute on ground migration
2_11th Oct, 1947 Zero line marked at wagah. Space in between drums becomes no man’s land
13_1993 Fencing in Punjab sector complete. Doesn’t stop farmers from doing their business at the border
14_1999 Kargil conflict in kashmir. No ripple effect on the zero line this time. Farmers doing daily work on farms
‘Twelve million people were displaced as a result of Partition. Nearly one million dead. Some 75,000 women were raped, kidnapped, forcibly impregnated by men of the ‘other’ religion, thousands of ftamilies were split apart, homes burnt down and destroyed, villages abandoned. Refugee camps became a part of the landscape of most major cities in north India, but half a century later, there is still no memorial, no memory, no recall, except what is guarded, and now rapidly dying in families and in collective memory’ - The Other Side of Silence, Urvashi Butalia 3_1959 Wagah Border ceremony begins. Manufacturing partiotism at the border
4_17th Jan, 1961 Villages exchanged in return for irrigation line. Zero line peacefully redrawn
5_5th Aug, 1965 Operation Gibraltar commences in Kashmir. India Pak go to war over Kashmir
6_23rd Sept, 1965 UNSC intervention causes ceasefire. Both countries ingressed into eachother’s areas
7_10th Jan, 1966 Tashkent declaration signed. Zero line sanctity gets stronger
8_10th Jan, 1966 Ceased areas returned. Zero line remains intact and unchanged
15_1999 Fencing and lighting Rajasthan sector of zero line begins even as Kargil ensues in Kashmir
16_2000 Sudden surge in drug and contraband trafficking. The only credible threat on Zero line
17_13 th Dec, 2001 Terrorist attack on Indian parliament. Near war like situation. Farmers still go about dail business at border
18_2008 Final leg of fencing in gujarat, thus completing a wide strip of no man’s land spanning three states
19_26 th Nov, 2008 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Zero Line remains unaffected. Farmers go about daily business at the border
20_29 th Sept, 2016 Surgical strikes by India in Kashmir. Zero Line remains unaffected. Farmers go about daily business at the border
Corrective re-use of the border
These are real stories of people having used no man’s land since its inception in 1947, as a space to meet-reconnect and go back.
Muslim Wedding/Nikaah
Lata-Noor Informal Meet
Tea at No Man’s Lan
Mr. Rosha, a young superintendent was contacted by Aga Muzaffar who was the Kashmir Transport secretary from 1948-1951. He told Mr. Rosha on the phone that his sister was to marry a Pakistani Boy. The Bride had got the visa, however no one else from the family got permission. And so, Aga Muzaffar requested Mr. Rosha to allow them to solemnize the wedding on No Man’s Land. Padam Rosha gladly agreed. The No Man’s Land was to become a space for the Muslim Nikaah to be read.
Mr. Rosha got a call one day and he was told that Lata Mangeshkar was in town and she wanted to meet him. She told him that she has specially travelled to Amritsar to meet Noor Jahan and that she admires her a lot. The two friends had spoken on the phone already and decided to meet on No Man’s Land, without crossing the Radcliffe Line.
Tea at No Man’s Land is t an Indian National who lo mother and family who live years I had seen my family. a glimpse of them, to hug m with them for just a little wh seven years to get a visa, or me to go to Pakistan, bu Meeting at the Border was
sometime between 1948-1951
On the day of the wedding, they decorated No Man’s Land in the Muslim style of conducting a wedding. The Pardah was put up to read the Nikaah along with other decorations. No one could have said this is the Border between India and Pakistan. The two families met and a feast was also thrown, right on No Man’s Land. GIfts were exchanged between the two families.
1952
No Man’s Land was now to become a place to host two friends. Mr. Rosha arranged for rugs to be laid and chairs to be kept on No Man’s Land. Noor Jahan arrived from the other side of the Line along with her husband and large utensils filled with kebabs, korma and biryani. A feast was laid and Mr. Rosha also sat with them for an hour before taking their leave. The two friends started conversing and stayed on No Man’s Land right uptill evening when they had to be asked to leave because it was time to shut the gates by Law.
1977
My father told me that h come from the Lahore sid Amritsar from Delhi to me contacts and said we cou tea at No Man’s Land. N become a space for a regardless of their nationa No Man’s Land, Tina howe near the border.
nd
Toba Tek Singh
Gift Exchange
the story of Tina Vachani, onged to meet her father, ed in Pakistan. ‘It had been ...I was desperate to catch my mother and father, to sit hile. We had tried for six to for them to come to India ut nothing had worked out. s our last resort.
Just before sunrise, Bishan Singh, the man who had stood on his legs for fifteen years, screamed and as officials from both sides rushed towards him , he collapsed to the ground.
he and my mother would de and I should travel to eet them. He had used his uld probably sit and have No Man’s Land was yet to family to come together ality. Her family waited on ever wasn’t allowed to go
Toba Tek Singh is a work of fiction by writer Sadat Hasan Manto. Manto writes about the madness of the space called No Man’s Land. The notional aspect of the not knowing what to feel, or feeling everything at the same time. What can you feel when you inhabit a space which is no one’s. The feeling of dissorientation, with one’s own identity and with the identity of everything around you, rapidly dissolving in the void.
I was fortunate to meet Mr.Chrandeep Singh in the train on my way back from Amritsar during my first site visit to the Border. I shared my thesis topic with him. Mr.Chirandeep himself has been to the Border to exchange gifs with his friends from other side. He told me briefly about being able to go to the Border with an Ex-Army Colonel who was also his friend. Together the were to meet a few freinds on the Zero Line and exchange gifts and greetings on No Man’s Land.
Motteled Dawn, Saadat Hassan Manto, 1947
There, behind barbed wire, on one side, lay India and behind more barbed wire, on the other side, lay Pakistan. In between, on a bit of Earth which had no name, lay Toba Tek Singh.
2005
The friend duo made an arrangement to meet at the Wagha Border gate, like countless others who might have wished for the Border gate to become a medium to maintain contact with seperated friends and relatives. They had taken with them, beer cartains, fruits and other smaller items as a goodwill gesture towards their friends from the other side. No Man’s Land yet again became a space to reconnect.
School Trip
Baba Chamliyal Mela
Neelum River
My interest towards joining the Armed Forces began with my school trip when I was in my fifth grade. The thought of being at the beginnig of Pakistan, to be so close to ‘other’ nation was more exciting than to be at the edge of my own nation. Most of it was because of the hype around the rivalry between the two countries, I naturally aligned myself with m country, by automatically making the ‘other’ my enemy. We were welcomed by the BSF Jawans on our arrival and were given a quick tour of the BOP (Border Outpost), soldiers were playing volleyball, basketball, unlike the picture I had in mind with reagards to borderlands. The pre-coceieved notions I had about the Boder and its nature had already begun to break. A new image was forming. It was only when the the officer who was escorting us, asked us to wait by the gate. He said, that whitewashed pillar we saw in the distance? That was the Border Pillar and the space from where you’re standing, right upto the Pillar is No Man’s Land. No Man’s Land? How could that be? What does that mean? a gap-buffer-void’na unka, na humara’ said the officer.
The holy Dargah of Baba Chamliyal is nearly 320 years old. It is located at the Village known as Chamliyal on the Indian side of the border which is nearly 42 kms away from Jammu. A Mela is organized every year on this Dargah which is popularly called Baba Chamliyal Mela. People from either side of the border take part in this Mela. This Mela is organized for three days.
The holy Dargah of Baba years old. It is located a Chamliyal on the Indian s nearly 42 kms away from Ja every year on this Dargah Baba Chamliyal Mela. Peo border take part in this Me for three days.
The Mela is held near the International Border located in Ramgarh of the district Samba. At this juncture, sweets are also distributed to start the annual festivity of the Mela of Baba Chamliyal. Thousands of pilgrims stand on either sides of the border to see a glimpse of the ceremony of offering of a Chaddar to the officers of BSF by the Rangers of Pakistan to lay this Chaddar on the Dargah of Baba Chamliyal. The administration and officers of BSF distribute the sharbat and shakkar to the thousands of pilgrims who eagerly wait for these things on either side of the border.
The Mela is held near located in Ramgarh of th juncture, sweets are also annual festivity of the M Thousands of pilgrims sta border to see a glimpse of of a Chaddar to the office of Pakistan to lay this Ch Baba Chamliyal. The ad of BSF distribute the sha thousands of pilgrims wh things on either side of the
Rann of Kuttch 2007
happes annually on the LOC, Jammu
on the LOC, 2014
a Chamliyal is nearly 320 at the Village known as side of the border which is ammu. A Mela is organized h which is popularly called ople from either side of the ela. This Mela is organized
the International Border he district Samba. At this o distributed to start the Mela of Baba Chamliyal. and on either sides of the f the ceremony of offering ers of BSF by the Rangers haddar on the Dargah of dministration and officers arbat and shakkar to the ho eagerly wait for these e border.
Flea Market
Peer Burji-Wala Mela
When the topic of the Bangladesh-India border comes up, the first thing that comes to our mind is the stream of border killings, followed by cattle smuggling, drug smuggling, and so on. It is natural to forget the bilateral treaties between our two countries which have led to an innovative endeavour that brings our people closer together – border haats. Border haats, weekly markets set up on the border of Bangladesh and India, have changed lives and set new precedents. Away from the barb wires and border patrols and the bustle of border outposts, the Dalora-Balat haat in Sunamganj bordering Meghalaya is nestled away in the shadow of the Garo hills. A large tinshed compound with iron fences over three acres surrounded by a verdant void, the Dalora-Balat Haat remains desolate six days a week. But on every Tuesday, it takes on new life. Bangladeshis and Indians throng towards the compound in an orderly fashion – perhaps in trepidation or elation – under the supervision of the border patrol agencies of two countries. People come with carts laden with goods.
Celebrated to promote love and peace between two countries near Village Gulaba Bheni of district Fazilka. Half of the Shrine is in India and Half in Pakistan. Devotees from from both the countries visit the Majar of Peer Burji Wala. For Naseer Ashiq, however, this the only normal that he knows. Later I am to find out that there are many such Melas that take place across the country. Communities intermingled with eachother, their identies getting diluted in the process.’’x
Indo-Bangladesh Border since Octoer 2010
19th June, Annually in Punjab
Naseer Ashiq goes on to tell how his Father met his Sikh family from India at the Mela. ‘‘He tells me that long into the nights, Saraf Din (Naseer’s father), yearning for his family even several years after Partition. It was only fifty-seven years ago at the Border Mela that he was able to momentarily meet with them. Sitting at the Border Line in Pakistan, he yelled across at familiar faces. Instantly recognizing eachother, they tightly embraced, tears streaming down their faces.
Milan Mela at Indo-Bangladesh border