Sindh - our lost dream

[by Shewak Nandwani, extract from Sindh International]

I must say I feel proud to call myself a Sindhi as I was born and I was only 8 years old when I left due to the partition. Things that happened in those days were really disgusting and lots of articles have already been written by many of our Sindhi readers. Let me say that before the partition declaration, there was peace and our relations with the Sindhi Muslims were much better than relations today amongst Sindhi Hindus all over the world. I can remember everything. We had such good relations with our Sindhi Muslim neighbours, with whom we would spend most of the day as if we would with our family members. We used to eat together with them and they used to come to our house and reciprocate. The old that neighbours are like ABBO-AMMA and such were the relations we had with them.
Our relations with one particular neighbour living across the street were so good that we even left all our house keys, including the keys for the most of the cabinets containing the silver tea sets and many valuable items with them. We decided to leave Hyderabad on 31st December 1947. They were so sorry to see us leave and to protect us from any mishaps, they even provided police escorts for us up to Karachi. With the assistance of one of their relatives (who was a big shot in Karachi Police Station) we got the confirmation to depart by ship to Bombay on 5th January 1948. This gentleman was so kidn that he made us stay at his own residence for the duration of our transit.
Imagine leaving all our properties which were built with love and sentiments. Before this unfortunate happening, we could never even conceive a though of ever having to part with our homeland. Who could have thought that this would happen ? There was so much harmony and love between the communities and individuals. It was just like one big happy family. No one in his sane mind would ever imagine leaving the homeland forever, to become homeless refugees like we (most of us) had to be due to the disastrous partition.
Talking about the "fragrance of the soil", especially when it rained I must say that the particular rain soaked smell of that soil is still fresh and I can still smell that soil whenever I think of the land. It's in the memory. I remember I used to go for long walks to Takri (I wonder if any Hyderabadi can remember this small hill like place near the Civil Hospital of Hyderabad). It used to be a place where most of us, or quite a few of us used to go for fresh air during the evenings, but I used to go there with my brothers especially during the rain to collect the insect we used to call Meinah wasara. I wonder if anyone can remember those things as I can and that fragrance of the soil.
Conversely, this young immigrant from Sindh regards Sindhi as his first language, has studied in a Sindhi medium school and regards Sindh as his home. He was mortified to see that my wife and I converse with each other in English. My response was that when emotions are at their zenith, it is easier for us to communicate in English. I would make a mockery of myself if I were to try and express myself in Sindhi (this albeit my claim of being fluent in Sindhi)
You mentioned about children born outside our motherland like yourself, feeling sorry that they cannot even speak in Sindhi and being ashamed to call themselves Sindhi. Yes indeed, it is sad that they have not inherited their mother tongue, however it's not too late. On the contrary, they should endeavor to get their prized inheritance which they have so unfortunately lost. No, this is not the end of the world. I believe this happened because most of the parents made a blunder of not (mind you, I am not blaming anyone for this, but speaking generally) teaching Sindhi to their children born in India as they had given up all hopes of ever returning or going back for even visiting their homeland. Also they found Hindi to be more useful (which was true for being in a country where Hindi was a must), but they even stopped talking to their children in Sindhi. This was our first and foremost step of killing the language and cutting the roots of the new generation from the Sindhi language and Sindh itself. The roots were cut so severally that many children don't even know or care to know what and where Sindh is. Its so shameful and sad.
Day by day things became worst as their children were sent to the English medium schools where there was no mention of any Sindhi language (not even as a second language). This happened in presence of Sindhi schools and colleges where both Sindhi and English were taught. Unfortunately, most Sindhi parents did not value the importance of Sindhi. Therefore, the children were cut off completely. Many of them went abroad and settled down in foreign lands. Had they not done this, we would never have heard or read what you have mentioned in your posting.
So is this the end ? Is this what we post-partition children and people of future generations are headed for ? Is this the end of our civilization ? Is this the end of our culture ? Will we ever see our Motherland ? Will we even be interested in going to our Motherland ? Rhetorical questions, don't you think ?
No Deepak, its not the end of anything. That is if people like you, who understand and are willing to come forward with way of realizing that who are you and where are your roots. I am sure that because of you, thousands can wake up to this fact and wish to realize what you are trying to do.
Yes, it is still possible to visit the Motherland and its not too late to lean if there is a will to do so. There is an example. A year or so ago, on this very list, a Japanese national, from Japan wrote a letter IN SINDHI (English text). He mentioned that he was a student of the Sindhi language in Japan and that he could READ, WRITE and SPEAK Sindhi fluently. He learned the language simply because he was interested in picking up a foreign language from the Indian subcontinent. According to the latest information from him, he mentioned that he is based now somewhere in Islamabad, Pakistan. As a matter of fact, there was a posting today on this list by a couple from Calgary, Canada now on a mission in Hyderabad, Sindh. The are able read and speak Sindhi. So, is it difficult for Sindhis to learn Sindhi ?
You can learn AND teach your children the language. My children, now grown up adults, speak in fluent Sindhi and they enjoy all the Sindhi functions like Sangeet programs and other Sindhi functions (whenever given a chance to watch or participate).
There is a lot of love left in the Sindhi Muslims for the Sindhi Hindus. Many of friends who visited Sindh since the last few years have confirmed this and they have gone there to visit their ancestors' houses. Those who were born there had visited their birth place. Imagine the joy of doing such thing. So don't give up. Keep up the high hopes. Who knows, may be someday, we may get to be in Sindh and live in harmony with our Muslim brothers. Nothing is impossible. So many wonders take place as this world is wonderful. Hope to see your dream come true (like I am doing) ?