A Legacy To Remember: My Father Sheltered Refugees During Partition 1947

Gunmala Jain, 79, was born in 1939. She remembers the mayhem and chaos in Old Delhi during Partition 1947 and the act of kindness of her father, who emptied out his godowns to house refugees who were without shelter. Here?s her story (as narrated to us) during our month of #nofilterflashback

I was eight years old, when Partition of India and Pakistan took place. If you ask me what exactly was happening historically, I would be unable to say as we were children and did not know much then. I knew there was ?danga-fasad? and some trouble taking place but we had been cossetted and sheltered from all that inside our home.

We were three sisters and one brother. I remember we used to move around in horse drawn tongas of our own. Our father was a wealthy timber merchant and we lived in a huge mansion in Deputy Ganj, what is in the Sadar Bazaar area of Old Delhi. My father Daya Chand Jain was a well known businessman and as the riots and trouble in the city grew, our house gradually became a refuge of sorts for people who lived in unsafe areas or had homes which were not safe enough for the women and children of their families to live in.

Most of these people living in our home were our own relatives or from the extended family. Some of them had moved to our home because they lived in a Muslim dominated area and their lives were in danger there. It was dangerous for anyone out there those days ? Hindus or Muslims. You never knew when you could be attacked.

We had a big house and thankfully had the means to take care of these people. I remember all the women would get together and cook food. There were constant curfews as the riots had escalated and people were not allowed to step out. We children were strictly ordered to stay home.

Whenever the curfew would lift, my father would take his car and go buy supplies to ensure that everyone stayed safe, healthy and had whatever they wanted. He was much respected in that area, so it surely helped. He arranged for provisions for the people staying in our house, whether it was material goods or money, as many people had left their homes in a hurry and did not have enough money or things of daily need on them.

Helping people came naturally to my father. I have heard from people later that he was one of the rare people who had the courage and desire to help people in this manner in those turbulent times.

Later on, as people started coming from across the border after Partition, my father went on to house refugees in our godowns. These godowns were behind our house and housed not just our cattle but also machinery, as we were in the business of timber. My father got all these cleaned out and made it habitable enough for people to stay until they found their feet or were rehabilitated by the Indian government.

Gunmala with her husband Ulfat Rai Jain now

I don?t remember Independence Day 1947 as I probably did not realise the significance of that day then. Yes, we did know that our country had got ?Azadi.? However, the realisation dawned upon me when our schools finally opened and all students were given a brass plate which had a memorial stamp of the three lions on it.* We were also given four ladoos each and told about the significance of what had taken place: We had finally gained Independence from the British!

As children, we took a long time to understand why my father had cleared out his godowns to house refugees or why our house was always full of relatives. We were happy to have holidays (due to the riots and curfews) and thrilled that there were always so many people at home. We ran around the house, hopping across different floors to meet people and play with all the children.

I also realised later the importance and significance of what my father had done. Yes, he was a wealthy man but very few people think that helping people out in times of distress is something they should do. It was not just the sense of duty that made him create a safe space for people in need and the refugees but also the kindness in his heart and his generosity of spirit. He was also courageous enough to step out and get things for people, if they had fallen ill, without any care for his own safety. It must not have been easy for him but when I remember now, what he did, I feel a huge sense of pride.

*Gunmala Jain is referring to the National Emblem and her memory of the exact stamp embossed on those plates is a little hazy here. Our research shows that the National Emblem did not come into use until December 1947 and was officially adopted on January 26, 1950, the day India became a Republic.

Featured image: Gunmala Jain as a young graduate, encouraged by her father who supported his daughter?s education.

Silver Talkies is collecting memories as part of its #NoFilterFlashback #MonthOfMemories throughout August. To read the complete series, click here: https://silvertalkies.com/category/community/memories-musings-community/

To contribute your own memories of life during partition or living in pre and post independent India, mail us on connect@silvertalkies.com