{ "p222948": { "id": "222948", "title": "Ancient sites turned refugee camps as millions fled Partition", "shortDescription": "", "description": "
NEW DELHI: The Partition of India sparked one of the greatest mass migrations in modern history, with millions seeking sanctuary from the violence inside ancient tombs and forts -- transforming them into sprawling refugee camps.
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More than 15 million people were displaced following India´s independence from Britain in 1947, with Muslims embarking for the newly formed Pakistan as Hindus and Sikhs moved in the opposite direction.
\r\nAt least a million died along the journey, the rest pouring into fetid camps erected in cities already pushed to the brink by violence, looting and food shortages.
\r\n\r\nIn New Delhi, where law and order had almost completely broken down, tens of thousands of Muslims sheltered behind the 16th-century walls of Humayun´s Tomb waiting for safe passage to Pakistan.
\r\nTents were erected in the fine gardens surrounding the spectacular mausoleum -- the inspiration for the Taj Mahal -- and spilled over to encircle the smaller tombs dotting the Mughal-era complex.
\r\n\r\nAs space became scarce whole families huddled together with their life´s possessions on the exposed upper levels of the grand courtyard of the enormous domed monument itself.
\r\nThe regal fountains at Humayun´s Tomb \\\"became so fouled with human dirt that they had to be filled in with sand\\\", wrote historian Yasmin Khan in her book ´The Great Partition´.
\r\n\r\nThe influx continued unabated until refugees made up almost one-third of the population of Delhi.
\r\nThose arriving by foot, train and tonga -- horse-drawn carts -- slept in marketplaces, under lean-tos or searched for space in vast tent cities that sprung over all over the capital.
\r\n\r\nOne of the largest was at the ancient fort of Purana Qila where refugees from all walks of life camped \\\"with their camels and tongas and ponies, battered old taxis and luxury limousines\\\", wrote eyewitness Richard Symonds as quoted in Khan´s book.
\r\n\\\"The Delhi forts are landmarks for the Partition,\\\" said Guneeta Singh Balla, founder and executive director of the 1947 Partition Archive.
\r\n\r\n\\\"The images of the refugee camps there are still very dramatic.\\\"
\r\nIn parts of Punjab, the desert region split between India and Pakistan, rationing was reduced to a single chapatti a day as food shortages bit and begging and starvation were widespread.
\r\n\r\nAmritsar -- less than 30 kilometres from the new border -- endured horrific rioting, with areas like Katra Jaimal Singh and Chowk Bijli Wala all but destroyed amid looting and arson.
\r\nSikhs fleeing persecution sought refuge at Khalsa College, a prestigious and picturesque Victorian-era university built in the late 19th-century, that staged as a relief camp.
\r\n\r\nA new museum in Amritsar is helping record and digitise Partition history.
\r\nBut in Delhi there is no memorial at the landmarks that housed countless refugees to mark this dark chapter in their centuries-old existence.
", "image": "http://www.thenews.com.pk/assets/uploads/updates/2017-08-11/l_222948_021924_updates.jpg", "postedOn": "20 hours ago", "postTime": 1502442600, "reportBy": "AFP", "categoryName": "Special Report", "videoURL": null, "archivedVideos": [ ], "relatedStories": [ ] }, "p206148": { "id": "206148", "title": "Burns Road, Karachi's oldest and biggest food street", "shortDescription": "The Burns Road stories", "description": "Though it bears no semblance to any street from the colonial era, the famous Burns Road derives its name from a British spy-doctor Mr James Burnes, who served the Raj in the first half of 19th century in Sindh.
\r\nHost to the hottest as well as the oldest food haunts in the city, the road, at one time, was the center-stage for many movements that shaped the country’s political history.
\r\nThe population of the area is a melting pot of migrants of various ethnic backgrounds including Punjabi Saudagaran-e-Delhi, Memon community, Guddi people, and Qureshi Baradris (brotherhood).
\r\nWay before the rise of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which is predominately anchored on the support of the descendants of Urdu-speaking migrants from India, the roost of the local politics was undisputedly ruled by the religious parties like Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani group). It is interesting to note that this area has never been pro-government being a stronghold of the opposition parties.
\r\nIn addition, this neighbourhood has also remained politically active through the political turmoil that started in the late fifties. Be it the first military president Ayub Khan’s 1964-65 campaign against Mohatarma Fatima Jinnah or the ‘Movement for the Restoration Democracy’ (MRD) in 1981 or Tehreek-e-Istiqlal’s Asghar Khan’s 24 hours long protest, this district was always in focus.
\r\nDown the line, a changing political scenario and shifting demographics poured cold water on the fiery popularity of religo-political parties. That’s when the MQM arrived, didn’t see much, and effortlessly conquered everything. With an ethnic card in one hand and a picture of victimization in the other, the party promised the Urdu-speaking migrants of rights they had never known before. There was no way the struggling settlers could stop themselves from being sold on to those dreams.
\r\nAccording to one theory, Burns Road area, over time became the celebrated food central of the city because migrants from India liked to eat out the way they used to back in their native towns before partition. Taking advantage of that demand a number of experienced as well as inexperienced venturers from within the migrant communities started cooking their traditional foods commercially, but only a few survived. Most of the surviving eateries had humble beginnings and it took them years and years of sheer hard work before becoming household names not only in Pakistan but also world over.
\r\nDil Bahar Dahi Baray, Malik Nihari, Waheed Kabab, Dehli Rabri and Cafe Lazeez, are among the oldest food outlets here. Most of these places are 50 years old and serve the most delectable traditional foods Karachi has to offer.
\r\nWe tried to trace the history and discussed with the owners about the secrets of their success. We also talked to Shamim Bano, journalist and a resident of Burns Road, Faheem Zaman, ex-KMC administrator, and Yasmine Lari, architect and consultant to find out the evolution of this delicious district over the years.
", "image": "http://www.thenews.com.pk/assets/uploads/updates/2017-05-23/l_206148_050125_updates.jpg", "postedOn": "2 months ago", "postTime": 1495540860, "reportBy": "Wasif Shakil", "categoryName": "Special Report", "videoURL": null, "archivedVideos": [ ], "relatedStories": [ ] } }