Rebel With A Cause
Mridula Sarabhai, born into Ahmedabad's celebrated industrial dynasty and nuclear scientist Vikram
Sarabhai's sister, was one of those amazing women who fought for India's freedom. After the midnight hour, she
grew disillusioned with the Congress, rejected the lure of high office and championed the unpopular cause
of Sheikh Abdullah for the last twenty years of her life, even going to prison for defending the Kashmiri leader.
Aparna Basu, who has just published Mridula's biography, recounts Sarabhai's fearless commitment to saving human life during the horrific trauma of Partition.
Another gruesome attack on Hindu and Sikh refugees was made on
23 September 1947 at Jassarh, a border town in the district of
Sialkot. The refugees were being carried in a train which was
escorted by the Pakistan military. On reaching the railway terminus,
they were ordered to get down and walk on foot across the bridge
on the river Ravi for entering into India. The military escort
had gone back.
While they were trying to cross the bridge, an
attack was made on them by a huge mob of Muslims. On hearing this,
Mridula instantly drove to Jassarh in Sialkot district (Pakistan)
and was received by the deputy commissioner of Sialkot and Pakistani
police officers. A large number of girls had been abducted by
the mob and over 500 persons had been killed and 430 wounded.
She made arrangements for removing the wounded to hospitals and
transporting the survivors to Amritsar.
The news of this attack at Jassarh created a sensation in Amritsar.
Infuriated Sikhs and Hindus began to pour into the city from the
adjoining villages armed with swords, spears, daggers guns and
all kinds of weapons, wanting to take outright revenge.
A few thousand Muslim refugees were camped at the cattle fair ground
on the outskirts of the city.
Mridula contacted the police and
military and suggested that more men should be deployed to avert
an outbreak of violence. At her suggestion, the entire community
of Muslim refugees was cordoned by the police and army. Sardar
Narinder Singh, deputy commissioner, Chaudhary Ram Singh, senior
superintendent of police, and Brigadier Chopra personally supervised
the operation.
Mridula, the SSP and DC explained to the Sikh and
Hindu mob that instructions had been received from the prime minister
and the defence minister, Sardar Baldev Singh, that the Muslim
refugees had to be protected at any cost. Eventually the mob melted
away. Lala Bhimsen Sachar was heard commenting, 'today we saw
Bahenji in the role of a lioness'.
Though the police and army
were responsible for controlling the frenzied crowd, it was Mridula
who had taken the initiative in preventing a counter-attack on
the Muslim refugees.
The cattle fair ground incident of Amritsar convinced Mridula
that had the police had the army been deployed with strict discipline
and honesty in both India and Pakistan, communal disturbances
could have been averted and the exodus of minorities from East
and West Punjab could perhaps have been avoided.
This episode increased her credibility in Pakistan where she was
referred to as 'Mureed-e-Allah' -- servant of God. Her
courage as well as her non-communal approach were admired and
Pakistan officials listened to her, regarded her as a valuable
link with India and gave her full co-operation.
Excerpted from Mridula Sarabhai, Rebel With A Cause, by Aparna Basu, Oxford University Press, 1996, Rs 425, with the publisher's permission. Readers in the US may secure a copy of the book from Oxford University Press Inc USA, 198, Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA. Tel: 212-726-6000. Fax: 212-726-6440.
|