An 80-year-old woman, who was recently reunited with her sons for the first time since the Partition in 1947, has asked the government to let her spend the rest of her days at the family village in Amritsar.
"I am of this village because I was born here. But I never knew that it will take me 58 years to get a visa to step on to the Indian soil. Now let me die in India. It will be possible if the Indian government allows me to stay here as I don't want to go back to Pakistan," says Bashira Bibi.
Ramdass village, about 55 km from Amritsar, is located exactly on the edge of the Indo-Pak international border.
"In 1947, one day I went to visit my relatives in Samtota village in Fasilabad district (now Pakistan). I never knew the boundaries will be drawn the same day and that one side will become India and the other Pakistan. I was separated from my three sons, who are now in Ramdass village," says Bashira.
She and Swarn Dass, one of her four sons, had a tough time when they inadvertently crossed the border into Pakistan. "I have seen very hard days in Pakistan. Even two square meals a day was a distant dream for me as my relatives there died two decades ago. All these years, I was longing to visit India," she says, adding: "Ultimately, I got a visa for India in 2001, but for the state of Himachal Pradesh instead of Punjab."
In Palampur, where Bashira spent five years, she contacted her family. Her sons managed to bring her to Damtal at Pathankot, which is situated on the border of Himachal and Punjab. However, authorities did not allow her to enter Punjab as she did not have the necessary permission.
"After five years of struggle during my stay in India, I was finally able to come to Punjab to visit my village a few days back," says the relieved 80 year old. Swarn Dass, who is now a municipal councillor, says he never thought his mother could ever visit India.
