Three Tense Days for Batala in Aug 1947.
My father Late Sher Jasjit Singh,PCS(later IAS), was the then SDM,Batala,in Aug 1947. He helped restore law & order, in Batala,the biggest city in Gurdaspur Dist,when it was rumored to go to Pakistan. There was delay in announcing the Radcliffe Award,regarding the fate of Gurdaspur & Batala. Wikipedia also refers to this uncertainty. The Tribune newspaper as well, referred to these 3 days of tense uncertainty. Even The Partition of India Act,1947,indicated these areas going to Pakistan. The tension was palpable.
My father,as SDM,Batala, prepared for the worst case scenario.He was firm, quelling the panic.Sh. Ishwar Das Pawar,Dist and Sessions Judge,in his book "My Stuggles in Life" ,in the chapter My Trying Moments,refers to the role played by my father.He describes how the Hindus and Sikhs in Batala, drew up various plans ,if the contingency arose. And how some had tried to arrange trucks out of the city.They waited with nerves on edge, for the final announcement regarding Batala's tryst with fate. In those 3 tense days of uncertainty, Aug 14,1947 to Aug 17,1947, Pakistan even sent it's own Deputy Commissioner, Sh.Mushtaq Ahmed Cheema, as DC, Gurdaspur Dist.But his tenure was to last for only 3 days,as the final announcement of the Radcliffe award,came on Aug 17,1947,over the radio, awarding these areas to India,and my father helped disseminate the much awaited news . After the city had calmed down, my father as SDM,Batala, was hosted, with High Tea,by the British.Here he is seen with British Army/ Air Force officers, circa 1947.
( This post is for Restricted Circulation only. No part may be published elsewhere,in any other publication,media,without the author's express written permission. Copyright is with the Author ).
My father Late Sher Jasjit Singh,PCS(later IAS), was the then SDM,Batala,in Aug 1947. He helped restore law & order, in Batala,the biggest city in Gurdaspur Dist,when it was rumored to go to Pakistan. There was delay in announcing the Radcliffe Award,regarding the fate of Gurdaspur & Batala. Wikipedia also refers to this uncertainty. The Tribune newspaper as well, referred to these 3 days of tense uncertainty. Even The Partition of India Act,1947,indicated these areas going to Pakistan. The tension was palpable.
My father,as SDM,Batala, prepared for the worst case scenario.He was firm, quelling the panic.Sh. Ishwar Das Pawar,Dist and Sessions Judge,in his book "My Stuggles in Life" ,in the chapter My Trying Moments,refers to the role played by my father.He describes how the Hindus and Sikhs in Batala, drew up various plans ,if the contingency arose. And how some had tried to arrange trucks out of the city.They waited with nerves on edge, for the final announcement regarding Batala's tryst with fate. In those 3 tense days of uncertainty, Aug 14,1947 to Aug 17,1947, Pakistan even sent it's own Deputy Commissioner, Sh.Mushtaq Ahmed Cheema, as DC, Gurdaspur Dist.But his tenure was to last for only 3 days,as the final announcement of the Radcliffe award,came on Aug 17,1947,over the radio, awarding these areas to India,and my father helped disseminate the much awaited news . After the city had calmed down, my father as SDM,Batala, was hosted, with High Tea,by the British.Here he is seen with British Army/ Air Force officers, circa 1947.
( This post is for Restricted Circulation only. No part may be published elsewhere,in any other publication,media,without the author's express written permission. Copyright is with the Author ).
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