Review of the film 'Bantwara 1947': A story of humanity during the partition of India and Pakistan

Actor Sani Singh from the film 'Gader' played Siknder Mirza in the film 'Bantwara,' defending an Indian woman in Pakistan. Critics do not accept this story because there was no reconciliation on that side during the 1947 partition. Promoting his film, Sunny quotes his father Dharman, saying: 'India is the mother, and Pakistan is the aunt.'

There should be connections between neighboring countries, but presenting this through the memory of the cruelest events of the past seems unfair. It is wrong to dig up old wounds for healing. The film 'Bantwara' is based on a play by Pakistani writer Asghar Wajid, written in 1989 titled 'Jis Lahore Nahi Vekhya, Oh Jamyay Nahi' (He who has not seen Lahore is not born). This play was banned in Pakistan because it was claimed that it ignored harsh realities in favor of romanticizing humanity.

Earlier, Diljit Dosanjh's film 'Main Wapas Aunga' was discussed, which also touched upon the theme of partition. Its message was that people on both sides suffered during the partition. Undoubtedly, this is true. However, when it was stated that people on both sides were subjected to equal violence, debates began.

People often talk about 'digging up a corpse' that starts to rise. Some events and tragedies in history are like these 'dug-up corpses' that surface when mentioned. Memories of the partition are precisely those whose pain cannot be shared with anyone. A three-hour film or a four-minute song cannot approach this horror; there is no drama in the stories of the partition, and background music and songs are entirely absent.

Professor Emeritus from Stockholm University in Sweden and renowned historian Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed presented a candid and impartial overview of the 1947 partition in his historical book 'The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed,' which sends shivers down the spine. Ishtiaq Ahmed wrote this book using secret British government reports, contemporary newspapers, and most importantly, interviews with eyewitnesses, victims, and even attackers living in both countries.

What happened in Punjab from March to December 1947 was not just the partition of India—it was the most terrible 'ethnic cleansing' in human history. Five of the most painful incidents selected from this book are enough to understand that the wound of the partition is deeper and will never heal than what is shown on screen.

1. The Horrific Night of the Well in Toha Khalsa: Women Jumping into Wells to Preserve Honour

In March 1947, before the official dates of independence and partition were determined, horrific violence erupted against Sikhs and Hindus in the rural areas of Rawalpindi (West Punjab). Toha Khalsa is a small picturesque village in the district of Rawalpindi. According to testimonies recorded in Ishtiaq Ahmed's book, an armed mob surrounded the village from all sides during the second week of March. The men of the village did not have special weapons. The attackers made a demand: either they must change their religion or hand over their sisters and daughters to them.

There is an old saying that in a house with two vessels, they will inevitably collide. However, now, when these two vessels collide, four are destroyed. Innocent children suffer and lose their lives as a result of the breakdown of marital bonds between spouses.

Until now, society has instilled the idea that minor disagreements are acceptable in arguments between a man and a woman, that disputes are temporary, and that relationships involve bitterness. But the situation has gone far beyond this.

On Tuesday morning in Kalburga, Karnataka, a man who was upset with his wife decided to take his own life. The wife lived with three children in her native home after separating from her husband. This man arrived at the house intending to end everything, having attached live gel charges to his belt. Upon entering and barricading himself, he detonated himself. As a result of the explosion, a 15-year-old daughter died, while the wife and son are in critical condition.

How can one ask what the children's fault was in this family dispute? What punishment did they receive?

Just a day earlier, a tragedy occurred in a five-star hotel room in Bangalore. On August 10, 40-year-old S.G. Imran killed both daughters by strangulation. The father, who worked as a manager at a taxi company, attempted to commit suicide by strangling his own neck. According to the police, a note found in the room mentioned his wife's infidelity.

The main question in this story is not what happened between the spouses—that is subject to investigation. The real question is why the punishment for the actions of two adults was assigned to two girls aged five and ten? They were neither wife nor husband; they knew nothing of the alleged affair and made no decisions about it. Nevertheless, the anger of an adult determined the fate of these little girls.

A few days ago, a photograph from Fatehbad, Haryana, turned out to be even more horrifying.

On August 7, in the village of Mehuwala, the bodies of Sudesh, a 31-year-old kindergarten worker, her 10-year-old daughter Jyoti, and her 8-year-old son Vinit were found in the house's water tank. The investigation revealed that Sudesh poisoned the children and then took poison herself. After that, all three went into the water tank. Sudesh recorded the entire event on her phone, showing how she gave the children the poisonous substance.

According to the police investigation, there had been long-standing disputes between the couple. In 2014, they married for love, but Sudesh's brother reported that the husband later began using drugs and subjecting the family to harassment. The husband was also arrested on charges of inciting suicide. Police are currently investigating these allegations. Regardless of the reasons, the outcome for the children was the same—they did not participate in this struggle, but the struggle consumed them.

Now let's turn to Kerala. At the end of June, in the Muvattupuzha river, the body of a woman and her two-year-old son were first found. The next day, the body of her husband was discovered. Then, the body of a seven-year-old older daughter from another family, who was in the second grade, was found in the river. This family was experiencing serious financial difficulties. The police even provided them with some housing and covered some expenses through the local church, but the family lost hope.

In this story, there was no alleged affair or suspicion of infidelity. The cause was lack of money. But among the bodies found in the river were children aged seven and two.

Thus, the reason changed, but the child still died.

In the Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, the death of four family members on June 22 raised this issue again. In the village of Bangereddipalli, Damodar, his wife Nirmala, and two children were found dead. The son Dileep was in the eighth grade, and the daughter Shrividya was in the sixth grade. According to the police, Damodar poisoned his wife and children, and then hanged himself. A message found at the scene mentioned the need to use the money kept in the bank for the funeral. The investigation revealed stress related to the wife's illness.

And again the same question: the wife was ill, the husband was depressed, the family was in crisis. But what did the children do? Nothing.

The most frightening similarity of all these incidents is that the crisis arising in the lives of adults becomes the cause of the children's death, or more precisely—the cause of the children's murder.

Simply calling this 'suicide' leaves the story unfinished. Because here the children are not just dying; they are being subjected to a torturous death for a crime they did not commit. They were poisoned, strangled, drowned along with them. Their father killed them, and someone else—their mother. Those who should have given the children life decided their death.

Children cease to be mere family members; they become 'collateral damage' from the breakdown of marriage. This term was used in military affairs. Two sides fight, and people unrelated to the war die.

Spouses argue. The reasons vary: suspicions, domestic violence, lack of money, illness, drugs, or proximity to relationship breakdown. But the direct impact of this conflict falls upon the children.

These families cannot be classified into a single economic, social, ethnic, or religious group. Nor can it be said...

In the village of Babhauli, under the jurisdiction of the Govindganj police station, in the eastern district of Champaran (Motihari), Bihar, five members of one family tragically died after drowning in the deep water of a pond.

Among the deceased were a woman, her two young sons, and two daughters. An atmosphere of grief and shock descended upon the area following the incident.

According to reports, Sushila Devi, wife of Dharmendra Mahto, a resident of Babhauli village, was heading with four children to a field for grazing cattle or collecting fodder. The accident occurred near the pond at that moment.

Local residents claim that one of the children fell into the deep water because they could not gauge the depth or slipped. In an attempt to save the child, Sushila Devi, the mother, and all her four children were pulled into the deep water of the pond, holding onto each other.

As soon as the news of the incident reached relatives and villagers, a huge crowd quickly gathered by the pond. Residents immediately began a search and rescue operation, diving into the pond, and after strenuous efforts, retrieved the five bodies.

The sight of the lifeless bodies of the mother and four children caused deep sorrow among relatives. The news of the tragedy led to a wave of mourning across the Motihari region.

Upon arriving at the scene, personnel from the local Govindganj police immediately arrived with reinforcements. The police collected all five bodies and began the procedure of sending them to the district center (Motihari) for autopsy.

At present, the exact cause of the incident has not been established. While villagers consider it an accident that occurred while collecting fodder for livestock, some suggest the possibility of a family dispute. The police administration stated that the situation will only become clear after receiving the autopsy results and completing the investigation.