Samar Mahmmood discovers that life goes on as usual even in times of war
There is little doubt that there has ever been greater unity in the country than in the period of war and immediately after. I grew up listening to stories of Pakistan’s two wars and the spirit our people showed at that time. Even now, when the family elders get together their conversation revolves around the state of affairs and they end up discussing the nation’s spirit during the 1965 Indo-Pak war and their feelings at the fall of Dhaka in the 1971 war.
Nawazish Ali, a government employee, recalls, “I was at my office on Birdwood Road, Lahore on September 6, 1965. Walking through the corridor I saw two fighter planes in action over the border side. Initially I could not make out that the Indians had attacked us. I was watching them with keen interest when someone shouted India had attacked Pakistan. Radio Pakistan was our prime source of information and we immediately rushed towards a radio. President Ayub Khan was making his address. I remember he concluded his speech with “Khuda apka hami-o-nasir ho.”
“I was not scared or panicked. Each one of us was instilled with a spirit that cannot be described in words. Everyone was willing to make every sacrifice to save our homeland. We felt as if we were fighting a holy war.
“Everyone was above petty issues and there was no Punjabi, Sindhi, Baloch or Pathan. Everyone was just Pakistani no matter what community or sect he belonged to. The whole nation stood together.
“My blood starts racing whenever I recall those 17 days of the 1965 war. I have seen the 1947 partition and migrated from Ferozepur to Lahore by paying a heavy price. I know the worth of freedom. During the war I saw people cheering in streets, on roads and rooftops whenever fighter jets were in action. Lahorites used to take loads of fruits and eatables for Pakistani soldiers on the frontline. Shopkeepers refused to charge soldiers when they visited bazaars and markets and the general public greeted them with loud cheers.
“Madam Noor Jehan’s songs like “Aiay Puttar Hattan Tay Nai Vickday” and “Aiy Rahe Haq Kay Shaheedo” by Nasim Begum worked as boosters not only for soldiers in the war zone but also people at large. Radio Pakistan did a commendable job by broadcasting wonderful programmes to lift the spirit of the nation.”
Shabbir-e-Azam, a senior journalist, says: “I was with The Pakistan Times during the wars of 1965 and 1971. Being a young journalist I was a keen observer and I witnessed a marked difference between the morale of the people during the two wars. In 1965, I used to live at Mohni Road, Lahore. I saw people roaming around and going about their daily chores without fear or despair. The spirit and morale were very high. I used to go to my newspaper office without any problem. I can safely say life went on as usual during the 17 days of war. People cheered and shouted patriotic slogans when jet fighters were in action.
“People used to stick around the radio and listen to news updates on war fronts. My father was a poet and was invited, like many other poets, by Radio Pakistan’s Lahore station for poetry recital. Writers, poets, singers, actors and people from all walks of life played their role in the 1965 war.
“There was not a single crime reported anywhere in Lahore during the war days. There was no shortage of essentials or price hike. People reached out to those in need of help. Since there was only one bridge over the river Ravi that linked Lahore to the other cities, it got choked when people from Lahore moved to their loved ones living in other parts of the country. Indian fighters tried their level best to destroy that bridge but all their attempts were foiled by PAF jets.
“The situation was quite different in the 1971 war. People were aware of the happenings in East Pakistan at that time. The fall of Dhaka was a serious blow to the nation’s morale; as the news of surrender broke, people came out from their houses, crying.
Shamim Akhtar, a housewife, says: “I was visiting Misri Shah with my one-year-old son on September 6, 1965. We had just left for home when there was an air attack. Panic followed as the news of the Indian attack broke. People advised us to go back to our relatives but we insisted on going home. Finally a tongawala agreed to take us to Samanabad.
“In 1971, we had trenches dug in the courtyard of our house and I kept my children in them as much as possible; they had their meals in the trenches and played with their toys and quite enjoyed the experience. My eldest had just started school so I used this time to help him practise his reading and writing — there was all the time in the world, sitting in the trenches.”
Zeenat Begum says she worked as a volunteer in the 1971 war. “I used to live in Lalamusa at that time and go to Kharian Cantt along with other volunteers and prepare first-aid kits for the injured soldiers. I was a housewife but stepped out of my house for the love of my country. We worked there with a missionary zeal and the tremendous sense of accomplishment we experienced cannot be expressed in words. This was the minimum we could do. My mother was old but was full of zeal and life. She took care of my children while I was working as a volunteer. There used to be total blackouts when the Indian planes attacked and our whole family used to take cover under the staircase on hearing the sirens. ”
Shahab Ansari, a resident of Krishan Nagar, lost his elder brother who was a flight lieutenant in a plane crash in the 1971 war. “I still remember the day when the news of my brother’s plane crash arrived. I was with my grandparents, aunts and siblings when a relative broke the news to us. We were devastated. My mother had already passed away and my father was in London.
“The fall of Dhaka added to our personal grief. I saw people lying on roads crying their heart out. The weather was chilly and people were struck by grief. It felt like we had lost a part of our own body. ”
The writer is a freelance journalist
