Page 111 - Train to Pakistan

say anything like that to our tenants, any more than we could tell our sons to get
out of our homes. Is there anyone here who could say to the Muslims, “Brothers,
you should go away from Mano Majra”?
Before anyone could answer, another villager came in and stood on the

threshold. Everyone turned round to see, but they could not recognize him in the
dim lamplight.

‘Who is it?’ asked the lambardar, shading his eyes from the lamp. ‘Come in.’
Imam Baksh came in. Two others followed him. They also were Muslims.
‘Salaam, Chacha Imam Baksh. Salaam, Khair Dina. Salaam, salaam.’
‘Sat Sri Akal, Lambardara. Sat Sri Akal,’ answered the Muslims.

People made room for them and waited for Imam Baksh to begin.
Imam Baksh combed his beard with his fingers.

‘Well, brothers, what is your decision about us?’ he asked quietly.
There was an awkward silence. Everyone looked at the lambardar.
‘Why ask us?’ answered the lambardar. ‘This is your village as much as ours.’

‘You have heard what is being said! All the neighbouring villages have been
evacuated. Only we are left. If you want us to go too, we will go.’
Meet Singh began to sniff. He felt it was not for him to speak. He had said his

bit. Besides, he was only a priest who lived on what the villagers gave him. One
of the younger men spoke.
‘It is like this, Uncle Imam Baksh. As long as we are here nobody will dare to

touch you. We die first and then you can look after yourselves.’
‘Yes,’ added another warmly, ‘we first, then you. If anyone raises his
eyebrows at you we will rape his mother.’

‘Mother, sister and daughter,’ added the others.
Imam Baksh wiped a tear from his eyes and blew his nose in the hem of his
shirt.

‘What have we to do with Pakistan? We were born here. So were our
ancestors. We have lived amongst you as brothers.’ Imam Baksh broke down.
Meet Singh clasped him in his arms and began to sob. Several of the people

started crying quietly and blowing their noses.
The lambardar spoke: ‘Yes, you are our brothers. As far as we are concerned,
you and your children and your grandchildren can live here as long as you like.

If anyone speaks rudely to you, your wives or your children, it will be us first
and our wives and children before a single hair of your heads is touched. But
Chacha, we are so few and the strangers coming from Pakistan are coming in