Page 62 - Train to Pakistan

first arrests we have made in the last seven days. Both cells are vacant. You can
have one all to yourself.’
‘Babuji will like that,’ Jugga said. ‘Won’t you, Babuji?’

Iqbal did not answer. Jugga felt slightly snubbed, and tried to change the
subject quickly.
‘You must have a lot of work to do with this Hindustan-Pakistan business

going on,’ he remarked to the constable.
‘Yes. There is all this killing and the police force has been reduced to less than
half.’

‘Why, have they joined up with Pakistan?’
‘We do not know whether they have joined up on the other side—they kept
protesting that they did not want to go at all. On the day of Independence, the

Superintendent sahib disarmed all Muslim policemen and they fled. Their
intentions were evil. Muslims are like that. You can never trust them.’
‘Yes,’ added another policeman, ‘it was the Muslim police taking sides which

made the difference in the riots. Hindu boys of Lahore would have given the
Muslims hell if it had not been for their police. They did a lot of zulum.’
‘Their army is like that, too. Baluch soldiers have been shooting people

whenever they were sure there was no chance of running into Sikh or Gurkha
troops.’
‘They cannot escape from God. No one can escape from God,’ said Juggut

Singh vehemently. Everyone looked a little surprised. Even Iqbal tuned round to
make sure that the voice was Juggut Singh’s.

‘Isn’t that right, Babuji? You are a clever man, you tell me, can one escape the
wrath of God?’
Iqbal said nothing.
‘No, of course not,’ Jugga answered himself. ‘I tell you something which Bhai

Meet Singh told me. It is worth listening to, Babuji. It is absolutely sixteen
annas’ worth in the rupee.’

Every rupee is worth sixteen annas, thought Iqbal. He refused to take interest.
Jugga went on.
‘The Bhai told me of a truckful of Baluch soldiers who were going from
Amritsar to Lahore. When they were getting near the Pakistan border, the

soldiers began to stick bayonets into Sikhs going along the road. The driver