Rousing welcome for Indian Sikh returning Pakistan after 71 years of partition
LAHORE, Mar 27: After an extensive gap of 71 years, Sardar Harbhajan Singh Bhatia’s dream has come true as he finally returned to Pakistan from India to visit his birthplace Okara, where he was warmly received.
Bhatia, 84, accompanied by his nephew and wife arrived in Okara and received a rousing welcome from the locals who showered him with rose petals, showing that people in the neighbouring nations still have much more in common than that which divides them.
OKara was his hometown before the turmoil following the India-Pakistan partition drove millions in both directions out of their abodes. Sardar Harbhajan Singh Bhatia has dreamed of coming back ever since and finally touched the sacred land to restore the reminiscences of his childhood.
As per local media reports, Singh was also invited to attend a reception that was arranged to commemorate his visit to Pakistan.
Singh had migrated to India in the September of 1947 at the age of 14, from his home in Okara, located in the Block B.
His arrival was announced on Twitter by Amardeep Singh Bhatia, a retired Indian army officer and son of Sardar Harbhajan Singh, who esteemed the zest with which his father was greeted by the natives of his place of origin.
As a retort to the negative comments, Amardeep tweeted: “I would just like to put end to unnecessary controversy. Neither I was praising Pak nor demeaning anyone. I was praising the humanity and people who love each other. Self proclaimed politicians with their vested interests divide the humanity so that they can rule.”
