Divided by Partition, brothers who met 75 yrs later are separated again — now by death
The brothers, separated in 1947 during India's Partition, had reunited at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur last year on January 10 with the visuals of the tearful duo hugging each other being splashed across publications globally.
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Sadiq Khan (left) and Sikka Khan when they met at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan in 2022. (Archive) His family was preparing for a wedding in June when Sadiq Khan made a video call to his younger brother Sikka Khan. The 85-year-old had called from Faisalabad in Pakistan’s Punjab to discuss some details with Sikka, in Indian Punjab’s Amritsar.
“We were on video call. He looked fit and fine. I asked him to come to India. He asked me to wait for the summer to pass. I had no idea that it will be our last call,” says Sikka Khan, 78, trying to hold back tears.
Sikka is yet to come to terms with the demise of Sadiq Khan, who passed away on July 4.
The brothers, separated in 1947 during India’s Partition, had reunited at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur last year on January 10 with the visuals of the tearful duo hugging each other being splashed across publications globally.
The photo later came to symbolise several such reunions of families from East and West Punjab who had separated when Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947.
Then it was an invisible line drawn on a map that divided the brothers. This time, it is death.
Sadiq, who was 10 years old in the summer of 1947, had earlier told a Pakistani YouTuber how he and his father left his maternal home at village Phulewal in Bathinda, without his younger brother and mother, and found themselves in two different countries.
Sadiq’s father was killed in the riots and he was brought up by his uncle at village Bogran in Faisalabad. Sadiq went on to marry and had children and grandchildren.
On the other hand, Sikka’s mother committed suicide and his sister died a few years after Partition. He never married.
The YouTuber, Nasir Dhillon, uploaded Sadiq’s vieo on social media in 2019.
A day later, he got a call from a person in Sikka’s village, but it took another two years for the brothers to finally meet, owing to Covid pandemic outbreak and after overcoming the paperwork for Sikka to cross the border.
“Once again the border came between us. I could not attend his funeral,” says Sikka, who will now be visiting Pakistan next week to attend last prayers of his brother.
Dhillon confirmed that Sikka has been granted visa by Pakistan High Commissioner. “Two more persons have been given visa along with Sikka,” said Dhillon, adding Sadiq’s death was sudden.
“He had returned from his farm. He felt uneasy, He died while being taken to hospital,” Dhillon said.
PAfter their hour-long meeting at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the brothers had visited each other in Pakistan and India, respectively.
Sikka went to Pakistan in March last year and stayed with his brother for some time. Sadiq Khan also came to India in June to stay with Sikka.
“I am thankful to God that he let us meet in this life. I am hopeful that we will be brothers in next life too,” says Sikka wiping tears.
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