Khurshid Ahmed, a resident of Pakistan, returns to his ancestral village of Machrai in Punjab, overwhelmed with emotion and memories of his childhood
Team Clarion
GURDASPUR — An atmosphere of joy and celebration fills the village of Machrai in Gurdaspur, Punjab, as 90-year-old Khurshid Ahmed, a native of the village, returns to India after 77 years. The elderly man’s visit is not just a personal journey but a momentous occasion for the village, which was deeply affected by the Partition of India in 1947.
Born in Machrai, Khurshid was just a child when the country was divided. His family, like many others from the Muslim community in the area, migrated to Pakistan during the Partition. Since then, Khurshid had lived in Pakistan, always longing to revisit the place where he had spent his childhood.
“Today, I feel as though I have completed my Hajj,” Khurshid said, wiping away tears of joy as he stood in his village after more than seven decades. “The moment I set foot in this village, I felt the love and warmth of the people, just as it was when I was a child. Though the houses have changed, the people are the same.”
The visit of Khurshid is symbolic of the deep-rooted emotional connection that many partition survivors still have with their homeland. Despite the passage of time, the desire to reconnect with lost homes and communities remains strong. The 1947 partition had torn apart families and villages, leaving many with a lifetime of yearning for their ancestral lands.
“I never thought I would return to this place,” Khurshid confessed, his voice choked with emotion. “But today, my dream has come true.”
Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Machrai who has lived in Canada for several years, shared the story of Khurshid’s long journey back to India. “A few years ago, Khurshid met my brother at the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan,” Gurpreet explained. “During that meeting, Khurshid expressed his wish to return to his native village. My brother kept in touch with him and his family, and after much effort, Khurshid finally received a visa to visit India.”
Khurshid’s visa is valid for 45 days, but it is unclear whether he will return to Pakistan soon after his visit. His return to the village, however, has brought immense joy to his family and the villagers, who welcomed him with open arms.
“People from the village have shown so much affection, and I feel at home once again,” Khurshid said. “Even though so many years have passed, the bond of love between the people of India and Pakistan has not weakened.”
Khurshid’s visit highlights the powerful emotional ties that continue to bind people across the India-Pakistan border, especially those who were separated by the Partition. With the opening of the route to Sri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan for Indian citizens, many families, like Khurshid’s, have had the rare opportunity to reconnect with their roots, crossing borders after decades of separation.
While political borders may divide nations, the bonds of love and memory remain unbroken, as Khurshid’s journey to his birthplace so vividly demonstrates.
