Iftkahr Ahmed
Iftkahr Ahmed, age 17, celebrated when the British left India but the creation of Pakistan meant little to him. ‘India was my home’.
It became too dangerous for Iftkahr, a Muslim, to be living by himself with in Delhi so he found sanctuary in a yard with other fellow Muslims. They barricaded the entrances to the yard at night with horse carriages and barrels but these were frequently set alight by the Hindu and Sikh mobs trying to force them out. After three days, he left with 50 others and walked by foot to the great Mosque, Jama Masjid in Delhi. They walked during the day to avoid the mobs at night. Iftkahr was terrified: they passed many casualties in the streets and he witnessed young girls being taken away by Hindu men but couldn’t do anything about it.
The mosque was no longer safe so Iftkahr was forced to continue his journey again by foot before taking a train to Atari, a few miles from the new border. A Pakistani soldier let Iftkahr join a train with them which took him safely to Lahore, Pakistan, where he spent the night on the station floor.
After four months in Lahore, Iftkahr moved to Karachi to be with his sister, then later travelled to England to work for a Pakistani man in Surrey. He has lived in England for over 65 years and it is home, and so too is India, even though he was forced to flee as a young man.