Summary
Apart from the Holocaust, the Partition of the Punjab in 1947 was the most dastardly act of genocide in the 20th century. Determined to Balkanize the Indian subcontinent as the parting price for independence, the British tacitly encouraged the Muslim League in the Punjab to embark on a process of ethnic cleansing, and this accelerated once the Hindus and Sikhs retaliated. As the violence became unmanageable, partition was inevitable. Through this mayhem, there was only one oasis of peace in the Punjab, and that was the tiny Muslim-ruled principality of Malerkotla.
So what is it that makes Malerkotla so special? Legend has it that for centuries the town has been peaceful because of the special boon given to it by Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh Gurus. Others feel that it is simply the presence of the shrine of Baba Sadruddin, popularly known as Baba Haidar Sheikh, the Sufi saint, who founded the town of Malerkotla more than 500 years ago.
More than five decades after partition, Malerkotla is the only living example of the defeat of the two- nation theory, a theory based on religious theocracy and a specious belief that the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent are a separate nation. Howwever, the vast majority of the sub-continent’s Muslims have undeniable Hindu and Sikh roots, and they are part of the syncretic culture of India. Though there have been concerted attempts to Islamicize the Muslims of Pakistan along fundamental lines, Malerkotla is a reflection of what the Pakistani Muslims actually could be. Malerkotla is probably the only place in East Punjab that can boast of almost 200 functioning mosques, and 65% of the inhabitants are Muslims. The rest of the population consists of Hindus and Sikhs. The Temples, the Gurudwaras and the Mosques all reinforce the multi-culturalism of contemporary India.
The film delves into the perplexing questions of how Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims can live peacefully and profitably in the Indian sub-continent and shows how the inhabitants of the Muslim majority town of Malerkotla have lead the way in this endeavor.
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