Viewer’s Discretion: The following video contains disturbing images. In 1947, Punjab witnessed one of the darkest chapters of its history. The Muslim League’s call for Direct Action created a wave of violence that tore apart the social fabric of the region. In Punjab, this call influenced sections of the Muslim community to engage in looting, arson, and brutal attacks, particularly targeting Sikhs. The Sikh community had transformed Punjab into one of the most fertile regions of the subcontinent. Generations of Sikhs had toiled to cultivate once barren lands after the British established the canal colonies. This prosperity, however, turned to devastation during partition. Countless Sikhs lost their properties, ancestral homes, and above all, their lives. For centuries, Sikhs and Muslims of Punjab had lived side by side without deep animosity. They shared language, culture, and even traditions. But with the political winds of the 1940s, a new wave of ideology began to flow in from the Hindi-speaking Muslim leadership of northern India. This influx of political radicalism altered the outlook of many, pitting communities of Punjab against each other for the first time in history. The partition was not just a division of land—it was a division of hearts, of trust, and of centuries-old coexistence.
