 Hello and welcome to our Ithihaas archives. We're here to record the oral testimony of Trilochin Singh who was born in 1927 in Peshawar who worked with the frontier Gandhi, Barsha Khan He was jailed in Peshawar then again in Lahore and has led an amazing life But why don't you hear his story from him himself? It's a privilege and honor to interview Trilochin Singh ji. You are an eminent freedom fighter. Tell me where were you born and when were you born? I was born in Peshawar, Sathal on 1st of October 1927 How is it that you were inspired to join the freedom struggle? Who were your parents? my parents along with the group of Punjabis from Kembalpur district in Rawalpindi area They had in some years. I don't remember which year they had migrated to Peshawar and settled in Peshawar Sathal As a small businessman my father's name Sujan Singh My mother name her name called. How did you join the freedom struggle? I was a student of 10th class. I Used to regularly read newspapers so I read about the call of quit India given by Gandhi at a congress session in Bombay on 9th of August 1942 that somehow impressed me and As a first step we closed the main gate of the school late down there as our part of quit India movement Police came They tried to drag me Away from that gate And then one Mr. Mohammed the you he was known as captain you because he was a captain of a hockey team a rich prosperous Resident there Who lived close by to the school when he learned about it he rushed and Stop the police From dragging me or hitting me Anyway, police took me to the lockup and Then they Took me to the jail. How old were you at that time 15 years only 15 years and how long were you in Peshawar jail? two months the Centuries or the policemen They were patterns They were very sympathetic Not only because they felt that I'm a young boy But they had themselves Feeling for India's freedom struggle. Yes. So tell us about the patterns. Who were they Guided by and why were they so sympathetic later that I learned was that these patterns They were led by two brothers. Dr. Khan's up the elder mother and Abdul Ghaffar Khan Dr. Khan's up Incidentally turned out to be the first pattern Who went to London? for higher studies of medicine He did his MBBS in London. He married a British woman returned to Peshawar and Along with his brother They were leading the freedom struggle then Abdul Ghaffar Khan Like Congress Sevadal He had built his volunteers and used to call them Sirposh, they used to wear red Uniform, so they were called red shirts in English and sirposh in Pashto, how did he make the patterns who are basically revolutionary? How do they make make them normal? Basically, as I said that it is said about the pattern that a pattern is born with a rifle and dies with a bullet Despite this kind of a background Because of Abdul Ghaffar Khan's leadership the way he went about preach non-violence Then as a part of quit India movement Redshirt used to come from their villages to the city and They will picket the courts as a part of 1942 quit India movement picked in the courts so that the courts are closed. You see closing the administration Going against going to the government offices Demonstrating their wearing of course their Uniform he would order the Volunteers to disperse they would refuse then he would order the police to remove them forcibly They tried to remove them forcibly, but they would resist then they were asked to Do the lotty charge so they used to hit The sirposh the red shirt volunteers picking violent the courts they used to hit them with a lot he's in such a manner that they were to vomit blood fall on the ground and Volunteers used to come put them in the stretcher and take them to the nearby dispensary of dr. You've seen this yourself. Yes, that they were hit till they vomited and they would not Hit back as a child learnt here. I was also there. We were used to carry the wounded Redshirts in the stretchers to the dispensary of dr. Khan's up, but at that time in nine around 1930. There was this famous incident where two hundred people That that was much earlier Then of course I was only about three years old It is only later that I learned About that tell us about the kissa that kissa honey bazaar was a the main bazaar Was and even today it's a main bazaar of Peshawar city So the Congress people had taken out a procession a demonstration in the kissa honey bazaar Shouting slogans against the British led by gaffar Khan So police tried to stop them disperse them. They did not then they use a lot he charged Even then they did not then they brought armed vehicles and The arm vehicle the soldiers fired at that position killing scores of people right in the kissa honey bazaar The result was that the movement became all more pervasive all over the frontier province and instead of People being intimidated by such zulum such a cruelty by the British government. They in fact became more Much involved over well Number of people but haunts in the all the six districts of frontier province they started in their own Cities and villages the kind of a movement. That is what I say that the total population of Frontier province at that time was 30 lakh 3 million and Imagine that in 1942 43 almost one lakh Were either in jail or they were interned in their own homes Tell me then how did you end up in Lahore? You see half of the passing match to collision For my college studies, I first went to Amritsar giant halsa college Which was the very famous college? its principal was Jyotsingh a very famous educationist so there I started Lecturing giving speeches organizing student as a part of the ongoing quit India movement in fact, I remember that in the hostel I used to have two very prominent persons one Balbir Singh who later Became India's greatest hockey player center forward will be sing and Durham Singh who also became the Most famous full back of hockey team. All right, so they were with you in Khalsa. They were also sort of my fellow dwellers in the hostel but finding that I was actively demonstrating the And organizing the student the principal one day called me and he said that look This is an ultimatum. Either you stop your studies altogether Are you leave the college? So he threatened you he threatened me So I chose to leave the college So after leaving Amritsar College, I went to Lahore Yes, and in Lahore, I joined Dayaal Singh College Which was also hotbed of politics at that time. It was the center of the freedom struggle and Dayaal Singh College incidentally was located right in the central part of the city of Lahore and It might surprise you it was a co-educational college I am talking of 1943 People were there women freedom fighters. Did you know anyone in fact you will read in this In my this That When I started this in Dayaal Singh College Organizing the student demonstration, etc. I was first of all there was a Student union there was election for the student union. Did you stand for so I stand for assistant security? Because I was only a fussy a student. I couldn't contest more office so These girls led by Hamidah a Muslim girl, you know, I mean the banu they actively campaigned for me. I was elected, you know But what are your experiences in Lahore? What what did you do in Lahore? You see that Soon thereafter I started I mean students from different colleges learned about my Speeches about my Organization and all that and you know Lahore Had many colleges in Cyclopedia it was called City of Colleges. There used to be Khaalsa College DaVy College, Sinathandan College, Islamia College, FC College, Norman College, so many colleges But were the students very active at that time? I was Fortunately successful in organizing in different colleges demonstrations In support of the quit India movement, you know And that Ultimately resulted that I was arrested You were arrested once again in Lahore and this time where were you and for how long were you arrested? So I was put in the lock up. I Had to pass my stools there within the soon that small place eat my food also over there and and one day Something happened. I don't remember but I That deputy sub-land police his name I remember Baba Jagat Singh Bala I went to India's office and he had called me his office There was a roller on his table. I just started playing with it He took the roller and hit me on my the back of my hand. He said how dare you? Behave like this. You're sitting in front of a police officer. So anyway, he So he hit you with a ruler because he felt you weren't paying attention to him It was the summer, you see days and next day he Ordered the police constable to take me out of the lock up stripped me all made neck and naked and lie in that sun On the ground and one or two police constable. They walked on my back. I was lying on my stomach, you know So that kind of a torture So you certainly pay some police torture as well inside Lahore. So anyway, I mean Back in Peshawar my people learned About my arrest and torture. So my father and my maternal uncle they came to Lahore It took them two days to Find out where I was locked up. So they came there But they were they were not allowed to talk to me. They came the next day So probably they were allowed to have a word with me. So I told them don't worry It is just a part of the movement So that's how they kept the anxious parents waiting while torturing the young boys, but What did you see at that time what mahal kya tha? What was because Lahore was a hotbed of the freedom struggle at that time. So what did you see? See actually Lahore was not much of center of freedom struggle at that time when I went there There was a few demonstration a few procession not but not much So I was very happy that My campaigning and going to different colleges are used to one when Students of call different colleges learnt about my role my speeches So they would invite me to the college. So I would go to DAV college not of them college FC college I used to speak there. So that built up a movement and The result was that eventually when I Was the extent, you know, so I was arrested One day police came to my hostel budget here. So it was known as much it yourself and They swooped into my cube cubicle and arrested me So I was a Taken to Lahore for jail. So I spent about three to four weeks there in the jail and Then I was released But an internment order was served on me that I could not leave my hostel After 6 p.m. And before 6 a.m. Well, one of the evenings. I Just walked into a famous Lawrence garden, which was close to my hostel When I was just littering in the garden. It was about 430 or 5 p.m. Some people recognized me because they had seen me Addressing public meeting so gathered around me and asked me to speak So I started speaking to them in Lawrence garden and became a public meeting the police Men came they seized me over there And again took me to jail So you're once again in jail. So I was again back into the jail but next day they Took me to the hostel and Next morning again police batch came and They said served on me an order that you must leave boundaries of Punjab within 24 hours And where did you go then? As the students in the hostel learned about the police raid at my cubicle So they gather they shouted started anyway. They asked me to pack up They I packed up put me into the jeep Jeep and took me to Lahore railway station The people who had learned about it in the students. They followed the jeep. It became a kind of a procession You know and but anyway Lahore railway station I was put into the frontier mail One constable was there with me To go back to Peshawar So you went back to Peshawar from Lahore after yet another December 1944 December 1944 but before you believe push Lahore Tell me a little bit about the leaders there and what you saw and other people who are working there who may not be Alive anymore Punjab Unfortunately was not very actively involved in the quit India movement to begin with and It was the later on that that movement was built up and I'm glad that I could play a small role So tell me through Lochon Singh ji that now we are back in Peshawar You you now extern from Lahore and you're back in Peshawar and this is what year 1945 end of December 44 end of December 44. All right, so What did you do in Peshawar? I was a student of FSC second year So the first thing I had to do was to complete my FSC Peshawar had only two colleges One was Islamia College. One was the Edwards College only Islamia College had science faculty Edward College did not so I went to Giant Islamia College when they somehow learned about my expulsion from external meant from Punjab and Involvement in the fit of women. They refused to Take me as a student. So you didn't have any college admission either. You were extolled and you were without a mission and so then I Went to dr. Khan Saab You see dr. Khan Saab was the chief earlier chief minister of the Frontier promise. You're talking about Abdul Gaffer Khan's father elder brother You know in 1935 The British government held past and act Granting some kind of a self-government to India Under that elections were held in 1937 for the first time general election in India and in NWFP There were two promises which were dominated by Muslim Bengal and Frontier promise and Punjab sorry So in Frontier promise it was Congress led by Dr. Khan Saab and the Gaffer Khan which won the elections and Formed the ministry and dr. Khan Saab became the first Congress chief minister of Frontier province In 1940 Gandhi had given again a call of by cutting With the result that Congress ministries all over India had resigned so The NWFP ministry led by dr. Khan Saab they also resigned so I was made a member of all India Congress committee All right, and you were how old then I Was then 18 or 19 you were a member of all India Congress committee So I was the I remained a member of all India Congress committee for 24 years And So I used to attend the sessions of AICC or near Congress committee So what were the proceedings because partition was also was it not discussed? Partition was discussed in 1946 onward. All right. So you were witness to those discussions Yes, we were witness to a discussion. What was what was a feeling? Did people want partition? It was in June 1947 Even the British government was had started negotiation with the Congress in 1946 for granting India self-government it was a Congress was led by Nehru at that time negotiating with them Congress for committee of the Khan Khan Khan was one of the members of the Congress working committee So ultimately in June 1947 in Delhi the Congress working committee adopted the resolution accepting partition Abdul Ghaffar Khan Did not agree He walked out of the work committee meeting and went straight away to Gandhi who was staying in Harijan Colony in Delhi And there he said the famous words They are so we are being thrown to the wolves There's a book also written by Gandhi's grandson. The title of the book is thrown to the wolves So you what you are documenting is that you are a witness to the fact that Ghaffar Khan I was at that time A small colleague of Abdul Ghaffar Khan I used to accompany him everywhere and That is how I had come to with him to Delhi and When he walked out of the work committee meeting I walked with him to Harijan Colony to Gandhi where he said to Gandhi that we are being thrown to the wolves This is an amazing fact that you have actually witnessed this historical moment Where Abdul Ghaffar Khan is a posing partition which a resolution that has been passed by the All India Working Committee And you have accompanied him out of that out of that meeting and then all the way to the Harijan Colony Here in Delhi You were with him when he went to meet Gandhi or did he see? Yes I was with the Far Khan when he met Gandhi in Harijan Colony If you could tell us now, this is a very important moment in history that Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan has refused to accept the partition, he has walked out of the meeting and you have accompanied him to meet Gandhi where he is protesting. And Tehr Ghaffar Khan told Gandhi ji that the Khan's committee by accepting the partition of India, the creation of Pakistan is a tent amount to throwing us to the wolves. And what did Gandhi ji say? Gandhi ji certainly said that I agree with you. Gandhi ji said I agree with you. I agree with you. He tried to console him because according to partition NWFP was to go to Pakistan. Ghaffar Khan was the resident of NWFP only. So that is why he used the word. You have thrown us to the wolves. They were riots all over the province but not as much as in Punjab. When these riots started, the Redshirts volunteers, Pathan, they used to walk from their villages, come to the city and guard the Hindu Sikh Mahalas and the Muslim League by them had become quite strong. The Muslim League used to come and spit in their faces. But they did that. But they still sweat out of their way to save them. And yet the Pathan Redshirts in their uniform, they used to guard the Hindu Sikh Mahalas against a communal attacks. This is an amazing testimony. You are talking about the Pathan's guarding the Hindus and the Sikhs. But just to go back a bit, you are witness to the fact that Ghaffar Khan has said that you are throwing us to the wolves. You are witness to the fact that Gandhi ji agrees with him and tries to console him. Why in your opinion did partition happen? Who conceded to it? By then, you see, the Muslim League had become very strong. Jinnah had emerged as a very powerful leader of the Muslims of India. If it remains a united India, it might mean continuous communal riots between Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs. And this killing would not stop. So they thought that perhaps a better, comparatively better solution is accepting partition. So in now that we are doing this recording right now in 2019, in retrospect, do you feel that it was, what was partition? Was it a mistake? I don't think so, because I think the kind of situation that had developed, at that time it was not possible to envisage that communal riots would stop. But what did you see in partition then? So it was, nobody envisaged that when partition would be announced, there would be such kind of a killing that eventually did happen. Certainly the Muslim Leagueers, wherever they could find a way, they were attacking the Hindu Sikh mohallas. In that situation, the Bajshah Khan, Gapthagar Khan was also known as Bajshah Khan. So he asked his volunteers, Surkhbosh, and that is they used to come from their villages and guard the Hindu Sikh mohallas against attacks by Muslim Leagueers. How did you settle yourself now, when you came and settled yourself in Delhi? Yes, I have settled in Delhi to begin with. My father used to sit on the patadik of Chandni Chowk. He sat on the roadside of Chandni Chowk selling some small things and I also sometimes used to join him. So you started life in independent India after partitions, sitting literally on the footpath. Must be a very hard times. What was the feeling? Certainly a hard time but he started, as I told you, selling some small things on the patadik of Chandni Chowk. Eventually he found a shop in Azhar market. And where did you live? How did you find a home? No, this Pahargan was an abandoned house. You found an abandoned house and also someone must have fled to Pakistan. Pahargan before partition was a Muslim populated mohalla. So after partition, since they left, so many houses were felt vacant and refugees who had come, they tried to occupy whatever abandoned places that we find. How many of you were there in the family now in this abandoned house in Pahargan? We were quite a number of family. We were six brothers, two sisters and my father brother. So ten people? Yes, it was a small house in Pahargan. Sort of one bedroom, one bed room, countering room and a small Laiata. So ten people in basically one room and a small balcony. And what was the mood at that time of India? Because India had also just become independent. So what were you seeing around you? To begin with, there was desperation, there was a feeling of frustration, you see. Having abandoned our living, our homes, you see, everything. But as time passed, we started falling in line with the time. And we realized that now what is passed is literally passed. And now there's a new future we have to build the future. Very, very optimistic and progressive. But tell me, what has been your role then after that? What did you do in independent India in 1950? So from, I first of all started doing this outdoor advertising business. In 1950? 1952 onwards. Outdoor advertising, what is that? Holdings on the whole side. So eventually that became my major business. And you were also very active in the Congress party? I was the main campaigner for the Congress in the election in Delhi. And I... Till 2009. Alright, till 2009. And in fact, in 1972 and other elections, I used to tour the whole of Northern India. Go to various places, Lucknow, Merritt and different places, electioneering. I was the main campaigner of Dr. Manmohan Singh. The only election he fought and lost. You also campaigned for Dr. Manmohan Singh? He stood for Lok Sabha from Delhi, south. I was his major campaigner. He lost the election. So later he was in the Rajya Sabha. So then I called the neutral. Then of course I was elected to the municipal corporation of Delhi. I became the secretary of the Congress party in the municipal corporation. After the seven or eight years, I was made a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council. Then I became the vice chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council. And also you received the Tamra Patra which is an acknowledgement that you are a freedom fighter. You see that a freedom fighter cell was established by the government. And the genuine freedom fighters, you had to somehow establish that you were a freedom fighter. Various documents, various witnesses and all that. So then the government started giving pension to the freedom fighters. I was also offered pension but I refused to take pension. So you had an illustrious life and you worked with the, you've seen the red shirters, you worked with the Congress party, you've been in jail in Peshawar and in Lahore. You've gone through the bloodbath of partition, sat on a footpath and worked your way up. What finally is your message to independent India's youth? Well, in fact today my major worry is the plight of Muslims in India. I think they are living a second class citizen life which is not good for the future of India. If this continues for another decade or two, that means India might have had once again for another partition. So you see the Muslim population in India is the third largest in the world. And look, where do you find the Muslim? No Muslims in parliament, no Muslim in assembly, no Muslims in government offices. I mean, if there are one or two here or there, that means nothing. So this poverty, this backwardness, this illiteracy among the Muslim, that worries me a lot. And what should the right thinking Indian do today? Well, first of all India, of course, must do primarily to fight the poverty. You see, illiteracy, poverty, that is the major battle and then of course concentrate on uplifting the Muslims. You see, their education, they are giving them the job, starting small businesses involving them so that they come up. After all, why did we adopt the constitution especially for origins, backward classes, you see? So you feel that secularism and equality is the most important issue for India. Thank you so much Mr. Thirulotan Singhji for giving us your valuable time and your testimony to the Himara Itihas archive. Thank you so much. Thank you.