REMEMBERANCES

ALLAMA NAZIR AHMED

MOHALLAH FAZIL IMAM – BHERA
TEL: 048-6690458 & 048-6692172
MOBILE: 0301-3056158
EMIAL: brain_inbox@yahoo.com

Recently a friend of mine, Yousaf Chuhan informed me about the

website www. bhera.com and Tehreek-e-Muhiban-Bhera – lovers of
Bhera. He urged me to write my remembrances of Bhera as others
have written for the website. I have seen the website; it is
comprehensive and aptly portrays the past and present of Bhera
through pictures and articles. I earnestly look forward to see and
interact with Mr Gian Sarup and share with him the good old days of
our beloved town.

A few words about myself and my early education. I was born in

Bhera in 1942. I belonged to a very poor family. My father, Ghulam
Ahmad and grandfather, Allah Ditta were labrours and for sometime
contractors. I have seen acute poverty in my childhood. My mother
died in 1948. Father remarried in 1951. I was admitted in Anjuman
Islamia Primary School Bhera in 1949. All the teachers were
dedicated and taught with missionary zeal. My first teacher was Molvi
Muhammad Ramzan. He taught us in Kacchi and Pakki( nursery and
prep). From him we learnt alphabets, numbers and figures. Daily after
recess we were given dictation. Tables were also repeated daily so
that we learn them by heart. In 1951 I was promoted to Class II. The
school shifted to another building a few yards away. In Class II my
teachers were Sher Muhammad and Muhammad Musafir. The letter
once gave me a Takka (two paisa-coin) as a reward when I was able
to write the Urdu alphabet Meem correctly. In Class III Khawja
Muhammad Latif was my teacher. Later the school was shifted to
main building known as Karbala.

After passing primary I was admitted in Government High School

Bhera. The school had two branches : the junior branch was in Arya
School , having Class VI to VIII ( later Class VIII was also shifted
to senior branch), senior branch was in the main building, having six
to seven sections of each class. Muhammad Yousaf was the in
charge of junior branch. Other teachers who taught me were: Khan
Niaz, Sheikh Khalid Mahmood, Malik Abdul Qayyum, Nazir Ahmad
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Farooqi, and Ch Yaqoob. Here I would like to mention that before

Partition Arya School, known as Kirpa Ram Anglo Sanskrit High
School had a very good reputation. Its staff and students were mostly
Hindus and Sikhs. It had a gymnasium hall, geological museum and a
well equipped laboratory. It is worth mentioning that till the time
Sargodha was declared district (1903), in the whole of district
Shahpur there were two high schools- both in Bhera. One can well
imagine the importance given to Bhera in those days in terms of
education. It was the hub of education. Boys from far flung areas
studied in Bhera. Melodious tunes of high school band are still fresh
in my ears. Scouting was very useful and healthy activity. I don’t think
boys of Bhera High School attend scout camps any more.

I did matric as regular science student in 1961. Passed JV (Junior

Vernacular Teacher) course, equivalent to PTC now in 1963. I started
my career as a primary school teacher in the same year.Here I
remember that in 1962 a JV unit of Shahpur Normal School was
established at Bhera. I was one of the beneficiaries of that unit.
It remained there till 1963. Again it worked for one session from 1972
to 1973. I did FA in 1965, BA in 1967 and MA English in 1969 without
missing a single year- all privately. I became lecturer in 1976 and
served at various colleges. I was appointed principal Government
Inter College Bhera in 1993 for one and a half year. Since November
2002 I am assistant professor in Sargodha University. I have the
honour of delivering the first lecture in Government Inter College
Bhera on 9 September 1978.

As principal of Government Inter College Bhera I would like to

mention about an unpleasant case to which I was the prime witness. I
would not like to go into the details of the case but would high light
the salient points. It so happened that in 1946, Jiwan Mal son of Shiv
Ram and Annant Ram son of Banta Mal donated 90 kanals and 5
marlas of land for construction of Lakhmi Narian College Bhera. In
1991-92 , when it was decided to construct the college’s new
building, a dispute took place between the Education Department and
the Evacuee Trust Property Board. The board refused to issue no
objection certificate (NOC). The Evacuee Trust Property Board was of
the view that according to Evacuee Trust Property Management and
Disposal Act 1975, land belonged to them; hence NOC can not be
given. Matter was taken to the court. Assistant Director, Colleges /
Law Officer and I fought the case against all odds. I gave four-hour
continuous statement in the court presenting all the relevant
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documents, facts and figures. I told the court bluntly that it was a
genuine case, without any personal motives and in case the decision
was not given in the favour of Education Department
I will be compelled to take extreme actions……………….

The case was well contested. Finally the Deputy Commissioner,

Sargodha gave the decision in favour of Education Department.
Extracts of the decision are as follow for the information of our local
leaders and young generation:

 “I have heard the arguments of both sides at length and the

entire matter has been examined dating back to the year 1946,
when this land was mutated in the favour of Lakhmi Narian
Collage Bhera. As a matter of record this land measuring 90
kanals and 5 marlas was mutated in favour of Lakhmi Narian
College Bhera”.
 “Jiwan Mal s/o Shiv Ram and Annat Ram s/o Banta Mal
transferred land measuring 48 kanals and 5 marlas and 96
kanals and 10 marlas respectively in the name of Lakhmi
Narian College Bhera, through Diwan Bahadar Diwan Sita
Ram son of Diwan Baahdar Diwan Jahwahar Mal, Khatri
Sawahny vide mutation number 5291 which was attested on
21-12-1946. Where after, on 23-01-65 as a result of mutation of
the partition, land measuring 90 kanals and 5 marlas was
mutated in favour of Lakhmi Narian College Bhera”.
 “Besides, Diwan Bahadar Diwan Sita Ram had purchased this
land in year 1946 and the Auqaf Department cannot take any
pecuniary advantage by again selling this land to the Education
Department for the establishment of a College which amounts
to “sheer disregard” to the intention and objective of Diwan
Bahadar Diwan Sita Ram. It is not appropriate that the
Evacuee Trust Property Board is not handing over the
possession of the site to the Education Department for the
construction of Government Inter College Bhera”.
 “As far as the correction of record is concerned; the land still
exists in the name of Lakhmi Narain College, Bhera. However,
after the grant of NOC by the Evacuee Trust Property Board ,
the land will be transferred in the name of the Government
Inter College, Bhera, through the Education Department which
is a subsequent action”.
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 “In view of the above, Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board

may kindly be requested to grant NOC for the establishment of
Government Inter College, Bhera, at the above-said of land so
that the wish of Diwan Bahadar Diwan Sita Ram could be
fulfilled for which the land was purchased and obtained by
him”.

It’s an irony of Bhera and bad luck of its people that college building
could not be constructed well in time. Had this building been
constructed in late 1940s or early 1950s, I am sure by now there
would have been at least a Post Graduate College. Presently the
building is under construction at the same site. God knows when the
college will be shifted from its present location - Old Boys’ Hostel,
Kacharey Bazaar. It is my desire that the new building of the college
be named as Lakhmi Narain College Bhera or a block be named as
Lakhmi Narian. A plaque should also be placed at an appropriate
place mentioning the names of all those who donated the land for the
college building. It will be a befitting tribute to their services.

As a child I used to roam in the narrow streets of Bhera.I still have

some memories of the Partition days. I can recall certain places and
houses which are no more there, for example, house of Boota
Wadhwa, a poet who had written verses on the outer walls of his
house (his house was in mohallah Butianwala, next to Musjid Usman
Ghani), haveli of Eashwer Das the Mehndi merchant, Shankar Das’s
kiln, house of hakim Ram Rakkha, Dr Bade, Padri Sunder Das (his
house was adjacent to the northern wall of the old police station).

I remember in those days it was an accepted norm for the boys, girls,
men and women not to move without cap, scarf, dopatta, or turban.
Another restriction was on singing, particularly mahyas in the streets.
We used to wear dhotis with shirt without collar; instead of buttons
there used to be a cord with a knot at the end. Shoes were
indigenously made of leather, especially Kushas and Wadhni.

As young children we played number of games. Hide and seek,

marbles, geetas (nuts), cheechi kunda. Hockey was played with
wooden sticks; cards were made of cigarette packets etc.

My school was next to the railway station. Advocate Sheikh Mahmood

from Miani, often traveled by train from Bhera. While coming or going
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he assigned me a poem of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal (poet of the

East) to translate into English. After school I anxiously waited for him
to get my translation corrected. This thing went on for number of
years till he shifted to Sarghoda.

Hindus and Muslims functions were held with great fervor. Muslim
celebrated Eid Milad–un–Nabi, Shababarat, Eid–ul-Fitr, Eid–ul-Zuha,
annual convention at Jamia Musjid Bhera with enthusiasm. On Eid
Sadiq Phelwan used to organize wrestling and Kabadi matches in
which many prominent sportsmen participated. On Eids, a fair was
also held in the compound of Municipal Committee which lasted for a
week. Hindus celebrated Dusehra and Dewali with jubilations. Baba
Prem Ji’s Boojo Meela (fair) was held in Geetay wala Maidan.

My elders used to tell me that Bhera was a walled city with eight
wooden gates which were closed at night. There was twenty-two feet
wide and twenty-two feet deep ditch with running water out side the
wall, to prevent any rider to jump across. There were also watch
towers, turrets and check posts to guard against any intruders.
Near Jeetu wali Khui there was a spectacular building called Sheish
Mahal. The remains of this amazing building I have seen in my life
time. As told by elders, Bhera was an important trade and commercial
centre. It had trade links with far flung areas like Samarqand,
Bokhara, Kabul, Iraq, Calcutta, Delhi, Amratsir, Sukkhur, Karachi,
Peshawar etc. Its industry of cutlery, poetry, jewelry, khais, darries,
carpets and wooden handi crafts was well known. Combs made of
wood and decorated sticks with mettle and pearls exported even to
European countries.

When I look back I find in those days there was tolerance,

forbearance, mutual respect and sympathy for each other irrespective
of religion, sect, cast and creed. It was something unique.

I have made a humble effort to scribble what I remember about

Bhera. I hope it will be of some interest to the visitors of the website.
I will also make an endeavour to write about prominent persons,
saints and hakims belonging to Bhera.
To be continued…………………….