As a young boy of around 10, Chotta was separated from his family during the chaos of the Partition and remained in India, while his family, who were Muslim, migrated to Pakistan.
Originally known as Bashir, Chotta's family lived in Ghungali Rajputtan village in Khanana Tehsil of Ludhiana district. He was brought to Libra village by Gulzar Singh, who raised him as his own after losing his son during the Partition.
Mohammed Shakir, a social worker from Libra village who has known Chotta, recalls the traumatic events. "Our elders knew his story and how he was brought to the village, but our generation had no idea until he narrated his story to us in February this year," said Shakir in a phone conversation with this newspaper.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Filmmaking is my form of politics'
MID the din of doom and gloom narratives that usually dominate works on climate change, Shawn Sebastian's projects offer an oasis of quiet.
Gemstone Glory
AS Diwali just went by, gold prices have reached an all-time high of around 80,000 per 10 grams for 24 carat.
MAKING JAZZ HER STORY
JAZZ is a celebration of spontaneity—a genre for visionaries, risk-takers, and rebellious spirits who live in the moment. Nowhere is this spirit more embodied than in Monika Herzig's Sheroes, an all-female jazz band from New York that defies expectations.
Five-star Chennaiyin thrash Jamshedpur
CHENNAIYIN FC ran riot in the opening 25 minutes or so against Jamshedpur FC to eventually go on to record a 5-1 victory in the Indian Super League in Jamshedpur on Monday.
Women's FTP: More Tests, slot for leagues
INDIA will host Australia and England and play multiple Tests away from home as the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the women's cricket Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2025-29 cycle.
From being go-to reserve to MVP of series, tale of Will Young
WILL Young doesn't get to put on his Black Caps Test cap as much as he would like to. For the longest time, he has been New Zealand's go-to reserve batter.
We hope Chennai Grand Masters will become city tradition: Srinath
IN the final weeks of 2023, a few stakeholders quietly got together for the Chennai Grand Masters, India's highest-rated Classical super tournament ever.
GHOSTS OF PAST AND PROMISES OF FUTURE
Test series Down Under will define what lies ahead for Indian team
Applications invited for RBI DG as Patra retires in Jan
MICHAEL DEBABRATA PATRA, senior-most deputy governor of the Reserve Bank in charge of key monetary policy department, is set to step down once his term ends in January.
Southern states lead in white-collar hiring in Oct
WHEN it comes to white-collar hiring, Southern states saw significant growth with strong year-on-year gains.
