Indian Sikh man separated from his family during Partition meets his Pak Muslim sister in Kartarpur
Islamabad, Sep 10: Jalandhar-based Sikh man Amarjit Singh's happiness knew no bounds when he met his Muslim sister from Pakistan at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, 75 years after he was separated from his family at the time of Partition.
Singh was left out in India along with his sister while his Muslim parents migrated to Pakistan at the time of Partition.
All eyes went teary as wheelchair-bound Singh had an emotional meeting with his sister Kulsoom Akhtar at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan's Punjab province on Wednesday.
Singh arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah border with a visa to meet his sister, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Kulsoom, 65, could not control her emotions after seeing Singh.
Both hugged each other and kept crying. She had travelled from her hometown in Faisalabad along with her son Shahzad Ahmed and other family members to meet her brother.
Talking to the newspaper, Kulsoom said that her parents migrated to Pakistan from a suburb in Jalandhar in 1947, leaving behind her brother and a sister.
Kulsoom said she was born in Pakistan and used to hear about her lost brother and sister from her mother. She said that her mother used to cry whenever she remembered her missing children.
She said that she did not expect that she would ever be able to meet her brother and sister.
However, a few years ago, a friend of her father Sardar Dara Singh came to Pakistan from India and also met her.
Her mother told Sardar Dara Singh about her son and the daughter she left behind in India. She also told him the name of their village and the location of their house.
Sardar Dara Singh then visited her house in Padawan village and informed her that her son was alive but her daughter was dead.
Her son was named Amarjit Singh who was adopted by a Sikh family in 1947.
After getting the brother's information, Kulsoom connected with Singh on WhatsApp and later decided to meet.
Kulsoom, despite her severe back pain, mustered the courage to travel to Kartarpur just to meet her brother.
Singh said that when he first learned that his real parents were in Pakistan and were Muslims, it was a shock to him. However, he comforted his heart that many families were separated from each other in addition to his own family.
He said that he always wanted to meet his real sister and brothers. He said that he is happy to know that three of his brothers are alive. However, one brother, who was in Germany, passed away.
He said he will now come to Pakistan to spend time with his family.
He also said that he also wants to take his family to India as well so that they could meet their Sikh family. Both the siblings had brought many gifts for each other.
Shahzad Ahmad, son of Kulsoom, said that he used to hear about his uncle from his grandmother and mother. He said that all of the siblings were very young at the time of Partition.
"I understand that since my uncle was brought up by a Sikh family, he happens to be a Sikh, and my family and I have no problem with this," he added.
Shahzad said that he is happy that even after 75 years his mother has found her lost brother, The Express Tribune quoted him as saying.
This is the second time that the Kartarpur Corridor has reunited a family. In May, a woman born in a Sikh family who was adopted and raised by a Muslim couple met her brothers from India at Kartarpur.
After 75 years, sister, brother meet at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, tears, emotions and love. #kartarpurcorridor @PmuKartarpur pic.twitter.com/TGinyqo94S
— Asif Mehmood (@asifmehmoodpak) September 9, 2022
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Karnataka to approach SC seeking permission to continue MGNREGA
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking permission to continue implementation of MGNREGA in the state, contending that the Centre had repealed the rural employment guarantee law without consultation and failed to put in place any alternative mechanism under the VB-G RAM G Act.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state would immediately move the apex court seeking permission to prepare and implement the annual action plan for rural employment works, while also challenging what it described as an infringement on the constitutional rights of states.
The parliament passed VB-G RAM G in December that replaces MGNREGA.
Patil explained that the Cabinet decided to approach the court seeking permission for the State Government to prepare an action plan in this regard. Since the Centre’s stand interferes with the constitutional rights of state governments, the Cabinet has also decided to challenge this issue before the appropriate court
“There are two points here. One is that they have come in the way of our constitutional right of providing the right to work. That has been halted, and, therefore, the State Government has decided to approach the Supreme Court. The second point is that the Government of India has not provided any alternative,” the Minister said.
The Central Government has not yet issued a notification to implement the VB-G RAM G Act, nor has it made any alternative arrangements and hence continuing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is unavoidable in the public interest, the Minister said.
“Therefore, in the interest of the public, farmers and agricultural labourers, we must continue MGNREGA. For that purpose, the Cabinet has decided to approach the court seeking permission for the State Government to prepare the action plan for this year,” he added.
The Minister also said the Centre had only permitted continuation of pending and spillover MGNREGA works without releasing grants or announcing a fresh action plan.
“The Centre itself has said that pending, spillover and half-done MGNREGA works can continue. That means MGNREGA is actually still functioning in practice. But there is no new action plan,” he said.
Patil said the state had already passed a resolution on the issue, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to the Prime Minister and the Rural Development Minister had held discussions with Union Ministers.
Replying to questions, the minister said the state would move court “as immediately as possible.”
He clarified that the state was seeking permission to formulate and implement this year’s action plan under the existing framework.
“What we are asking the Supreme Court is to allow us to have the action plan for this year and implement it,” he said.
The Cabinet also held detailed discussions on the final report submitted by the State Education Policy Commission headed by former UGC chairman Professor Sukhadeo Thorat.
Patil said a Cabinet sub-committee would be constituted to examine the report and recommend measures for implementation.
“No decision has been taken yet. The Cabinet sub-committee will recommend what should be accepted and what should be modified,” he said.
He said the report comprised around eight volumes and covered issues relating to financial implications, human resources, curriculum reforms, deemed universities, unitary universities and newly established universities. The Chief Minister has been authorised to constitute the sub-committee.
The Cabinet also approved the Karnataka Motor Transport and Other Related Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Amendment Bill, 2026, transferring welfare administration of transport-related workers from the Labour Department to the Transport Department.
The Cabinet further approved establishment of three new industrial estates in Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Surpur under the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation and Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 2026, providing two per cent reservation in state civil services appointments for sportspersons.
