For us on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, who seek common roots and heroes, building a Rafi Memorial at Kotla Sultan Singh must be an essential item on our agenda for the future

Kotla Sultan Singh (tehsil and district Amritsar) is the third village on a metalled road which branches off perpendicularly on the opposite side of a shadighar (wedding hall), located on the left side of the main road as one exits from the tiny town of Majitha, some 25 kilometres northeast of Amritsar.

To many readers Kotla Sultan Singh probably does not ring any bell. But those of us who grew up listening to film music from 1950s onwards this village is truly a major site for pilgrimage. The greatest male singer of Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi films, the late Mohammad Rafi (died July 1980), was born here.

On 27th March, 2004 I, my research assistant Vicky, and our driver Nanak Singh, arrived at Kotla Sultan Singh after completing an 11-day whirlwind tour of East Punjab, travelling some 2,200 kilometres during which I conducted interviews with witnesses to the Partition episode. Winding up such a tour with a visit to the place of birth of a man whose popularity cuts across all religions and state boundaries of South Asia was for me a very appropriate way to end my sojourn. Just to give an example: when Rafi sang the bhajan (Hindu devotional song) “Mun tarpat Hari darshan ko Aaj” in the film Baiju Bawra, music lovers went into a trance. An orthodox Hindu of Nepal was so completely enraptured by that song that he decided to go to Bombay and pay homage to its creators. He was completely flabbergasted when he learnt that the lyrics were written by a Muslim (Shakeel Badayuni), the tune was composed by a Muslim (Naushad), and it had been sung by a Muslim (Rafi). He kissed the feet of all three.

Before I left Stockholm, my friend Salahuddin Butt wrote to me from the USA suggesting that I should try to visit Mumbai and find out more about Rafi’s life from his family. I could not go to Bombay but instead visited his village.

We learnt that the village received a regular traffic of Rafi devotees. Some came and prostrated at the spot where Rafi’s house was located. Others consecrated that spot by taking some soil from there with them. We were taken to an elderly Sikh gentleman who was sitting on the traditional charpoy. He pointed out the exact place where Rafi lived. The old house does not exist anymore but I took some pictures of the place in any case.

Sardar Kundan Singh Samra gave me this sketch about Rafi: “We belong to the landowning section of the village. Before Partition, half the population of the village consisted of Muslims. It was a very well-knit community in which people shared each other’s joys and sorrows and took part in each other’s religious festivals. Although Rafi and his family and most other Muslim villagers were Sunnis, there were some Shias too. They would borrow our horse to take out the Muharram process.

“Rafi and I were born in the same year. It was 1926 (the official birth date of Rafi mentioned in most publications is 4 December 1924). Our family was particularly friendly with all communities in the village. The Muslims of our village belonged mainly to the non-agricultural professions. Rafi’s father, Ali Mohammad, was a much-respected member of the community. At the time of festivals and marriages, he would cook rice in seven colours. He went to Lahore in 1935 and his family followed him a few months later.

‘It was a very painful moment when Rafi and I parted. You see, we were inseparable. We went to the same village primary school and afterwards would spend most of the time together. Rafi’s house was adjacent to ours and therefore we were together even later in the evening. When Rafi was leaving for Lahore he inscribed his name on a tree and said, ‘Whenever you want to remember me, come to this tree and read my name. I will come back one day.’ He had completed primary school before he left for Lahore. Other members of his biradari, including some uncles and cousins, remained in the village.

“In 1945 Rafi was married to his cousin Bashira(n) here in the village. We all took part in the wedding ceremony. He told me about his efforts to get a break as a playback singer in the Lahore film industry. Soon his songs began to be played on the radio and we learnt that he had gone to Bombay to try his luck there. In 1947, the Muslims of our village had to go to Pakistan. Miscreants from other villages attacked them and some were killed.

“In January 1955 I went to Lahore where a cricket test match between India and Pakistan was played. I met Rafi’s family and other Muslims of our village. Rafi was in Bombay at the time. In 1956, Rafi came to Amritsar to give a concert. Some of us went there and met him before the show began. He met us with a lot of warmth. For the two of us it was a very emotional reunion. He promised to come to the village on another occasion. Whenever someone from our village went to Bombay, Rafi would help him in whatever way he could. They could stay at his place and enjoy his hospitality. Unfortunately, he never could visit Kotla Sultan Singh before his death. I only wish a memorial is built in this village to preserve the memory of my old pal.”

In Delhi, I told the Rafi story to Nirupama Dutt, a leading Indian journalist. She explained why Rafi may have hesitated to visit Kotla Sultan Singh. She said, “The women of the Kotla Sultan Singh once told another interviewer that when the Muslims of their village were attacked in 1947, some women from Rafi’s biradari were abducted by the raiders. He possibly felt uncomfortable coming again to Kotla Sultan Singh”. That made a lot of sense to me.

Rafi has a son, Saeed Rafi, from his first wife. He lives in the UK. He visited Stockholm some years ago. I intend to call up his younger son, Shahid Rafi, who lives in Bombay next time when I am in India.

For us on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, who seek common roots and heroes, building a Rafi Memorial at Kotla Sultan Singh must be an essential item on our agenda for the future.

The author is an associate professor of Political Science at Stockholm University. He is the author of two books. His email address is Ishtiaq.Ahmed@statsvet.su.se

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