Sikh man reunites with his sister after 75 years

Kartarpur Corridor helped in bridging the gulf between Mumtaz Bibi and her brother

SHAKARGARH:

At the time of Independence, a man found a six-month-old baby girl cuddling her mother who had been dead.

The baby girl had no one to take care of her. So the man adopted her as his daughter and named her Mumtaz Bibi.

Mumtaz Bibi had actually been born Tej Kaur, and her family hailed from Sheikhupura.

The family migrated to Patiala at the time of the Independence. One surprising aspect which could not be ascertained was how Tej Kaur and her mother got left behind by the rest of the family.

One could only assume that the disturbances during the Independence might have been a factor.

By a curious twist of fate, Mumtaz Bibi finally got to see her sibling, though the reunion took 75 years to happen. But it did happen nevertheless.

The Kartarpur corridor bridged the gulf between Mumtaz Bibi and her brother.

When Mumtaz Bibi met her brother Garmakh Singh, they embraced each other. The emotionally charged siblings shed tears that washed away their 75-year-old separation.

Somehow the social media played a part which helped the siblings get to know that the two of them had been related.

On April 24, Mumtaz Bibi and Gurmakh Singh with his family reached the Darbar of Baba Guru Nanak via the Kartarpur corridor.

Gurmakh Singh had known that the journey he had been embarking on would lead him to meet his sister.  So he didn’t arrive empty handed. His luggage included jewellery and clothes for his sister.

The siblings were filled with feelings of joy and nostalgia. Overwhelmed by the event, Mumtaz Bibi could only say that she felt very, very happy.

Gurmakh Singh, who too was overwhelmed by the twist of fate, said that the occasion had accorded him with not one but two joys: meeting his sister and having the Darshan of the Gurdwara.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2022.