A man and his sister, separated during the Partition 75 years ago, reunited at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur in Pakistan, in an emotional reunion made possible through social media on Monday.
Mahinder Kaur, 81, and her family travelled from India to the gurdwara through the Kartarpur Corridor, while 78-year-old Sheikh Abdullah Aziz and his family arrived there from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The 4 km-long Kartarpur Corridor provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib. The family of Bhajan Singh, living in India Punjab, was separated during the time of partition. Following the partition, Aziz Azad moved to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while his family and other members remained in Punjab. Aziz Azad said he made tireless efforts to reconnect with his family. The two families discovered that Mahendra and Aziz were indeed estranged siblings after connecting through a social media post detailing the separation of a man and his sister during the Partition.
Overwhelmed with joy, Mahendra Kaur repeatedly hugged her brother and kissed his hands, and the two families also visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur together, sitting side by side and sharing a meal on Sunday. They also exchanged gifts as a symbol of their reunion.
{{/usCountry}}Overwhelmed with joy, Mahendra Kaur repeatedly hugged her brother and kissed his hands, and the two families also visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur together, sitting side by side and sharing a meal on Sunday. They also exchanged gifts as a symbol of their reunion.
{{/usCountry}}Mahinder Kaur expressed her gratitude to the governments of India and Pakistan, acknowledging the role of the Kartarpur Corridor in bringing people together. She expressed hope that this corridor would continue to reunite families separated during the partition. As they bid farewell in the evening, both siblings promised to meet again in Pakistan through the corridor.