Stories of Sindh

Pushpa Vashi Ubrani was born Nevhenanda Hardasani on 8th October 1938 in Shahdadpur, Sindh. Because of her father’s status as a wealthy landlord, Pushpa knows that her family’s Partition journey was smoother than most. Yet, life was not a bed of roses – there were ups and downs but Pushpa remained resilient. Today, Pushpa lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with her family. Pushpa in her younger days The youngest in a family of four girls and one boy, Pushpa was fondly known during her childhood as Jasotha. Her father, “Mukhi” Ranghanmal Hardasani was a prominent and well-to-do landlord with vast lands. He was also a leader in the Sindhi community – hence the title Mukhi . Such was their wealth that the family owned several horses – as well as a horse carriage! Pushpa fondly remembers how the carriage was adorned with bells and recalls with a childlike glee the ‘clip clop’ sound of the horses’ shoes. The family lived in a large house and led a happy, comfortable and peaceful life – until...

Sunita Ram Binwani (maiden name Mohini Balani) was born on 2th June 1941 in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India. The youngest child in a family of five siblings, Sunita's family moved to Madras (Chennai), India following Partition. Today, Sunita calls Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia home and this is her story. Sunita and her husband, Ram Sunita recounts living a good and comfortable life in Hyderabad, Sindh pre-Partition. She was used to being surrounded by a big family . Her immediate family – her parents Gopaldas and Sati Balani, together with her three older brothers and one sister, who was the eldest – lived in a large joint family with their grandparents, three  chachas  (uncles),  chachis  (aunts) and cousins. The family always had a smooth and friendly relationship with their neighbours. Sunita studied in a Sindhi all girls’ kindergarten for one year while her brothers and sister studied in an all boys’ and all girls’ school respectively. At the time of Partition, Sunita w...

Tulsa Tolaram Nathwani (maiden name: Tulsi Veroomal Rughwani) was born on 31st August 1938 in Hyderadabad, Sindh, British India. The happy and even luxurious life she led could not prepare her for the destruction and diseases that would follow Partition – no one could have been prepared for it.  Tulsa now lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and this is her story. Born to Parpati and Veroomal Rughwani, Tulsa came from a family of six sisters and two brothers. Tulsa received her education in an English school, where she completed four grades of Sindhi and one grade of English. Her father, Tulsa says, was a wealthy and renowned businessman, who supplied coal for trains. She describes her life as ‘luxurious’ and ‘living like royalty’. The family lived in a large mansion, and whatever Tulsa requested for, she got – right down to specially-commissioned sequined shoes that were made overnight! However, it wasn’t just the material aspects that made life good. Tulsa recalls happy memories of ...

Born in 1931 in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India, Dhanvantibai Thakurdas (maiden name: Kamla) doesn’t recall much details around Partition. However, she does recall with great fondness the life her family had in Sindh before they left for post-partition India. Dhanvantibai currently lives in Singapore and this is her story. Dhanvantibai with her family today Dhanvantibai was around 16-years-old in 1947, the year of Partition.  Prior to Partition, she remembers life in Hyderabad, Sindh to be “very good” and “comfortable”. She came from a family of two brothers and three sisters. Her father owned a shop selling utensils such as those made out of aluminium, copper and steel while her youngest brother owned a bakery. Photo of Dhanvantibai and her extended family She recalls being “very happy” and having lots of fun and outings with her parents and siblings. She was enrolled in school where she studied right up till the 7 th grade. The family lived in a community where neighbours fr...

Ishwari Hassaram Idnani (married name: Maya Lekhraj Nebhani) was born on 29th   April 1933 in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India. Her family’s journey that she describes out of post-partition Pakistan was a long one, and yet she remains grateful for everything she has today. Today, Ishwari calls Bombay (Mumbai), India home and this is her story. Ishwari and her husband Ishwari’s memories of Hyderabad, Sindh are sweet. When telling her story, she paints a picture of a loving, caring and close-knit community in Hyderabad. Ishwari completed six grades of Sindhi in Tikam Das Nanikram Girls School, and three grades in English. “We used to walk home from school with friends – there was no auto, cars or buses. Everyone walked everywhere all the time,” said Ishwari, recounting similar experiences to others who have shared their story here (see Bhagwan Sadhwani’s story). “Even when we were going to visit relatives, we would just walk over to their houses.” “We would do this often, visiting rel...

Jasoti Heman Dadlani was born in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India in 1931, the daughter of Choithram and Gopi Daswani. For most teenagers, the year they turn 16 is forever imprinted in their minds – “sweet sixteen” – with fond memories. For Jasoti, the year she turned 16 will stay with her forever too – but for a vastly different reason. It was the year of the 1947 partition, and the year she left everything behind in her homeland to move to a different place. Jasoti currently lives in Chennai, India and this is her story. Jasoti Dadlani in the year 2021 Jasoti remembers her house in Hyderabad very vividly. “My house was one amongst eight identical bungalows or “row houses” that are connected to each other,” she says. “They were all occupied by eight brothers of the Daswani clan, my father being one of them. The street was famous for these eight houses correctly named “Aatah Ghara” – Eight Houses of the Daswanis! We were a family of three siblings and numerous cousins, and we were all v...

Born in 1938 in Karachi, Sindh, British India, Shankar Sukhani was a mere nine years old when his family left their hometown for Jaipur, following the 1947 partition. If there’s one word that sums up Shankar’s memories, it’s the word “green”.  Green for the pastures and land that he fondly associates with Karachi. Green for the wealth of the community in Karachi. And green for how the Sindhis who left their hometown prospered in countries far and wide.   Shankar currently resides in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and this is his story. Four generations of family in Malaysia

Hello, I'm Payal Sadhwani. Stories of Sindh is a platform to document stories of partition, particularly out of Sindh and from Sindhis. I started Stories of Sindh because as I grew older, I realised that I knew very little (if anything at all) about my heritage as a Sindhi. As I started reading up, especially on partition, I noticed that while there were many partition stories documented, they were very few from the province of Sindh and from Sindhi people - and I was afraid that these important historical stories, many of which are oral history, may become lost as time passes. So, I decided to start documenting these stories. I know that the partition stories don't just come out of Sindh and from Sindhis, but that so many more millions of lives were affected. While I am starting by documenting stories from Sindhis, I will be very keen to hear stories from others as well. My only regret is that I never got to hear my grandparents' stories, and I hope that this platform will...

Bhagwan Sadhwani was born in 1936 in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India, the second son in a family of four boys and one girl. Following the partition of British India, Bhagwan’s family moved to the island of Penang in Malaysia, after a brief transition in Jodhpur and Bombay, India. Despite having to leave his home and start over in a new place and country, Bhagwan’s positive and optimistic nature has never ceased – this comes through clearly even when he talks about having to leave home and move to different countries – what he recounts are happy moments playing with the neighbouring children, taking walks on the beach close to their temporary home, and expresses his gratitude for the opportunities that his adopted home has provided. Bhagwan currently resides in Singapore, and this is his story.