Meharban Singh, a famous personality of Singapore, during his visit to Pakistan in the 1970s had called on General Ayub Khan, the second President of Pakistan who had studied at Khalsa High School in Haripur (Pakistan) before the partition of India. At dinner in his home in Islamabad, Meharban Singh saw on the walls of the living room a framed calligraphy of “Ikk Ongkar” (God is One) which is the opening verse from Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture. The General, even though a Muslim, had once recited these verses at his Sikh school in Haripur and maintained great regard for Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith.

As partition uprooted millions and forced them to recreate their lives in new lands, the migrants across both India and Pakistan, who were able to prove the ownership of land holdings they had left back, were allocated new homes by the governments.

At one such home of an erstwhile Muslim family in Amritsar that was allocated to a migrant Sikh family, even today, the expression, “Ya Allah” written on the wall of the living room is kept well preserved. Out of respect for the faith of the earlier Muslim landowner, the present Sikh owner has shown utmost dignity by placing under “Ya Alla”, a painting of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, who had said,

Manas Ki Jaat Sabhey Eike Paihcanbo

Recognise caste of entire humanity as one