DEHRADUN: For 84-year-old Shanti Devi, a witness to the Partition horror, it is a moment to travel back in time. The Dehradun district administration has ordered the evacuation of 17 families, including Shanti Devi’s, from Kabul House, where she has been living for 75 years.
Located in a posh area of the state capital Dehradun, the Kabul House has now been declared as an “enemy property” by the government. The property is also known as Kapyong House and still remains the residence of the members of the royal family of Afghanistan. The Enemy Property Act, 1968 is an Act of the Parliament of India, which enables and regulates the appropriation of property in India owned by Pakistani nationals.
“Two weeks ago, the Dehradun District Magistrate Court issued orders asking us to vacate Kabul House in 15 days,” said an occupant of Kabul House. The 40-year legal battle between district officials and residents came to an end last week with the authorities asking the residents to vacate their homes. Their homes are supposed to be sealed.
The 17 families being evacuated have got temporary relief from the Nainital High Court, which has given them time till December 1. The residents are unsure about where they will go in the harsh winter.
However, the story of Shanti Devi is touching. Born on May 31, 1939, Shanti Devi (she remembers her date of birth) was only eight years old when her family members were killed by rioters in front of her during the Partition riots.
“There was a large residential area in Nowshera Cantt of Peshawar in Pakistan where we lived. As soon as the riots started, armed mobs reached there, reassuring us that we would not be harmed. That was a lie. As soon as we got out, they started stabbing everyone. I was 8 years old and I was holding my mother’s hand, rioters stabbed my mother to death in front of me,” recalled Shanti.
The family of Sanjay Chauhan of Valmiki Samaj, who has been living in Kabul House for a century, faces a dilemma. A month later, Chauhan’s daughter Pooja is to get married, but on November 30, the entire family will be rendered homeless. “The administration and police have sealed the rooms of our house,” says Sanjay, adding “we have also given advance money to a tent house and caterers for the wedding.”
Bina Kumari, a retired employee of the regional employment office, says, “The eviction notice was handed out at a time when the festival season began. The residents could not even go to a court,” says Bina.
Got temporary relief from Nainital High Court
The 17 families being evicted have got temporary relief from the Nainital High Court, which has given them time till December 1. The residents are unsure about where they will go in the harsh winter. However, the story of Shanti Devi is touching. Born on May 31, 1939, Shanti Devi (she remembers her date of birth) was only eight years old when her family members were killed by rioters in front of her during the Partition riots.