In September 1947, as Bharat grappled with the violent aftermath of Partition, the then Defence Minister Sardar Baldev Singh wrote a desperate plea to Sardar Patel, with a copy marked to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee asking for help from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The letter highlighted the grim reality of the time when thousands of women were being abducted by fanatics in Lahore, and the government was unable to send the army for their rescue.
The situation was dire, and the government turned to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for help. In response, RSS volunteers bravely infiltrated Pakistan and managed to rescue many of these women.
In a revealing letter from September 1947, Sardar Baldev Singh, the Defence Minister of Bharat, highlighted the desperate situation in Punjab following the partition of India. Addressed to Sardar Patel, with a copy marked to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, the letter exposed the horrific plight of non-Muslim women in the newly formed Pakistan, particularly in the regions of Lahore, Sialkot, and Shakargarh tehsil.
Sardar Baldev Singh wrote, “I have a feeling that we have not fully appreciated the happenings in the Punjab and the enormous damage which Pakistan people and Government are inflicting on us. Their schemes have been pretty well statements in various conferences and public stata seen that contrary to their access and it does by now seem that it is the deeds of the underlings which reflect the truth of things; this is not no Government not the least hesitation that no Government functions in West Punjab.”
The letter described the systematic abduction of non-Muslim women, with an estimated 20,000 women abducted across various villages and towns in West Punjab. Sardar Baldev Singh noted, “So far as abductions are concerned, there is not a single village or town in the West Punjab which has not suffered. The number of women abducted is large and seems to follow a pattern.”
The number of abducted women was staggering, particularly in areas like Shakargarh tehsil, where about 500 young girls were taken from the “DUTT” Muhiyals alone.
A rescue plan was proposed, involving the appointment of rescue officers in both Dominions, who would be notified to their respective governments.
“A joint statement by both the Premiers he issued at once on such agreed facilities so that rescue work can start immediately on scientific lines,” the letter suggested.
Additionally, the necessity of a secret service was emphasised, with volunteers even willing to embrace Islam to gather reliable information.
“Some of our enthusiastic young informers in that men are prepared to even embrace Islam to act as,” Singh noted.
To execute this plan, Singh recommended selecting a team of high-integrity police officers and consulting Shree Golwarkerjee, the head of the Sangh in India, to provide trained men for fieldwork. “Rashtriya Sawam Sewak Singh will supply trained men for ‘Field Work’ and Shree Golwalker ji, the Head of the Sangh in Bharat might be consulted,” he wrote. Other secret organisations in Punjab were also to be enlisted for help, he added.
This letter sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of Partition history, where the RSS played a crucial role in rescuing abducted women, while government efforts were hampered by political distractions and inefficiencies.
