Recollections of M. Tufail Uppal. Penned down by Nasim Hassan

Link to full article: http://pakistanlink.org/Commentary/2010/Aug10/13/05.HTM

On August 19, 1947, the first attack on Raja Sansi took place. It was spearheaded by Makhan Singh, a Sikh, with the help of a group of Sikhs. This outside group came on horses, armed with rifles, swords and kirpans. Makhan Singh did not live in Raja Sansi. He was a notorious rogue from a nearby village. The Maharaja of Patiala had armed Sikhs gangs. In Raja Sansi people did not have any arms. There were two retired army people named Ismail and Taj Din. They fought valiantly from the high level of the houses with this gang of Makhan Singh. At the end about thirty-five people were killed and two Muslim girls were abducted from a Sikh neighborhood where a few Muslim families were living.

After the attack of the Makhan Singh gang, Raghubir Singh called numberdar Mehar Sultan and sent a message that Muslims should start moving to Pakistan because there was a possibility of further attacks from outside. The Muslims from Raja Sansi started moving to a camp on the outskirts of Amritsar about four miles away from Raja Sansi. Hindus and Sikh neighbors kept silent as people were moving out from Raja Sansi. Some women would open the doors, cry, weep and then close the doors.