Watered by life-sustaining rivers and divided since 1947 between India and Pakistan, the soil of the Punjab has seen violence over the centuries, but humanity and courage too are among its crops. Interviews in 2005 in Lahore, Pakistan, and New Delhi, India, with over two dozen persons with memories of the 1947 bloodshed suggested that recovering stories of oft-forgotten helpers from the ranks of the Other can be a source of healing to teller and listener alike. It was also found that such a story triggered from many a listener the remembrance and recital of another story in the same vein.

The publication of several of these stories in The Tribune, the prominent daily newspaper of Indian Punjab, had a similar reaction. It was found, moreover, that the stories were perfect mirror images: Muslim Punjabis spoke of Sikh and Hindu helpers, and Hindu and Sikh Punjabis of Muslim helpers. These stories appear in in the book written by the couple titled ‘ Intangible Heritage (Springer)’

Many from Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab, including those living in North America, have access to such stories, which live in the memories of a grandfather or grandmother or old uncle or aunt who experienced such help, or perhaps even rendered help, or witnessed an act of brave or ingenious assistance. These stories are waiting to be unearthed. If you have a story they would be glad and grateful to receive such stories, with as much information as possible re names, places and times.

-- Usha Gandhi and Rajmohan Gandhi, reachable via www.rajmohangandhi.com

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