India achieved independence in 1947. While there were celebrations in one region, other regions were riot-stricken. Partition is a heartbreakingly painful memory for all those who lost someone or something of theirs. Homes were plundered, families were lost, and the wounds of Partition have not healed to date. However, one intriguing aspect of history remains, albeit relatively unknown: a group of refugees from Pakistan built a city from scratch.
The city of Faridabad, located on the outskirts of Delhi, was once a mere stretch of wasteland. Founded in 1607, Faridabad was named after its founder, Shaikh Farid, who served as the treasurer of the Mughal emperor, Jahangir. Initially, the city was built with a specific purpose: to protect the road between Delhi and Agra. However, with the fall of the Mughal empire, it fell into ruins, and not much of a ‘city’ was left. However, after the blood-soaked Partition of India and Pakistan, life sparked again in Faridabad.
The tale of Faridabad’s revival starts in 1949. The credit for reviving the city goes to a remarkable woman named Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. Chattopadhyay — known as the ‘romantic figure of Indian freedom struggle’— was a social reformer, freedom fighter, and fearless feminist. She was admired by national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, M.K. Gandhi and so on, even though they didn’t always agree with her ideology. If not for her, the Salt Satyagraha never would have included women.
One day, as the fires of partition raged, Chattopadhyay visited a refugee camp at Purana Qila in New Delhi; the place was swamped with over fifty thousand refugees. Most of them were inhabitants of the North-West Frontier Province who were rendered homeless. The Qila, dotted with flimsy tents, had no sanitation facilities. Most people lacked livelihoods. Women and children were left to sleep outside without a roof over their heads. The situation was dire.
Kamala Chattopadhyay, who witnessed the plight of the victims, was heartbroken. In that instant, she resolved to resettle all fifty thousand refugees. Using her political clout, she spoke to two crucial leaders in the country—Dr Rajendra Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru—and laid out a plan to migrate the refugees to Faridabad. And so, the idea of reviving Faridabad germinated.
In 1950, a project highlighting industrial development in Faridabad was outlined, and the leaders decided to proceed with a cooperative model for the town. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Sudhir Ghosh, and Laxmi Chand Jain led the project. They arranged funds, formulated guidelines, and dealt with the bureaucracy. The migrants took care of the rest.
The refugees surprised the entire nation. Men and women who were former shopkeepers, traders and artisans turned into masons, carpenters and handypersons overnight. They worked incessantly to create a new home for themselves—their tenacity to reconstruct what they had lost amazed the country, even the leaders. They divided themselves into labour organisations and immediately started constructing roads, houses, and small industrial units. And so, they built a full-fledged transport system, a school and a hospital within no time.
Within three years, ordinary citizens created an entire city from scratch, making it a prime example of how leadership and efforts could do wonders. The project held great significance for Jawaharlal Nehru. His perspective revolved around a cooperative model, wherein the workers would be the co-owners of all the enterprises.
The leadership of one woman and the tenacious efforts of ordinary citizens helped revive the city from its ruins. ‘The Faridabad Experiment’ — as the project was called — is a classic example of how pioneering leadership works wonders. Had it not been for Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the city never would have had a future.
Today, Faridabad is one of India’s leading industrial cities. Its industrial development has attracted several multinational corporations and foreign investment. The city is home to over two million people and has rapidly increased in size. In terms of agriculture and education, Faridabad is witnessing accelerated growth.
Over the years, the history of Faridabad’s foundation has faded. The story of these refugees does not find a mention in history books. It would be justified to call Faridabad a city of the people—for had it not been for the regular folk, the city would never have taken such a fine shape.
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