77 years after Partition, 85-year-old Punjab man reunites with family in Pakistan: Report

At the Wagah border, the Khan family welcomed Chotu Singh and took him to their home in Toba Tek Singh in a grand procession accompanied by drums. (File photo)

An 85-year-old man from Punjab who was separated from his family during the Partition of 1947 has recently been reunited with them in Pakistan, thanks to the efforts of a doctor and the power of social media.

Chota Singh was born as Ali Khan and was left behind during the riots. His aunt was killed and as a child, he was afraid to step out, so he stayed hidden in the house until he was rescued by a Sikh man, Gulzar Singh. The man had lost his son a couple of days ago and adopted Khan and raised him as his own son, the Times of India reported.

But Chota Singh harboured a desire to be reunited with his lost family. Decades later, a local physician decided to put Singh's story out, requesting help on social media to locate and reach out to the Khan family in Pakistan's Toba Tek Singh area. That's when Pakistani YouTuber Dr Muhammad Ahsan, a resident of Toba Tek Singh, came across the appeal, recognised the video, and helped identify Singh's kin. Soon after, the octogenarian got a visa and set off for Pakistan. He also received a heartfelt sendoff from his village in Ludhiana where he was garlanded with flowers and even had a cake-cutting ceremony.

Singh said he was grateful to Gulzar Singh for taking him under his wing and to the villagers. "I didn’t know how to meet my family. The villagers did everything for me," he told the publication.

Meanwhile, across the border, Singh had his nephews and extended family waiting for him excitedly, reported the Times of India. His six brothers have died and the last brother had passed only two weeks before Singh's arrival.

At the Wagah border, the Khan family welcomed Singh and took him to their home in Toba Tek Singh in a grand procession accompanied by drums. According to them, Singh's mother, Allaode, struggled with poor health after the separation and mourned for her lost son until her death.