Re: 1947 - A Love Story
Here is what happened to his Grave
Boota Singh was not allowed to be buried as a Muslim in Nurpur, because he was in love with Zainab, who belonged to that village. He had already made a lot of fuss about his love in front of the whole world. The people of Nurpur were already a laughing stock for the entire nation, how could have they allowed him the final victory. He was buried at Miani Sahib, where his grave became an object of veneration for young lovers. He was given the title of Shaheed-e-Muhabbat. They even wanted to construct a tomb over his grave, but the conservative elements in the society could not afford that at all. To stop the ‘crazy’ people, as they put it, they razed the grave in the darkness of night. Students re-did it in the morning, only to be razed again. This went on for a little while, after which it was permanently removed. Today only the old folks at the graveyard, who happened to have witness the entire episode, remember where his grave once was. This was the last resting place of Jamil Ahmad (Boota Singh). Even today in Nurpur, and its adjacent villages, it is a taboo to ever talk about Boota-Zainab, and who ever dares to do, is immediately asked not to. Nobody wants to talk about, even more than half a century after the incident, not even Zainab, who still happens to be alive and living there.*
Strange. We got many such mazars all over Pakistan, but Boota Singh’s mazar was not allowed even in Miani Saheb, where they allow even Tawaif’s to be buried (I’m not against their burial too)