Saved by a Muslim during 1947 riots, Partition survivor Ram Krishan Singh dies in Patiala at 102
He was from Dhainthal village in Punjab's Patiala district.
His life reflected the horrors of communal violence as well as the courage and compassion that persisted amid the chaos.
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Born in the early 1920s, Ram Krishan Singh was 22 years of age when the partition took place, which led to violent upheaval in Punjab. In August 1947, a mob killed his father, Jeona Singh, a renowned carpenter and bullock cart manufacturer, in Dhainthal when he refused to abandon their ancestral home.
Ram Krishan recalled in an interview with the web channel, Azad Bol Punjabi, four years ago, "My father was murdered during those days of hate.
Before the Partition, our village was largely Muslim-dominated, with a few Sikh and Hindu families. Children played in each other's homes. Then, suddenly, everything changed."
As communal tensions escalated, Ram Krishan and other family members temporarily fled to nearby Tullewal village for shelter. Meanwhile, Jeona Singh stayed back to guard their home, along with an elderly Nihang Singh in the village. When Muslim families began migrating to Pakistan, a mob entered Dhainthal and killed Jeona Singh in his home.
Ram Krishan's grandson, Hardeep Singh Gahir, currently assistant public relations officer in Patiala, recounted that his grandfather later returned in search of his father, only to face the grim reality. Gahir said, "The Nihang Singh who survived told my grandfather that he had to cremate Jeona Singh in a tandoor using cow-dung cakes because there was no safe way to arrange a funeral."
During the terror, Ram Krishan's life was spared by an unexpected act of humanity.
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When he and other family members were cornered by an armed group, a Muslim villager intervened to protect him. This stranger's bravery became a story Ram Krishan frequently recounted. Gahir shared, "Even in his last years, he would recall with gratitude how a Muslim man risked his life to save him."
The family's life in Dhainthal changed permanently. Jeona Singh's wife, who was pregnant at the time, gave birth to a daughter, Mohinder Kaur, two months after the Partition.
Ram Krishan delayed his own marriage until he was 30 as the family rebuilt their lives. He continued the carpentry tradition, and his son Balwinder Singh still practices the craft today, using modernised techniques.
Ram Krishan Singh lived quietly in Dhainthal, serving as a witness to history's cruellest chapter and exemplifying resilience. His family says that his memories remained vivid until the end, serving as a reminder that even in times of hatred, acts of kindness can echo across generations.
He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who remember him as a skilled craftsman, devoted father, and a symbol of survival, gratitude, and reconciliation.
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