During the summer break of 1947, as partition became inevitable, the college sent all Muslim boys to the expected Pakistani side and Sikh and Hindu boys to the Indian side; the Sikh and Hindu boys never returned.
| Who | Role | Rank | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarunjit Singh Butalia | honorary envoy who recalled the boys' departure |
Photographs appear here when the article that reports the event carries them.
During the summer break of 1947, when partition became inevitable, the college sent all Muslim boys to the expected Pakistani side and Sikh and Hindu boys to the Indian side.
Of Aitchison's roughly 245 students in 1947, about 160 were Hindu and Sikh boys, many of whom left for summer holidays and never returned
Of Aitchison's roughly 245 students in 1947, about 160 were Hindu and Sikh boys, many of whom left for summer holidays and never returned
Butalia recalled one student who had just dropped off his bicycle for repairs when an army truck arrived at school. A soldier told him his father had sent for him and gave him minutes to gather his belongings
He asked if he could meet his friends before leaving," Butalia said. "He was told no." Within hours, the boy was on his way to India
Today, only a handful of pre-Partition Aitchisonians are believed to be alive in India, but many whose names now line Aitchison's red-brick corridors left Lahore in 1947 and never returned