Hussainiwala

Hussainiwala Hussainiwala
village

Hussainiwala (Punjabi: ਹੁਸੈਨੀਵਾਲਾ, Hindi: हुस्सैनीवाला) is a border village on banks of Sutlej river in Ferozepur district of Punjab state. The town is named after Imam Hussain grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. It is famous for Bhagat Singh Memorial which marks the location where Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were cremated on March 23, 1931. It is also the cremation place of B.K. Dutta (Batu Keshwar Dutta) who was also involved in bombing in parliament with Bhagat Singh and died in 1976. His last wish was to cremate him at the place where Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev where cremated. Mother of Bhagat Singh, Vidyawati, was also cremated there as per her last wish and later she was awarded with title of 'Punjab Mata' i.e., Mother of Punjab.

This place is near the Pakistan border and is important as per the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 in which lots of memorials of Bhagat Singh and others were destroyed by heavy artillery firing of Pakistan army. In the fight 15 Punjab's (formerly First Patiala) two companies were attacked by four brigades of the Pakistan Army on 1835 Hours on 3rd Dec, 1971. Nearly 4000 Pakistani army men along with 15 tanks and heavy artillery support attacked on Indian side. Maj.Waraich and Maj.Singh's companies fought with 4000 Pakistani men with a very brave heart on the midnight of 3rd-4th Dec,1971. They put restraint of Pakistani army. Maj Kanwaljit Sandhu fought bravely and was badly injured. Maj SPS Waraich was reportedly seen being captured as were many JCOs and men as the squadrons were taken by surprise and had little time to get to their bunkers.Many people heard on Pkistan radio, an urdu news telecast that said,"Maj Waraich hamari hiraasat mein hain." ( Maj Waraich is in our custody) Privately, news filtered through to Ashwini kumar, DGP, BSF who went with the Indian Hockey team to the Munich Olympics from General Riaz's brother who told him that Maj Waraich was in a North West Frontier jail.Their status of being dead or alive still is an enigma to their families.They are listed as missing by the Indian Government along with 52 others including a Maj Ashok Suri who wrote a letter to his father in 1975 from Karachi stating that he was alive and well. The Indian Government has never made srious efforts including setting up a Missing in Action cell and presenting evidence such as maj Suri's letter to the Pakistan government and has instead accepted Pakistan's denials of having any Missing in Action men.

This route was also trade route for truckers even after partition. Their main trade was of Kandhari Angoor(dehydrated grapes) and other fruits and food products from Pakistan and Afghanistan as well.

The name of the village is on the name of the Muslim Peer Baba Hussainiwala ji(Saint Hussaini wala or Saint "who is of Husain") whose tomb is in the B.S.F's(Border Security Force, guarding borders of India) Head Quarters at Hussainiwala border of India-Pakistan. Every day at 6:00pm–6:30pm guards of both the sides, do a ceremony called 'Beating the Retreat'or 'lowering of the flags'. It may seem slightly aggressive to foreigners, but it really is just entertainment for the crowds from both sides.