Chak 217 GB

Chak 217 GB
Village
Coordinates: 31.016694°N 72.8567818°E / 31.016694; 72.8567818

Chak 217 GB (Urdu: چک نمبر ۲۱۷گ۔ب گجر پنڈ), or Gujjar Pind, is a suburban Village of Tehsil Samundri, in the District Faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan. The village has 1500 acres total land area irrigated by five channels.

Neighbouring villages are Chak 218 GB to the east, Chak 213 GB to the west, Chak 216 GB to the north and Chak 478 GB to the south. Agriculture is the main profession, with major crops being wheat, sugarcane, corn, and cotton. However, the use of old technology results in low yields.

History

Agricultural lands were allotted among peasant's families from 1898-1920. The word village is called as Pind in the local Punjabi Language. This village numbered 217 of G.B., which is the abbreviation of Gogera Branch Canal, which is a part of the Punjab irrigation system developed by the British during their reign 1862–1898. The word Chak may have come from the English word chuck, at time one Chuck consist of 1500 acres of land. Other sources places say chak is derived from chakla, a Sanskrit word where a circular demarcated piece of land called chakla.

There are Numberdars, or sub administrators, which were appointed by British Government during their rule. They were awarded with 12.5 or 25 acres extra land which is called Numberdari Murrabba. They are used to bear official expenditures during officials visit to village. Still these inactive posts are under their third generation.

Demographics

The majority of the population are of Gujjar descent, some of them migrated from Hoshyarpur in 1898 during Sandal Bar colonisation and mostly in 1947-50 after the partition of India.

Some major sub casts or gotras are Oddery, Lalwani, Kissana, Khatana, Koli, and Chechi.

Buildings and services

The village has one primary school for boys and one middle school up to 8th level for girls since 1935. There are three mosques in the village.

Pakistan Telecommunication (PTCL) has provided land line telephone exchange and with high speed internet services since 1997. The cellular company UFone started its services in the village by erecting their booster tower.

Sports

In the years of 1955-1965, the football team of this village was maestro in the game of soccer in the region. They won many tournaments in the region and out of region. Locally famous players include:

• Master Anyat Ali
• Muhammad Saeed
• Sultan Ali
• Muhammad Sadiq
• Haji Muhammad Irshad

Notable people

Locally notable residents include:

• Syed Ashraf Shah (Late)
• Qari Muhammad Ashraf
• Numberdar Muhammad Buksh
• Numberdar Aziz Ahmad
• Master Ghulam Muhammad
• PTI Abdurehman
• Haji Muhammad Irshad
• Numberdar Saeed Ahmad
• Ch.Sanaullah F.I.A
• Ch.Nisar Ahmad F.I.A
• One Sufi saint Syed Abdul Haq Shah (died 1949) is very famous there, his tomb situated in old graveyard in the west side of the village.
• Subedar Abdul Bari
• Syed Muhammad Ashraf Shah
• Haji Hassan Muhammad and LNk.Muhammad Akbar were in 1st batch of Pakistan Army belonged this village. They fought Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 valiantly
• Allah Baksh Khoowala
• Muhammad Baksh Numberdar and Sufaid posh Abdulaziz were prominent figures of repartition era.
• Another Great Historian, teacher as well a Saint personality was Master Muhammad Ramzan (1942-2016) who was definitely a valuable asset of the village.
• Mr Abdulraheemm, Nizamdin, Imdad Ali and Faqir Jelani were in the vanguards of the village.

Further reading

• Virdee, Pippa. From the Ashes of 1947. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-42811-8.