When the road to independence led to death - why should we sign up?

As the SNP push for another independence vote, the political discourse fails to recognise those communities who have already been burned by the independence fight. One of those groups is the Punjabi community of Scotland whose “independence” cost them everything – their property, livelihoods and even their lives.

Scotland prides itself on being an ethnically diverse country that opens its doors to anyone seeking a better life regardless of where that individual may have come from but when it comes to the political arena, the parties of Scotland forget the scars immigrants bear. The topic of independence is divisive in itself – from the conversations stemming around currency to European Union status. However, the idea of independence itself brings forward different conversations among those who have lived through the consequences of it.

The partition of India in 1947 saw the biggest movement of people known to mankind – it was estimated 14 million people had their lives uprooted, which is almost three times the population of Scotland as a whole. The fight surrounding independence was championed as a religious freedom – for the Hindus and Muslims – but the state of Punjab paid the price.

However, for Scotland, the focus is set on political freedom away from Westminster. This idea of freedom and independence cost a million lives in Punjab when it was championed – who’s to say what would happen in Scotland if an independence vote was accepted? These questions were fired at Nicola Sturgeon during heated political discussions about independence in the Glasgow Sikh Gurdwara but the strong sense of fear surrounding those Punjabis was never picked up on in these political debates.

The murmurs in the Gurdwara revealed hints of excitement from the younger generation but the faces of those of older generations painted a different picture. Their faces showed fear, their conversations surrounding the pain of their last independence. If politicians are coming into places of worship, wouldn’t you say they have a duty to know about the history of the people that go there before they convince them to vote on their agenda?

Our politicians need to work in a collaborative way with these communities to understand their fears and worries. They need to address these worries in a language that can be understood by all those impacted in their choices. As much as Nicola Sturgeon is welcome in the Glasgow Gurdwara – as anyone from any background is – it cannot simply be at times of political change. The collaboration needs to start before the campaigns begin once again. It starts from open dialogue from the very beginning and seeking the answers to the questions asked of those who carry such traumas.

This idea of “us and them” was ever present in the partition of India and you can see reminders of this attitude today when talking about Holyrood and Westminster. This separatist notion caused businesses, homes, livelihoods and friendships to be destroyed in India – how do we know this won’t carry forth into Scotland?

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The last independence vote saw friendships destroyed, political infighting and vandalism in George Square. In India, there were corpses on every turn, from the roads that led from Amritsar, India to Lahore, Pakistan. This is the road that was paved in the minds of those Punjabis when they think of independence – so you can understand their fears of history repeating itself. People make Scotland but what will the people of Scotland do this time in the face of another independence vote?

Will there be a hard border or won’t there be a hard border? Punjabis would go back to the time that the famous Wagah border was placed between Amritsar and Lahore. The scramble to pick a side that they felt was the safest for them and their futures. Some chose to stay and others to go but it did further underline this idea of us versus them. It is only now that families based on opposite sides of the border have been reunited due to relaxed rules on visas between both countries.

However, with political tensions and visa rules ever-changing, this movement of people can easily be stopped.

Back when the first Punjabis immigrated over, they came to Heathrow Airport with little clothes and five pounds to make a living from. My uncle – Mr Buta Sangha – was one of those men whose five pounds and hard work took him to Slough, Glasgow and then Newcastle, creating friendships and businesses at every stop.

His freedom of movement was a key trait in his success. This freedom of movement also contributed to the success of other Punjabis in the United Kingdom and that is also why often Punjabis have built bonds all over the UK. This freedom of movement allows those relationships to thrive and remain intact and an independence vote could impact that.

The question surrounding the border needs addressing and both sides of the argument need to speak to the fears of the voters – not play on them. The No campaign does hold the upper hand by maintaining the good old status-quo argument and dangling the possibility of a hard border. Wouldn’t they be best placed to give people the truth so that voters can make an informed decision?

Do we the people of Scotland not deserve to know all the facts before we make such a choice? Honesty is the best policy but it only works when both sides play fair. The fear

of losing relationships, businesses and livelihoods is deep-rooted in Punjabis when it comes to this independence debate.

Is it not for the sake of the people that politicians must be sure of their argument first before they ask for our votes?

No one can deny the mental impact an independence vote would have regardless of what side of the coin anyone is on – so before we have these conversations once again, why can’t both sides be honest about the outcomes of each side of the vote? Then we can have a real debate. An independent Scotland or the United Kingdom’s Scotland deserves to know the whole truth before we decide again.

Despite what goes on in Punjab, the brotherhood of all Punjabi communities is ever-present. It shows in the relationship with my best friend from school – A Lahori Muslim – who messages me Happy Vaisakhi or Diwali whenever it comes around and I return the Happy Eid or Ramadan Mubarak when it comes.

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This solid friendship was formed in the streets of Coatbridge far, far away from our ancestral homes and the politics surrounding them. You see this brotherhood at the border of India and Pakistan in the form of cheeky competitiveness surrounding a cricket game between India and Pakistan. This gives hope that despite everything that happened in 1947, friendships can be found and nurtured. However, that’s not to say there aren’t individuals who still play on that separatist attitude.

Who’s to say that won’t be present in Scotland with England?

It would be foolish not to address tension when it comes to football, rugby, politics – who’s to say these attitudes won’t be heightened if independence is achieved? We truly cannot determine if Scotland will achieve its independence but an independent Scotland stands a good fighting chance if the concerns of the people are addressed and reassurances given.

The No campaign cannot sit and argue the status quo – especially after the promises of the EU membership during their last run were broken – and the Yes side has a bit more work to do in addressing some valid concerns.

To get that 51% the next time around, it’ll take a much more personal and targeted campaign – and if it does address some of these traumas and concerns, maybe the next generation of Punjabis will have a relationship with independence that is much different to that of their grandparents.