From the memoirs of
HH Shri Bhola Nathji ( 1902-1992) the Founder of the World Prayer Day for
peace.
Those were turbulent
times. In 1947 the partition of India had taken place, dividing the Hindus and
Muslims into two separate countries. Pakistan was the the home of the Muslims
as a Muslim State and India remained a secular country with Hindus and Muslims
both still living there.
Rawalpindi was a
large city in Northern India which had become a part of Pakistan.
The Hindus were
fleeing from the city because of the rampage of slaughter between the Muslims
and Hindus there.
Shri Nathji had
visited Rawalpindi in past times when the city was peaceful. But he was not
there at this time in 1947.
His devotee Sri Ram
Saran Das and his family were residents of the city who were on the verge of
fleeing. They had great faith in HH Shri Nathji that he was their saviour and
protector and would not let them come to harm.
Time came when Sri
Ram Saran Das sent his wife and daughters out of Rawalpindi by train and
remained behind to wind up his large business and shop in the city.
The next day there
was news that the train carrying Ram Saran Das's family had been waylaid and
stopped at Lahore the Muslim Capitol of Pakistan, and all the passengers inside
had been slaughtered because they were all Hindus.
The shock was
devastating for Ram Saran Das. He fell down weeping on the ground saying
repeatedly: " O Nathji! You have forsaken us! We were depending on
you!"
Ram Saran Das tried
to get out of the city by another train but was pushed out by the crowds. His
hopes of escaping from the city dwindled.
He returned to his
shop - only to find a stockily built Muslim Pathan with a sword in his hand.
Ram Saran prayed and prayed to Shri Nathji to save him.
Quite suddenly a
miracle occurred as the Pathan said to him:
"Ram Saran! Take
these 60,000 rupees as payment for your shop. You are a good man. I know you!
Get out of the city fast!"
Ram Saran thanked
Shri Nathji in his heart for the miracle, at a time when all other shops were
being looted and burnt.
Later Ram Saran Das
was miraculously able to get a flight that took him out of Rawalpindi to the
city of Amritsar in India where all the Hindus had fled.
When he reached his
home in Amritsar he found his wife and daughters waiting to receive him at the
gate!!
He could hardly
believe his eyes. They had been reported to have been massacred in the train
from Rawalpindi.
They said to him:
"Nathji was with us ! He protected us and saved us! When the marauders
were hacking people to death with their swords and there were shrill cries in
the train we were crying out loudly: "Nathji! Nathji!".
"Suddenly we
found ourselves under a pile of dead bodies. The marauders did not notice us
and left the train!! Later we somehow managed to get to Amritsar."
Ram Saran Das started
crying in loud sobs: "O Nathji! You were protecting us all the time
without our knowing it! Forgive me for having doubted you!! You always come to
the aid of those who call out to you!"
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