The United Provinces (U.P.) created by the British is now called Uttar Pradesh (U.P.). Ahmedpur Chaoroli is a small village in the western part of this province. This village was about 10-12 kms from the Yamuna river flowing on the border of undivided Punjab and United Provinces. Huge fields of wheat and sugarcane flourished around the village and there was an empire of prosperity in every corner of the earth.
People of all castes had lived together in this village for centuries. In view of the peaceful atmosphere and prosperity of the village, Shahji Sedhuram from the nearby Ranhera village came and camped at Ahmedpur Chaoroli during the time of the Mughals. He had two sons- Lala Kewalram and Lala Kashiram. With the passage of time the hardworking descendants of Shahaji Seduram made a lot of progress. When the British sent the Mughal emperor on pension in AD 1765 after the treaty of Allahabad, the area of Charoli Ahmedpur also became under the British.
The British created a new revenue structure in the country, the basis of which was the Zamindari system. The descendants of Lala Kashiram also bought large zamindaris in and around Chauroli and they came to be called Rais. Very different from all the surrounding villages, this village had big havelis, nohras and shops of Lalas.
When the Mountbatten plan was announced on June 4, 1947, and only a few days were left for the Partition of India, the people of the village of Charoli spread the same uneasiness as could be seen in every village of India in those days. There used to be a single Muslim family in the village, whose youths used to run a tonga. A young man also used to go to the nearby Jewar town where the mosque was located every Friday to offer Namaz.
In those days, donations started being collected in some mosques for the construction of Pakistan. A young man from the village also gave two hundred rupees so that somehow Pakistan would be formed. In those days, 200 rupees was a big deal for a family running a tonga. Then one rupee of half silver of George VI used to run in only one rupee, which is now worth about 400 rupees.
In those days, the rumor was in full swing in the entire region that on the coming 15th of August, there would be a huge revolt in the whole country. The father of the author of the book, Shri Giriraj Prasad Gupta, was also informed by one of the same youths about a possible rebellion. He (the father of the book writer) asked his school teacher, Pandit Karansinhji, who was a very well-known and respected person in remote villages. Panditji replied that nothing will happen that day, there will be complete peace. Panditji's point turned out to be completely correct because when 15th August came, the village remained as calm and normal as it used to be on other days.
Due to the brotherhood of the people of the village, almost all the villages in and around Chaurali village remained completely calm, but worrying news started coming from across the Yamunaji flowing about 10-12 kms away from Chauroli village. That area across the Yamuna was in those days in undivided Punjab and is now in the province of Haryana. At some distance from this area, there was the area of Rewari-Gurgaon, where the Meos had conducted violent actions for a separate Mevasthan in those days.
According to the context and mythological legends in the Mahabharata, the proposed Mevasthan was the same area where Lord Krishna and Arjuna destroyed the serpents by burning the Khandava forest. Around AD 1947, the Meo caste lived in large numbers in this entire area. One day the news came in the village that the Mayo would gather in large numbers and attack the villages across the Yamuna.
The plan of the Meos was to vacate this entire area from the Hindus and convert it into Mewsthan. His belief was that since Punjab was moving to Pakistan, the Meosthan being built by the dry fruits would be between India and Pakistan and would easily join Pakistan.
When news of the dry fruits came, Hindu youths from Chaoroli and many nearby villages gathered with sticks, ballams and spears and went to the villages across the Yamuna where there was a possibility of being attacked by dry fruits. These were agricultural villages in which it was a difficult thing to find a sword in any house. The people of the village used to keep sticks, balls and spears to protect their fields from the animals.
When armed Mayo attacked, Hindu youth blocked their path and successfully drove them towards Rewari. Among those who took part in this struggle was Shri Mukundilal Gupta, the paternal grandfather of the author, although at that time he was the only adult male in his family and he went to take part in this struggle despite the refusal of the women of the house. Three or four days after the dry fruits had fled, the youth of the village came back.
In those days a fair was held in Garh-Ganga on every full moon. On this occasion, people used to go to the Ganges bathing in about 20-25 vehicles from Chaoroli village. There were many Muslim villages in this area. When the communal riots were at their peak, once there was a ruckus in the Purnima fair. At that time this proverb was going on- 'If the Jats of the Garh Ganga had not been there, the people would not have been chic.'
Some youths caught about 25-30 women in the stampede after this riot. They removed their passengers from their vehicles and made these captured women sit. The youths of Chaoroli and some of its surrounding villages, who were not getting married, married those women and established households. In this regard, a Muktaka was also made, some parts of which were as follows-
Let me tell you the story of Samvat 2003…….
Sutne dhoti dhoti dhoti sakte hai……..
Gangaji Unc Nahva-Nhava Gangadei His name is Dhara……..
To say these are sporadic incidents in a small village like Charoli, but in those days such scenes had become very common in the villages of North India. Many people had to lose their lives in these riots. Many were injured and the chastity of countless women was violated. Those women were really lucky to be adopted even after the violence of the riots.