This Pakistani man came to India in search of his ancestors' pre-Partition homes. Here's what he found...
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00:00In Bombay, Mochi had a QR code and somewhere on that ground some of my family members are buried
00:05But those graves are not there
00:06So they loved going there after coming to Karachi going to the beach because that was what their home looked like
00:12And that is Sahil
00:14Yes, that is Sahil
00:30In Bombay, Mochi had a QR code
00:41Paanwale had a QR code
00:43You don't need cash, you scan
00:45People were eating Kachori
00:47I was seeing that everyone was eating Kachori and leaving after eating
00:49No one was giving money
00:51Transactioner said, why isn't he checking?
00:53Then I saw on the site that Paytm QR code was there
00:57People used to scan and give and leave
00:59Then I asked my friend, how does the guy keep track?
01:03Who gave, how much came, how much didn't come
01:05So he announces the speaker
01:0750 Rs received, 100 Rs received, 20 Rs received
01:11So he is making his Kachori or Pani Puri or Paan
01:14And if there is a speaker behind him, then a voice keeps coming that someone gave money
01:18Rajkot is a city of 2 million people
01:21200 km south towards the Arabian Sea is my paternal grandfather's village
01:283000 people live in that village
01:31My father has been there before
01:34So he said there is a Dargah there
01:36So there are some of my grandfather's children and great-grandfather's grandfather are buried there
01:41So he said you go there, maybe you will find a grave
01:45So I entered the village with the driver
01:48Because there was a board, after the board the village starts
01:51Please don't say that there was a QR code on the grave
01:53No, no, no
01:54But the store in front of that Dargah had a QR code
01:57The maintenance of that Dargah
02:00The Hindu temple does
02:02And somewhere on that ground some of my family members are buried
02:06But those graves are not there
02:07But the Dargah as a symbol of the fact that there were Muslims here
02:12Still exists and it's painted, it's nice
02:15And people come there
02:16There I met Govind Bhai
02:19Poor guy, very poor guy
02:21I went to his house, he gave me sweet milk
02:24He had a smartphone with 4G LTE on it
02:27So when he gave me a tour, Shahzad
02:30So I
02:31The old houses of Memnong are still there
02:34People live there, etc.
02:35So he showed me that yes, these are the permanent houses
02:38These were your houses in this lane
02:40So then I saw a structure, I don't know to read Hindi
02:43It was painted, it was nice
02:45I said what is this?
02:46He said our children study here
02:50Batwa and Bagasra now have a youth literacy rate approaching 90%
02:55It's a village of 3000 people
02:58People still burn cow dung and cook food there
03:02But the school was
03:04He used to see you that the school is great
03:07My dad had said that in those days
03:09Even those who were born in Bagasra
03:11Their birth registration was in Batwa
03:13So you go to the municipal office
03:16And ask them that maybe they have files
03:19So I reached there
03:21Went up
03:22Namaste
03:23Yes, what work?
03:24I said sir, my grandfather was from here
03:26And my grandfather was also there
03:28So I have to see their birth record
03:31They say when they were born
03:32I said 1922 and 1929
03:35Sent the man down
03:37He brought a stack of files from 1900 to 1930
03:41Old red
03:43And six people started going through 1922-23
03:47Then later he asked what is for the property?
03:50I said it is not for the property
03:52My grandfather and grandfather had left everything here
03:55So I thought I should check
03:57If there is a record, then maybe I should take a photo of it
03:59Did you waste the time of beating you?
04:01No
04:02You wasted the time of 6 people
04:03Then they saw more
04:05When I told them this
04:0620-15 minute drive from Bagasra
04:09Basically an hour long cycle ride
04:11Is the Arabian Sea
04:13So they loved going there
04:15After coming to Karachi
04:16Going to the beach
04:17Because that was what their home looked like
04:19And this is the same Sahil?
04:20Yes, the same
04:21Arabian Sea
04:23Arabian Sea