As a result of the Direct Action Policy of the Muslim League, Hindu-Muslim riots were to break out in the whole of India. The Muslims took the first step of attacking the Hindus in Noakhali. The Hindus retaliated and assaulted the Muslims in Bihar. Thus there were attacks and counter-attacks. The fire of vengeance started from Noakhali, passed through Bihar and spread to Multan in the Punjab and hundreds of other cities and towns. In order to restore peace, Mahatma Gandhi went and stayed in Noakhali, Bengal (now in Bangladesh), in January 1946. Suchita Kripalani accompanied him. The tension between the Hindus and the Muslims subsided. Mahatma Gandhi succeeded in bringing about Hindu-Muslim unity.
During this period of chaos and confusion, nam-kirtan was held at the house of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib and Sufi Kalaams used to be sung. One day, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib started singing a song, the words of which were:
"Keep safe our Emperor, O Lord!
The Sage of Sabarmati,
Who is clad in ek langoti,
Who now puts up in Noakhali."He then raised His voice and shouted: "Police!...Police!...Police!" Those present were simply taken aback. With eager eyes and expectant hearts they asked: "Shahenshaha Baba Nebhraj Sahib! What has happened?" Before they could get a reply, He said: "The woman is being abducted! People are shouting for the Police!" Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib seemed to be in a fierce mood. He regained His composure after some time.
The following day, the news flashed through the papers that some goondas had attempted to kidnap Suchita Kripalani. The Police, however, appeared on the scene and saved her from the clutches of the goondas. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib could witness this incident which was taking place thousands of miles away and was describing it. What a wonderful example of omniscience! The educated as well as the illiterate present at that time failed to comprehend the significance of the words of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib. He would foretell several such other incidents, which the people could not follow then.
Mind, buddhi and ego are collectively called antahkaran. The anthakaran of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib, was absolutely pure. Owing to this, He knew all about his several previous births. It appeared that the whole universe was visible to Him. This incident occured in November or December 1946.
One day, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib kept pacing about in His room, at this house, He kept crying and shedding tears at the same time. None knew the reason for it. The eyes of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib were wet with tears as He kept saying: "The line of demarcation is being drawn! Lord, how will this happen? The masses will suffer. Master! Do not divide into two, I beg of you! I entreat you! With folded hands, I beseech you to listen to my supplication!...You are not prepared to listen to my plea! Then do as you please!"
No one even dreamt of the Partition of India in those days. No one knew that Mother India was to be divided into two parts. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib, who could foresee it all, foretold about it through concealed and secret hints. Again and again, He prayed that Mother India should not be vivisected. Thoughts would enter His mind as to why God wanted to disturb the country and trouble the people. He would then be heard saying: "But who am I? What can I do? I cannot interfere in His secret doings!" Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib, who was totally against the Partition of India, was helpless before the Higher Powers.
Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib was far-sighted enough to realize the ill-effects of the Partition, of the chaos and confusion that would result in its wake and of the destruction and disaster that would follow. So He undertook fasts in the hope that the dark clouds that hung overhead would soon drift away, leaving the skies bright and clear. Like several other saints, Shahenshah Baba prayed fervently that the Hindu and the Muslim leaders be granted the insight, the sagacity and the statesmanship to reject the Partition. After some time, He felt that the crisis could not be avoided. So, in sheer desperation, He said to the Lord: "Since Thou are not prepared to listen to the pleas and petitions of Thy devotees, do whatever Thou dost like."
In the year 1946, the general elections were held in India. Congress leaders and statesmen like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru assured the people that there would be no Partition. If the Britishers sided Jinnah and formed Pakistan, it would be done on their dead bodies. What was the eventual result? Twelve months later, on June 3rd 1947, the British Government announced their final plans of dividing India. The Muslim League, which was in favour of the Partition, used to carry on a relentless and raging propaganda for it. The Congress, which used to oppose this propoganda, agreed to the Partition on the 23rd of July, 1947. Mahatma Gandhi was against this plan up to the last. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib had already hinted at the division of India over six months ago by uttering these words: "The line of demarcation is being drawn! Mother India is being cut! The masses will suffer, etc." These words, which could not be comprehended then, now made sense and proved to be true. Pakistan was established on the 14th of August, 1947 and India became independent on the 15th of August, 1947. Mother India was indeed cut into two.
Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib did not migrate from Pakistan. He stayed behind in His native province. He, however, left Rohri and went and stayed in Sukkur. He had been born and bred in Rohri, the town sanctified by the presence of countless saints and sages, fakirs and dervishes. In this town stood the Khangah, the shrines of the saint-poets, Beydil and Bekas, the durbar of Sain Paru Shah and Vasan Shah, and the temple of Kalka Devi. He had received their blessings in rich abundance. Now the Partition had come to part Him from His beloved birth place but He would not leave His native province Sind. He would remain there till the last day of His earthly-life in spite of the death and the destruction that He would have to behold.
Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib protected the helpless hindus who were at the mercy of the ruthless muslims. Communal frenzy had raised its ugly head. The fire of hatred that had kept smouldering in the hearts of the fanatic muslims of Sind against the hindus blazed into flames. The muslims harassed the hindus as they wanted them to flee to India, leaving behind for them their properties and belongings. But the hindu disciples of Baba had implicit and explicit faith in their Master. They were sure He would come to their rescue in their times of trials and tribulations. They were certain that by His grace, they would be proved innocent whenever false charges and allegations would be levelled against them by the Muslim officers. They harboured not the least doubt that the power of the worldly officers would wilt before the majesty and the might of the Monarch that their Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib was. They remained there, in spite of the fact that they were surrounded by the Muslim masses, who had no compunction in looting and burning their houses, massacring them and outraging the modesty of their women. Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, while being sent to the guillotine, during the height of the French Revolution, had rightly uttered these words: "O Freedom! What crimes are committed in Thy name!" No wonder my Gurudeva, Sadhu Vaswani, the Saint of Modern India, who was in Sind at the time of the Partition, wrote these words: "If knowledge is power, is not ignorance too a power - a destructive power like that of an asura, a giant who pulls down and tears to pieces and burns to ashes the work of centuries of civilization?"
The Muslim League resorted to direct action. On January 6, 1948, the Muslims indulged in looting and arson of Hindu homes in Karachi on a large scale, compelling the Hindus to flee from their native land. Before the Hindus could migrate from Pakistan, they collected in large numbers and sought shelter in Swami Satyanarayan Mandir, opposite to the Karachi Corporation Building. They were sure that they would be safe in this House of God but they were massacred there in cold blood according to the conspiracy hatched by the Muslim League. Within four hours 99% of the Hindus staying in Karachi, were looted and several murdered. News of this heart-rending and unspeakably horrible incident spread like wildfire.
Three days after this dreadful disaster, for twenty days continuously from January 9th to January 28th, 1948, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib kept praying for the safety of the Father of the Nation for whom He had immense regard. Out of love for Mahatma Gandhi, He would, at times, call him "Ek langoti walla" i.e. one who wore only a loin cloth. At other times, He would speak of him as "The Sage of Sabarmati". Shahenshah Baba was heard saying: "O Lord! Save him! Do not kill him! We entreat thee! We supplicate Thee not to kill this langoti walla! Let him reform the country." For twenty days, prayers and entreaties went on ceaselessly. On January 28th, 1948, He had a foreboding that the sojourn of Mahatma Gandhi on this earth-plane was nearing its end. In sheer desperation, He cried out: "I understand, Lord, that Thou art not prepared to listen to this being!" Saying these words, He burst out into sobs. His heart within which was stored immense love for the "Great-souled Gandhi", as Sadhu Vaswani loved to call him, was greatly saddened. With tear-touched eyes, He cried:"Jai to Mahatma Gandhi!Jai to Langoti walla! Jai to the sage of Sabarmati!"
After two days, on January 30, 1948, the news was broadcast to the nation that the beloved of millions of hearts was no more. He had fallen a victim to the three bullets of Nathuram Godse. The Father of the Nation was thus shot dead by a Hindu. Fakirs and dervishes wept bitterly, the earth and the sky resounded with the cries of: "Jai Mahatma Gandhi!". This incident, which occured in Delhi, was foretold by Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib weepingly in Sukkur three weeks before it actually took place.
Aftet the Partition of India, it became difficult for the Hindus to remain in Sind at the mercy of the Muslims. At the time of the Partition, there were fourteen lacs of Hindus in Sind. After the Partition, eleven or eleven and a half lacs of Hindus left Sind and came to India as refugees. The rest stayed on in Sind. Most of the saints, sages, sadhus and fakirs bade farewell to their native province of Sind and migrated to India. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib continued to remain in Sind. Seven months before the Partition, He had left Rohri for Sukkur. In this way, He gave a hint to the Hindus that they would likewise leave their 'Sufi sunlit Sind' and go and settle down in Hindustan. When Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib left Rohri for Sukkur, Rohri Panchayat refused to part with His bedding. On learning of it, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib remarked: "They too will migrate. They will take with themselves their belongings, utensils and beddings but will be looted on the way." The words of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib proved prophetic. The people were looted of everything - their beddings, belongings etc. - on their way to India.
Ever since the month of August 1947, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib kept knocking at the Divine door and prayed fervently to the Lord to protect the Hindus. "Return the Hindus, Lord! - the Sindhi Hindus!" He entreated over and over again. This entreaty was of no avail. On the contrary it took the shape of a struggle with God. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib went on a fast from February to March 1949. The prayer that the fakirs and dervishes of Sind, including Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib offered to the Lord was that the country India should once again become united and that the people, from wherever they had migrated, should return to their native places. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib also prayed that Sindhi Hindus should return to their homes. People would hear Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib saying: "The persistent demand of all the saints here, including this one, is that everyone should return to his native place. Let us see what will be the outcome. Let those who have migrated come back to their homeland. Who can say whether our prayers to the Lord shall be answered? Who can say whether our demands shall be fulfilled by the Lord and the people will return?" It was this insistent demand of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib that made Him undertake a fast. God willed it otherwise. The Hindus did not return to their homeland but Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib had to shed His mortal coil and depart from this transitory world. The man of miracles had also to submit to the Will Divine.
For worldly affairs and government administration, different officers and officials are appointed to attend to different duties. Each officer, whether Junior or Senior, had his jurisdiction. Such is also the case with spiritual administration. God too had alloted to His saints and sages separate jurisdiction. Their areas of operation are fixed. God has entrusted to their care people residing in these areas. These saints and sages work wonders within their bounds and give hints for the welfare of their people and control external forces. Whenever riots were to take place, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib would give broad hints in advance but who was there to comprehend these hints?
Migration of the Hindus of Sind started as soon as Pakistan came into existence. In April 1948, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib was staying in Sukkur at the house of Bhagwandas. On one occasion, in the presence of Prof. Bhograj Nagrani and several other devotees, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib, suddenly started uttering; Riots...riots...Hindu Muslim riots...Two months? Nay, not so, Lord! How canst Thou do so? We will not permit Thee... Two weeks? Lord! Even this is too much!... Two hours? All right, let these last for two hours." The very next day, riots broke out between the Hindus and the Muslims in Sukkur but peace was restored within two hours, all because of the fervent prayers of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib to the Lord.
In the year 1948, when the Muslims migrated from India to settle in Sind, the Hindus from villages, rural areas and towns of Sind started migrating. Some went directly to Hyderabad and Karachi, from where they left for India as refugees. Some came from the country-side and villages and settled down in the large cities of Sind. The Government of India had made arrangements for the evacuation of the Hindus of Sind to India. A camp was set up in the fort of Hyderabad. From there, the Hindus were sent by train to Loni, Marwar, and Marwar Pali etc. in India. From those places, they were again sent by train to different places in India. In Karachi, a camp was established in Swami Satyanarayan Temple. The Hindus from there were sent by steamer to Navalakhi, Kundla, Veerawal, Porbunder (Kutch and Gujarat). Others were sent directly to Bombay. From there again, they were sent by rail to various places where refugee camps had been established. It was a mass migration. From Sind alone eleven and a half lacs of Hindus migrated to India. The remaining Hindus, numbering three and a half lacs, stayed back in Pakistan because of their reliance upon and the support of fakirs and dervishes. The Hindus of Sukkur, Rohri and the places nearby stayed there because of the support of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib.
At the time of migration, some people came and put this question to Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib: "Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib! Should we stay in Pakistan or migrate to Hindustan?" They tested Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib in a peculiar manner. One night, as He was pacing to and fro in his room, He was surrounded by fifty to sixty devotees. Ten amongst them who had come in a group, brought with themselves a plate in which they had placed some bidis and two white cigarettes. A match box also lay on the plate. One of these men stood up holding the plate in his hands.
These ten men had come to Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib with a purpose. They had decided thus: "If Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib picks up a cigarette from the plate, lights it, smokes half of it and throws the remaining half in the lap of the holder of the plate, we shall remain behind in Pakistan on the support and strength of Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib. If, however, Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib takes a bidi and smokes it we shall leave for India." One of them, as planned, held in his hands the plate before Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib. The saint usually smoked a bidi but, reading the thoughts of these people this time, He smiled and picked up a cigarette. The holder of the plate lit a match stick and held it before Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib, who at once lit the cigarette and smoked it leisurely. Those assembled wondered how Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib, who usually smoked a bidi, picked up a cigarette to smoke. After He had smoked half ot it, He threw the remaining half in the lap of the devotee who held the plate. Seeing this, all the ten raised this slogan repeatedly: "Jai to Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib!". When they were asked why they kept shouting, they replied: "Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib is a fakir of the first order. He is All-knowing. We had come to test him. Now we will remain here in Pakistan all because of him. We will not migrate to India." They further disclosed that they had originally decided to leave for India. "But we were advised not to do so till dervish Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib was here. We consulted one another and decided that if Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib was indeed a saint, He would read our minds and tell us whether we should leave for India or remain here. For this purpose, all the ten of us came together. We have tested him. Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib has advised us not to leave for India. So now we shall remain here. If a calamity befalls us, we all will come as supplicants to Shahenshah Baba Nebhraj Sahib." Thus these ten people remained behind in Pakistan.