Indian elephant

Hearing of the troubles that many migrants have had to face on their journeys from their homeland reminds me of one of my mother’s visitors.  He is very well known particularly for the voluntary work he has done around the local area after having had to give up a successful business due to health problems.
He was born in Lahore in India but after partition, with the area then becoming part of Pakistan, his family were being persecuted and so, as Sikhs, had to escape.  His father had previously overcome major problems due to his religion and when things became intolerable his brother-in-law decided to take the family to join the father who was then in ?Delhi.  It was a very long treacherous journey on foot.  The b-in-l strapped 3 year old S onto his back and then unwrapping his long turban, tied S’s older brother and their mother to one arm and his wife to the other.  He armed himself with two knives which he had to use several times for protection.  After his family were reunited S’s father was granted passage to Britain or Canada as a reward for his gallantry in helping the British in the 39-45 war.  However a ?Brigadier in the army told him that he had been so impressed with the Sikh that he could have free accommodation on his estate near London.  So began the family’s long and very influential time in England with many important engineering projects and welfare and social changes being carried out.
While their situation may not exactly be comparable there must be some refugees setting foot here today who might in the future have a great influence for the good of our communities.