The name of Allahabad, a city in northern Uttar Pradesh (UP) state India, is changed as Prayagraj, a sign of growing Hindu fundamentalism in India.

However; we will not change name of of our district Toba Tek Singh, in avenge.

My home district is named after a Sikh noble person, Tek Singh in beginning of 19th century at the newly built railway station of the city. Legend has it that Mr. Singh a kind hearted man, served water and provided shelter to the worn out and thirsty travelers passing by a small pond (“toba” in Punjabi) which eventually was called Toba Tek Singh, and the surrounding settlement acquired the same name.

Toba Tek Singh was developed by the British toward the end of the 18th Century when a canal system was built. People from all over the Punjab (currently Indian and Pakistani Punjab) moved there as farmlands were allotted to them. Most of the people who migrated there belonged to Lahore, Jalandhar.

My elders moved to Toba Tek Singh from Lahore at the time when they were allotted a small piece of agriculture land .

I was born at Village 291 GB, 8 kilometer from the city, then my parents moved to the city.

My father Choudry Abdul Ahmad was one of those who helped build the Teko Park, next to Railway station to honour this great Tek Singh. My late father was a former president of district traders association in mid eighties.

By Farooq Tariq

Spokesperson Awami Workers Party

for Pakistani Stories

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