Busal

Geography

Busal is located 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) off the Gujrat-Sargodha road, south of Gojra, and is nearly 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Mandi Bahauddin. Malikwal, the Tehsil headquarters, is 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Busal. Busal is located in Jech Doab (the plain between the Rivers Jhelum and Chenab). Busal consists of seven settlements: Sukkha, Masoor, Nuryana, Jand, Nakkaywala, Chhanni Hashim and Rutowala. Busal Sukha is the cultural, population, and financial centre of the Busal area.

History

The time period at which Busal was first settled is unknown, but local legend holds that the name of the founder was Busal, who settled in the area during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar (1542-1605) and had relations with the Emperor. The Emperor gave him a large estate called Sooba Busal. Busal had three sons named Sukkha, Masoor, and Noor, for which three of the settlements are named. An irrigation department rest house was built outside Busal in 1915, and a police station was established in 1935. A system of canals and irrigation channels was built between 1910 and 1944.

Demography

Busal has a large and fast-growing population. Due to road improvements, availability of telephone service, and establishment of new schools, people from small neighbouring villages have migrated to Busal. The number of registered voters in Busal is just above 25,000, suggesting that the total population is above 40,000.

The majority of the Busal population are Muslim belonging to Jat clan. After the independence of Pakistan, Muslim Rajputs migrated to Busal from the Karnal district of East Punjab (now a district in Haryana, India) and have been assimilated into the local population.

Dravidian people who have converted to Islam are called Musalli (Arabic: ﻣﺼﻠﻰ‎‎) or "Muslim Sheikhs". Many Musalli perform manual labour under landowners or at brick kilns, casting raw bricks from mud. Many of them are in debt, but a small percentage are educated.

A small population of Pashtuns, mostly emigrants from Afghanistan after the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-1989), exists in the Busal area. The Christian Chura community, traditionally nomadic people, called Deendars, have converted to Islam and settled in suburban areas of Busal.

Busal has been known in the past for crime and conflict, mainly stemming from a lack of education. This has changed due to the education resulting from construction of government-funded schools.

Main tribes

* Jat: Chadhar, Gondal, Lak, Ranjha, Tarar, Waraich,Khokhar

* Rajput: Bhatti, Janjua, Rao, Rana

* Syeds: Bukhari, Gilani, Kazmi

Religion

Almost the entire population of Busal are Muslim, out of which 10–12% are Shi'a Muslims while the rest are Sunni. A Sufi saint during the British Raj, Mian Muhammad Panah, has a following in Busal and nearby villages. Deoband madrasas Jmaia Farooqia for boys and Jamia Ayesha Sadiqa lilbanat-ul-Islam for girls are also working in Busal Sukkah.

Languages

Punjabi, with Shahpuri dialect, is the language predominantly spoken by the people of Busal. The Rajput community speaks their native language Haryanvi, a language closely resembling Urdu. Urdu is also spoken and understood by almost entire population.

Economy

The economy largely depends on agriculture; more than 50% of the people work in agriculture. Busal has some of the most fertile lands in Pakistan and farmers are well-off due to excellent production of cash crops like sugar cane, oranges, rice, cotton, and wheat. Other main crops are maize, sarsaun, millet, tobacco, potatoes, guava, and other vegetables.

Many people have joined the government and private service sectors, and a large number of young people are living and working abroad in the Gulf States, the United States, Australia, and Europe.

Education

Although the literacy rate of Busal is very low by international standards, it is one of the highest in Mandi Bahauddin District. The literacy rate varies from family to family. Some people of Busal hold doctorate degrees while a large majority has never even visited a school. The literacy rate among females is low. A very good move in the direction for improvement of girls education is construction of girls degree college near Bangla Busal.

Government Higher Secondary School Busal

Government Higher Secondary School Busal was established in 1905, offering education up to the primary level only. In 1951, with the efforts of social workers like Hakeem Ghulam Ali,(who was grand father of Hakeem Inayat Ullah and great grand father of Mughira Ahmad Turab)the school was promoted to middle level. Ch. Batti Khan Busal, a venerated landowner, donated approximately 33 kanals of land for the project. In 1984, the school was upgraded to high school and in 1986 to intermediate level. Presently around 700 students are enrolled in the school.

Government Girls Degree college Busal Sukkha

A grand building for Government Girls Degree college Busal Sukkah was built using a part of land of Bangla Busal in 2013-2014. This college became functional in Year-2015 which is very interesting as Bangla Busal was built exactly 100 years before in Year-1915.

Recreation

Despite of the fact that Busal is a large village, there is no recreational grounds or playground for children in or around it. Children usually use the school grounds and the graveyard for playing cricket.

A small canal passes from the east of the village and a larger one from the west side. There used to be recreational swimming in these canals, but now thanks to the villages located upstream, the canals are highly polluted and swimming is no longer an option.

Bangla Busal

Built by the irrigation department in 1915 during the British Raj, Busal Irrigation Rest House or Bangla Busal is located approximately 2 km from Busal Masoor and Sukha. At one time it was well maintained, with a variety of flowers and trees. It also served as a large bird sanctuary. The building and grounds have fallen into disrepair due to lack of interest on the part of the irrigation department, and from people taking things to use as building materials elsewhere. This example of classical architecture has turned into ruins and requires immediate attention to preserve it as a piece of heritage. A Girls degree college has been built on part of land of Bangla Busal.