1800
The region in which Fazilka town is presently located was a sandy tract on the banks of river Sutlej and was at the periphery of the Thar desert.Hot dust laden winds blew in the region shifting the dunes from one region to the other.(in recent times the Fazilka Abohar road would be covered with shifting sand dunes and it would be closed for several days, so was the case with meter gauge rail track from Fazilka to Kotakpura) The human habitations were limited to green areas around water patches. The quality of water derived from the ground water was good as compared to the present day supply which is ridden with excessive fluorides. The major profession was sheep herding. The agriculture, as we see it today, was not practiced at that time in 1800. the ground water was lifted by persion wheels fitted on the wells and pulled by a pair of bullocks moving on a rotary.the water was just sufficient to sustain small settlements. There were twelve villages with small population on the river bank belonging to muslim bribes of Wattus, Chishties and bodlas,who had migrated to Fazilka region from across the river. There was not much claim to the arid land in this region till the arrival of officers of the east India Company who brought with them new techniques like hand pump for water lifiting.politically the Nawab of bahawalpur and Nawab of Mamdot had loose control over this region.
The English, with its East India Company were aggressively consolidating the area and vehemently wished to control the land on this side of the Sutlej, from its agencies at Ludhiana and Ambala. They parried the claims of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (the british spokesmen visited Amritsar in 1807 and 1827) for letting him control the firozpur region. And they were on the look out for a strategic place where from they could observe and safeguard the interests of their newly acquired dominions along the left bank of Sutlej from Ludhiana region to Bahawalpur region.
1844
in 1844, the wattu pargana,(so called from the principal tribe inhabiting it), comprising a strip of land running from Danda to the river bank was ceded by Nawab of Bahawalpur in exchange for a similar tract given to him on the sindh frontier. The English had tested the brawn of Khalsa Army in first sikh War and planned diplomatic overtures to control the relations with Bahawalpur, Bikaner, Mamdot, fridkot and Sarkar-e-Khalsa ji.(Later in 1845 there was the Second Sikh War and they annexed whole of the region upto jamrod). This strip of land around the Fazilka region with the nearby river frontage answered their requirement for stationing a political officer to keep a watch on the activities of the nieghbouring rulers. Further acquiring this tract provided customs line to the river bank from commercial point of view. The already existing Pattan(boat of ferry crossing on a river) proved benefical for the traders and the East India company. Older people tell that the present day Unn Bazar was a part of the river course.
The first political officer to be stationed on this tract was Mr. Vans Agnew. He built a bungalow near the horse-shoe lake at Badha and the place came establishment by the people.
1846
Later in 1846 another officer, Mr.Oliver established a few shops by purchasing land from Main Fazil Wattu Lambardar(a payment of Rs144 and annas eight was paid to his descendants in 1877 from Panchayat fund) and the place after Main Fazil Wattoo, Lambardar as Fazilka.
Mr. Oliver an energetic officer of the East India company, who was an excellent soldier, statesman, nature lover and ecologist besides founding the town of Fazilka by building a also planted a garden on the bank of Badha Lake near the Bunglow. The garden still bears the name of Mr. Oliver. He built a katcha fortress just opposite the present Railway station where a small body of troops was stationed.
1857
The Punjab had been annexed by the English in 1849 and they commanded the whole region upto Darra Khyber(A pass on the Afganisthan border). But the trouble was brewing in the Awadh region. The year 1857 marked a challenge to the East India company, which had consolidatingthe major regions of the Punjab on both banks of the Sutlej after getting a severe beating from the Khalsa Army.
During 1857, the detachment at Fazilka was inclined to breakout from their camps at the custom establishment. They collected at Fazilka after deserting the outposts. Their main demand was for getting the arrears of their pay(At that time most the rulers kept about six months salary of their soldiers in arrears) Mr. Oliver called the influential headmen of the region and was able to disarm the 57th Native infantry. Most of the Matchlock men(owner of Toredar Bandook) requested from the headmen of the rural areas overawed the custom peons and the dissatisfied soldiers. The town of Fazilka was protected.
1862
In 1862, a land deal for 2165 Bighas was made with owners of adjoining villages of Panchanwali, Sultanpur, Keruwala and Bainawala at a cost of Rs1301/-, paid from the Panchayat fund and provided for the development of the town.
1867
The democray came to Fazilka in the form of a directive of elected members for the municipality of the town. The boundaries of the town were defined and wards were outlined. A form of municipality was founded in Fazilka during the year 1867 vide Punjab Government Notification No.1034,dated August 7, 1867. The municipal act was extened to the town during the year 1873.
1885
A proper municipality was, however, foemed during the year 1885 and a number of members was fixed to work out the administration, vide Punjab Government Notification No. 486,dated December 10, 1885. the town was added to the firozpur district on the reduction of Sirsa district to which Fazilka was attached in 1884. (The average income of the committee was in was realized from taxation. A Large portion of the remaining income was obtained from the sale of land)
1908
A destructive flood in river sutlej ravaged Fazilka in the year 1908 and practically the whole town collapsed, but was rebuilt. A large bund was constructed to protect the town from future floods. The new buildings were constructed, out of which, the Tehsil building, Police Station, Post Office, hospital, Munsif courts, Sub Divisional Officer’s Bunglow cum Court and Dak Bunglow. (Now in 1998, there are a large number of new government buildings which have been added. The civil hospital (Dane Hospital) has been extensively provided with additional facilities for the benefit of people of the region. A brand new city Police Station is going to be commissioned soon)
1936
A beautiful clock tower was built at the centre of the town, which is now a land mark A philanthropist Sri Munshi Ram Aggarwal instituted a degree college for the education of the youngster of the region. Now it has been taken over by the government and is providing teaching on a broad group of subjects.
1947
The population of the town has been 50% hindus & Sikhs and 50%Muslims before the partition of the country. And most of them had been peace loving citizens as they had migrated from all parts of Punjab, Rajsthan, Bahawalpur, and Sind. They knew the art of behaving with the people of different regions and having different languages. A tolerance develops among such group of people who mix with the large variety of cultures. Of all the towns in India, Fazilka provided a unique example of being the melting pot of very large variety of cultures and dialects. The country was partitioned and the Redcliffe placed this town in a very typical situation by truncating its hinterlands and cutting off the transportation system. The Muslim population migrated to Pakisthan and the Hindu & Sikh refugees from Pakpattan, Haveli, Okara, Montgomery (renamed Sahiwal), Arifwala, Basirpur, Bahawalpur came to this town in caravans.
The money flow was reduced considerably, as the railway line terminated at Fazilka and there was no scope of transit of bales of cotton and wool to Karachi and the new lines have to be discovered by new generations to inflate the money flow of the town.
1997
Fifty years of freedom has brought in much development in other parts of the Punjab , but this very prosperous town before partition has suffered badly. The natural resources have even deteriorated . The ground water for drinking purpose consumed by the population is riddled with excess fluoride which makes the people grow old even at forty. The children and ladies have damaged teeth and bone deteriorated. It is a shame that even drinking water by drilling deep tube-wells has not been arranged by the government agencies. Due to the reduction in money flow, no new technologies have been brought in for generating wealth in this sector. Thought the wool trade has dwindled, still the hinterland of Fazilka produce cotton of high quality and grains which can be processed in modern plants and packaged for export. All these require a THINK TANK which may guide the `new generation for prosperity.
