1947-partition of India

The Partition of India was a partition that led to theAt the 1940 AIML conference in Lahore, Jinnah made
creation on 14 August 1947 and 15 August 1947,clear his commitment to two separate states, a
respectively, of the sovereign states of Dominion ofposition from which the League never again wavered:
Pakistan (later Islamic Republic of Pakistan) and Union“The Hindus and the Muslims belong to two
of India (later Republic of India) upon becoming freedifferent religions, philosophies, social customs and
from British rule. In particular, it refers to the partitionliterature… To yoke together two such nations
of the Bengal province of British India into the Eastunder a single state, one as a numerical minority and
Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and the Indian state ofthe other as a majority, must lead to growing
West Bengal, as well as the similar partition of thediscontent and final destruction of any fabric that
Punjab region of British India into the Punjab provincemay be so built up for the government of such a
of West Pakistan and the Indian state of Punjab.state.”8
Most Indians today happily celebrate August 15th asThe Direct Action of the Muslim League was launched
Independence Day, but all seem to have forgottenon August the 16th, 1946 after cabinet Mission failed.
that August 15 marks a day when our HolyThe Muslim League Bengal Government declared
Motherland, our Akhand Bharathvarsha was divided,August 16, 1946 to be a public holiday throughout
when about 1/3 of our land was taken away fromBengal. This Direct Action Day, also known as Great
us, when a large number of Hindus were killed andCalcutta killings, left 5,000 Hindus dead and about
more number became refugees in their own Nation.15,000 injured. The Direct Action Day riots in Calcutta
H.V Sheshadri in his Book, The Tragic Story ofspread to other regions, reaching this district where a
Partition says-massive pogrom was organized against the Hindu
“In the [past] one thousand years many parts ofminority. An important incident following Direct Action
our country had been ruled by the Muslims and thenDay was the Noakhali district massacre on October
by the British, but the nation had never1946. The death toll is estimated to be in the
compromised, in principle, its sovereignty over anythousands, with 51-75 thousand Hindus ethnically
part of the motherland. As a result, our nation hadcleansed from the region. In the words of S. L. Ghosh
never ceased to strive for throwing out theof the Ananda Bazar Patrika- "The horror of the
aggressors and liberate those parts. And history tellsNoakhali outrage is unique in modern history in that it
us that ultimately it did succeed in freeing the entirewas not a simple case of turbulent members of the
land from the clutches of foreign invaders. However,majority community (Muslims) killing off helpless
for the first time, Partition conceded the moral andmembers of the minority Hindu community, but was
legal right to them over certain parts of the countryone whose chief aim was mass conversion,
and declared an ignominious finale to the oneaccompanied by loot, arson and wholesale
thousand years old heroic struggle for freedom. Thusdevastation... No section of the Hindu community has
it was an act of humiliating surrender on the point ofbeen spared, the wealthier classes being dealt with
principle. The usual interpretation of Partition,more drastically. Abduction and outrage of Hindu
however, does not utter a word about this aspect.women and forcible marriages were also resorted.
Even while conceding Partition to be a tragedy, it isThe slogans used and the methods employed indicate
sought to be made out as the only practical way outthat it was all part of a plan for the simultaneous
then available - as the inevitable price for achievingestablishment of Pakistan." an attack on Hindus
freedom.” 1occurred in Delhi on the 12th August, 1946. There
Throughout the history of Bharathavarsha, we findwas rioting in such vastly different places as
that even though there was no political unity, theCawnpore, Bombay, Poona, Ahmedabad, Dacca and a
whole Bharath was united together by a strongerfew others. The lesson of it all was becoming very
bond of culture, that is, Sanatana Dharma. Akhandabundantly clear. The Muslim League was waging its
Bharat for Hindus was never a mere clod of clay. Itwar in earnest on non-Muslims to achieve its
was verily the Matrubhoomi, the Punyabhoomi, thePakistan.This was followed by genocide of Hindus and
Dharmabhoomi, the Devabhoomi, the Karmabhoomi -Sikhs by Muslim League in Punjab. According to
all sublimated into one single majestic figure of BharatRichard Symonds “at the lowest estimate, half a
Mata. This Bharathavarsha was later painted asmillion people perished and twelve million became
“Indian Sub-continent” by the English men forhomeless”
breaking the Hindu Morale. The territorial unity andAugust 15th marks this bloody partition, where Hindus
integrity of Bharatavarsha - the land that lies southnot only lost a major chunk of their motherland, but
of the Himalayas, east of Sakadvipa (Seistan),also left thousands dead and millions as refugees. On
south-east of Vãhlîka (Balkh), west of Burmathe midnight of August 15th, 1947, Pandit Nehru
and between the two seas - was never a politicalmade historic speech where he said- “Long years
contrivance created by the sword of a conqueror.ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time
On the contrary, it was meant and manifested bycomes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly
Mother Nature herself as the cradle of anor in full measure, but very substantially. At the
incomparable culture - the culture of Sanãtanastroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps,
Dharma.2India will awake to life and freedom. A moment
But, in 1947, this Bharathvarsha was divided due tocomes, which comes but rarely in history, when we
the political unwillingness and the muslim appeasingstep out from the old to the new, when an age
policies of our national leaders Gandhi, Nehru and theirends, and when the soul of a nation, long
Congress party. To quote the appropriate words ofsuppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this
Prafull Goradia in this context: "For Mahatma Gandhi,solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to
no price was too great for appeasing Muslims, sothe service of India and her people and to the still
that they did not oppose Hindus. That he did notlarger cause of humanity.”9I am forced to ask
understand the Muslims was proved by the conductthe question H.V. Sheshadri asks, “Did the tryst
of the Muslim League and by the vivisection of thewith destiny which our leaders had made long years
country."3ago include this crucial twist of history also? Was it a
No one among the national leadership had the time orpicture of a divided Bharat which had been the
the talent to take stock of the situation, see thecherished vision of our freedom fighters including
forces at work in a historical setting, and give aPandit Nehru?”
resounding call for a new national resolve - to foil theFinally, Mahayogi Sri Aurobindo in his birthday
consolidation of Islamic imperialism in several parts ofmessage on 15th August 1947, said- “India today
Bharatavarsha, and to launch another struggle forbecame free bust she has not achieved Unity…
winning back all our people and every bit of nationalThe old communal division into Hindus and Muslims
territory from the stranglehold of a theocratic stateseems now to have hardened into permanent political
that was fast taking shape. The millions of Hindusdivision of the country. It is hoped that this settled
who had to abandon their ancestral homes in Eastfact will not be accepted as settled forever, as
and West, became refugees at the very dawn ofanything more than a temporary expedient. For if it
freedom for which they had worked so hard andlasts, India may be seriously weakened, even
made so many sacrifices. Their dream of becomingcrippled; civil strife may remain always possible,
the proud citizens of a country freed from everypossible even a new invasion and foreign conquest.
vestige of foreign imperialism had suddenly turnedIndia’s internal development and prosperity may
into a nightmare. Something had gone seriouslybe impeded, her position among nations weakened,
wrong somewhere.4her destiny impaired or even fractured. This must not
Pakistan grew out of the two-nation theory of thebe; the Partition must go. By whatever means, in
Muslim League, The very name of the State whichwhatever way, the division must go; unity must and
the Muslim League envisaged-and achieved-is, in thewill be achieved, for it is necessary for the greatness
context in which it was adopted, a standing insult toof the India’s future”10
the Hindus and other non-Muslims living in India. ThisReferences & Notes:
name-Pakistan-means literally the Land of the Pure or1 The Tragic Story of Partition,
of Purity. This implies clearly that Hindus and all that2 Muslim Separatism Causes and Consequences,
belongs to them credally and materially is impure,Chapter 2, Sita Ram Goel
defiled and unholy.53
Dr. Mohammad Iqbal in his presidential address at the4 Muslim Separatism Causes and Consequences,
Annual Muslim League Session held at Allahabad inChapter 3, Sita Ram Goel
1930, said that he felt a separate nation for Muslims5, Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the
was essential.6Punjab 1947, Chapter 1
In the January of 1933 appeared, on behalf of certainCompiled for the SGPC, By S. Gurbachan Singh Talib
Indian Muslim students at Cambridge, headed by6, 8
Chaudhari Rehmat Ali, a pamphlet entitled Now or7 Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the
Never. This pamphlet advocated a complete breakPunjab 1947, Chapter 2
away of the Muslims of North-Western zones ofCompiled for the SGPC, By S.
India from the rest of the Indian nation.7