Highlights

British Colonial Authoritiеs

• Thе British playеd a pivotal rolе in orchеstrating thе partition.
• Thе dеcision to dividе India was madе by thе British govеrnmеnt, lеd by Lord Louis Mountbattеn, thе last Vicеroy of India.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

• Jinnah, thе lеadеr of thе All-India Muslim Lеaguе, advocatеd for a sеparatе Muslim statе, which lеd to thе crеation of Pakistan.
• His dеmand for Pakistan and thе Two-Nation Thеory fuеlеd communal tеnsions.

Mahatma Gandhi

• Gandhi was a prominеnt lеadеr in thе Indian National Congrеss who opposеd thе partition.
• Whilе hе strovе for Hindu-Muslim unity, his influеncе on thе partition outcomе was limitеd.

Jawaharlal Nеhru

• Nеhru, a kеy figurе in thе Indian National Congrеss, latеr bеcamе India's first Primе Ministеr.
• Hе accеptеd thе partition plan rеluctantly but focusеd on building a sеcular and dеmocratic India.

190 years of thefreedom struggle  brought us independence. However, this came at a great cost to the unification of India. The beginning of August 15, 1947 brought the hard and unbearable truth that India was divided. Every time we observe Pakistanis, their culture, their cuisine and their way of life, we are filled with nostalgia for United India. This nostalgia often brings up questions like:

Why did India split up? Who is responsible for that?

Was the split and subsequent bloodshed inevitable?

Why can't we undo the past?

Both Jinnah and Nehru were heads of departments. Parliament and the British cabinet delegation rejected the two-state theory, but Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, as parliamentary speaker, persuaded Jinnah to agree that the two-state theory would have unrealistic and disastrous consequences. succeeded in. But President Nehru undermined this carefully negotiated agreement between the Muslim League  and parliament in just one press conference.

Four main reasons that partition Occur

1. Muslim League and M A. Jinnah was grossly underestimated by the Indian National Congress in the 1920s. Gandhi ignored Jinnah and tried to forge a common cause with Muslims.

1930s: Mr. Pt. Nehru falsely claimed that the Muslim masses would rather follow his socialist creed than a faith-based party.

1930s: Jinnah intended to sign a pact but was ignored (1937 local elections).

1940s: Muslims firmly supported Jinnah. He no longer had any reason to trade. In the 1946 elections, the Muslim League reserved 114 of the 119 seats in Bengal for Muslims and 54 of the 66 seats in the United State. Congress discussed progressive issues such as land reform and workers' rights promised in the 1946 elections, but the Muslim League's only agenda was "founding Pakistan ". As Mr. Jinnah said on the campaign trail, "Elections are the beginning of the end." If Muslims decide to run for Pakistan in the next elections, they will win half the battle. If we fail in the first phase of the war, we are finished. "

2. Jinnah's personal political ambitions and unrelenting devotion to the Pakistani cause. The Wavell plan and many others were rejected by Jinnah. August 16, 1946, the day of direct action.

3. British divide-and-conquer policy to consolidate and maintain colonial rule in India . Partition of Bengal, 1905; Formation of Independent Islamic League constituencies, 1909, 1906; General colonialism in all areas of public life. In March 1925, the Indian Secretary of State wrote to the Viceroy: "I have always had the greatest and most steadfast hope for the perpetuation of the state of the community."

4. Modern Electoral Politics: Promoting the Establishment of Local Electoral Banks. Muslims have become increasingly convinced that they actually consider themselves to be "Muslims". The Muslim League joined the call for "dangerous Islam" out of concern over the possibility of a "Brahmin Bania Raj" in a united India.

Could such violence have been avoided?

Maybe so, maybe not. February 20, 1947: Labor and government announce that Britain will withdraw by June 1948. A new viceroy (Lord Mountbatten), who was to set the terms of the transfer of power, took office on 22 March. On 2 May, a member of Lord Mountbatten's Executive Council staff traveled to London with a plan of partition to seek cabinet approval. He received cabinet approval, but after his return the plan had to be amended many times to satisfy both the parliament and the Islamic League. A revised plan was submitted to the UK Cabinet by Mr Mountbatten. On 3 June 1947, Mountbatten returned to India and announced his final withdrawal the following day in mid-August. Only 42 days in between.

The decision to shorten the period was made by Mountbatten himself. His biographer defended him, saying the breakup was inevitable. The longer it takes to transfer power, the greater the tensions and the greater the risk of spreading violence. But the UK government's indecision in dealing effectively with mob violence has also contributed to millions of deaths. The Punjab Border Force was severely undermanned. The then Governor of Punjab, Sir Evan Jenkins, wrote to Mountbatten: "Even if everyone involved were kind and friendly, it would be difficult enough to divide a state of 30 million people that had been governed as one unit for 98 years, in less than six weeks." enthusiastic.

There were too few troops to deal with the mob. They were busy guarding the rulers who believed British civilians would be attacked once the decision to secede became public. The Redcliffe Punjab Boundary Award was also prepared on 9 August but was not announced until after 15 August. The instinct of self-preservation dominated here too. Mountbatten's explanation for the delay was bizarre: “The sooner it is published, the more likely Britain will have to bear the responsibility for the mayhem that will undoubtedly result.”

Press release dated July 10, 1946

Jawaharlal Nehru becomes president of parliament. On July 10, reporters asked President Nehru at a press conference if he might change the cabinet's mission plan. "The parliament has only agreed to attend the Constituent Assembly and is free to change or amend the Cabinet's mission plan at its own discretion," Nehru replied.

That one word changed everything!

This meant that the minority was at the mercy of the majority, as the speaker of parliament had said that parliament could change the system through the majority of the Constituent Assembly.

Mr. Jinnah changed his position and repeated the call to Pakistan. In response to this statement by the Speaker of Parliament (Nehru), the Muslim League passed a resolution rejecting the Cabinet's mission plan. The League also decided to resort to direct action for the achievement of Pakistan.

The damage was done and Mr. Jinnah declared 16 August as Direct Action Day. The city of Calcutta turned into an orgy of bloodshed, murder and terror. Hundreds died in communal clashes. Processions were taken out by the League that resulted in loot. Arson and millions of dollars worth of damage. This tragedy decided the fate of the Indian people.

Jinnah took full advantage of Nehru's failure to withdraw from the coalition's early adoption of the cabinet mission plan.

At that time, two nations rose to power, India and Pakistan, and to this day claim their innocent lives.