Partition of British India (1940-1950)
- August 14, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Partition of British India (1940-1950)
Subject: History
Context: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
Concept:
Pakistan Resolution—Lahore (March 1940)
- The Muslim League passed a resolution calling for “grouping of geographically contiguous areas where Muslims are in majority (North-West, East) into independent states in which constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign and adequate safeguards to Muslims where they are in minority
August Offer
- Linlithgow announced the August Offer (August 1940) which proposed, no future constitution to be adopted without the consent of minorities.
C. Rajagopalachari Formula
- C. Rajagopalachari (CR), prepared a formula for Congress-League cooperation in 1944. It was a tacit acceptance of the League’s demand for Pakistan.
- Jinnah wanted the Congress to accept the two-nation theory. He wanted only the Muslims of North-West and North-East to vote in the plebiscite and not the entire population
Wavell plan
- The viceroy, Lord Wavell was permitted to start negotiations with Indian leaders. The League claimed some kind of veto in the council. Wavell announced a breakdown of talks thus giving the League a virtual veto. This strengthened the League’s position
The Cabinet Mission Plan
- The Cabinet Mission Plan was against the creation of Pakistan since grouping was option; one constituent assembly was envisaged; and the League no longer had a veto. Muslim League. The Muslim League believed Pakistan to be implied in compulsory grouping.
Direct action
- The Muslim League on June 6 and the Congress on June 24, 1946 accepted the long-term plan put forward by the Cabinet Mission, July 29, 1946 The League withdrew its acceptance of the long-term plan in response to Nehru’s statement and gave a call for “direct action” from August 16 to achieve Pakistan.
- Government headed by Nehru was sworn in on September 2, 1946 with Nehru continuing to insist on his party’s opposition to the compulsory grouping. Wavell quietly brought the Muslim League into the Interim Government on October 26, 1946. The League was allowed to join without giving up the ‘direct action’.
Indian Independence Act
- Mountbatten Plan, June 3, 1947: The freedom-with-partition formula was coming to be widely accepted well before Mountbatten arrived in India. Mountbatten’s formula was to divide India but retain maximum unity
- The Act provided for the creation of two independent dominions of India and Pakistan with effect from August 15, 1947. As per the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, Pakistan became independent on August 14 while India got its freedom on August 15, 1947. M.A. Jinnah became the first Governor-General of Pakistan.
Congress and Gandhi stand
- The virtual collapse of the Interim Government also made the notion of Pakistan appear unavoidable.
- Official reference to Pakistan came in March 1947, when CWC resolution stated that Punjab (by implication, Bengal) must be partitioned if the country was divided.
- Gandhi felt helpless because there had been a communalisation of the people. He had no option but to accept partition because the people wanted it
Post-independence riots
- On both sides of the Radcliffe Line, sizable sections of populations became minority (religion-wise)—20 million non-Muslims in Pakistan and 42 million (later reduced to 35 million) Muslims in India.
- In absurd hurry, the British government appointed the Boundary Commission under the chairmanship of Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
- The communal riots had started in August 1946 itself, but with the announcement of partition and independence, the situation became more inflamed, due to Gandhi’s initiatives, no massacres took place in these regions)
- Amidst serious chaos, the British troops started to leave India from August 17, 1947 and the process was completed by February 1948.
- To resolve the problems of refugees and restore communal peace in the two countries, especially in Bengal (East Pakistan as well as West Bengal), the Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and the Pakistani prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, signed an agreement on April 8, 1950