India is a graceful country which has great tradition and history and was even more beautiful in the days before independence. Earlier people used to refer to themselves as “Indian”, and not based on their religion making the groups more united. This harmony was not to be for much longer, and the British arrival was to be the beginning of much strife. The Partition of India is one of the black days in Indian history.
The Impact of British Rule
Beginning from the British being established in India, what they wanted was not only to govern but also to divide and rift the community. They plunged the European into factions along the religious divide that has never been known before. This diametrically diverged and widened the cleavage which in the long run paved the way to the Partition Of India. It made cities like Lahore – which was only 32 km from Amritsar before population growth distance- a metaphor for distance and separation that made what had once been simple, complex.
The Bengal Narrative
The story of Partition of India starts in Bengal and is now split into Bangladesh and West Bengal. People there used to celebrate Holi, Diwali and Eid, Hindu and Muslim used to live there together. However, this unity was to attract the attention of the British authorities who saw such a stance against their rule as potential threat.
In 1905, the British government observed that Indians were gradually resisting its policies of Change hence they began partitioning Bengal on the line of religion. West Bengal was meant for Hindus only and the part of Bengal which was ruled by Pakistan came to be known as East Bengal although it was a predominantly muslim region. This division led to massive indignation and people came out on the street to protest against this particular decision and this led to the Swadeshi movement.
The Rise of Swadeshi Movement
During the Swadeshi Movement the people of India, much as one nation, came up with one provision against British goods and policies. This was just a phenomenon of Bengal only as the people started demanding national honor and obtaining goods within the country. The Indian National Congress also supported this movement especially the Hindus and against the exploitation of the British.
However, this unity was threatened, for instance, by Nawab Sallimullah who demanded the creation of the All India Muslim League political voice. Therefore, political cleavages were developed on the basis of religion, which disrupted the struggle for independence.
The Hindu-Muslim Divide
With the growing power of the Muslim League the communal hostility between the Hindus and the Muslim began to rise. The provincial elections of 1973 also fuelled such sentiments because many Muslim had faith that the Indian National congress was a Hindu dominated party. Hence what was discernible from the political scene was clear formal demarcation on the religious factors; the Hindus joined Congress and the Muslims the league.
There was still a strong core of the people who did not see religion as a barrier to social interactions and who wanted to keep friendship circles as such. It was sad that they were out-competed by the growing polarization.
The Path to Independence
Indeed, when the British were thinking of withdrawing from India, they believed it was important to determine who would rule the new country. In the center stage, two main leaders stood out : Jwaharlal Nehru of the Congress party and Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League. Nehru was preferred for prime minister but this idea provoked some concern within the League; they felt that a government with Nehru as head would be partial to hindus.
It is only in one year approaching independence, the clamor for a separate nation for Muslims grew louder. As per the League’s argument, only a class. A state whose chief responsibilities include providing for the safety and rights of Muslims. This resulted in unprecedented demonstrations by the former partners who have transformed into arch enemies.
The Partition of India
The climax of the above was experienced when Sir Cyril Radcliffe was given the mandate of drawing the map of the newly liberated India Compartmentalizing the country without emphasizing on the residents. This process of drawing a line irrespective of the relevant facts, led to the sad partition of India.
Apart from drawing a political map, the partition has carved a permanent emotional wound on the hearts of millions. The fight for liberty therefore degenerated into a horror where people are turned against each other, neighbors become enemies.
Conclusion: Partition of India
This narrative brings out a very important lesson on the importance of unity. Today the conscience of the common Indian reminds us to be Indian first rather than Hindu and Muslim or north Indian or south Indian. It wasn’t about liberation, but about creation of a state where people of diverse color are the fabric with woven strings of respect and empathy.
In the future which lies ahead, the population is free to create a new image of their society and refuse to draw artificial barriers between communities. The tragic narration of the partition of India is not only a past event, it serves as the encouragement to all of us to take steps towards unity, eliminating the barriers between Hindu-Muslim and letting not the feeling and the bloodshed of the forefathers go in vain.
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