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Understanding Partition
Under what circumstances, India attained independence?
(i) India fought a long-drawn war to attain its freedom. After the Second World War, the British Government was so weakened that it was impossible for her to control all the colonies. So in 1946, the British Government declared that it wanted to end its rule in India. It sent a Cabinet Mission to India for this purpose. This Mission proposed to call the Constituent Assembly and constitute an Interim Government.
(ii) As soon as the Interim Government was set up, the Muslim League raised its demand for Pakistan. So there were communal riots at many places like Bengal, Bihar and Bombay. Under these circumstances, Lord Mountbatten placed his proposal for the division or partition of the country. All accepted this proposal.
At last India was partitioned on 15 August, 1947. Since then, India is an independent country.
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Why did some people think of Partition as a very sudden development?
How did ordinary people view Partition?
What were Mahatma Gandhi’s arguments against Partition?
Why is Partition viewed as an extremely significant marker in South Asian history?
Why was British India partitioned?
How did women experience Partition?
How did the Congress come to change its views on Partition?
Examine the strengths and limitations of oral history. How have oral-history techniques furthered our understanding of Partition?
Find out about the ethnic violence that led to the partition of Yugoslavia. Compare your findings with what you have read about partition in this chapter.
Name the writer of ‘Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Hamara’. What did he speak to the Muslim League in 1930 in his presidential address?
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