Communists and the Making of Pakistan


PAST & PRESENT

Could Partition have been made less bloody?

RAMACHANDRA GUHA

It could be one of the most tantalising questions of modern Indian history.

THE most tantalising question of modern Indian history undoubtedly is: "could the Partition of India have been avoided?" Ever since August 15,1947, this question has been asked by all kinds of Indians, who, naturally, have given all kinds of answers. An equally important question, yet one much less frequently asked, is the following: "Even if Partition was, by 1946 or so, inescapable, could it have come about with less loss of life?"

In February 1947, the Labour Government in London announced that the British would quit India by June 1948. Three months later, the new Viceory, Lord Mountbatten, decided to dramatically foreshorten the date of departure, bringing it forward to August 1947. His official biographer, Philip Ziegler, has justified the decision in the following words: "Once the principle of Partition had been accepted, it was inevitable that communalism would rage freely. The longer the period before the transfer of power, the worse the tension and the greater the threat that violence would spread. Today it was the Punjab, tomorrow Bengal, Hyderabad, or any of the myriad societies in the sub-continent where Hindu and Muslim lived cheek by jowl. Two hundred thousand could have become two million, even 20 million."

Blistering attack


In fact, even while Ziegler wrote (in 1985) the toll of the Partition violence was estimated at one million dead; some later scholars have suggested the figure is closer to two million. How many would it have been if the British had left, as planned, in June 1948? In a blistering attack on Mountbatten's reputation, Andrew Roberts accuses him of softness and vacillation — "whenever he had to exhibit toughness, Mountbatten took the most invertebrate line possible" — of being unwilling to crack down effectively on communal violence and, more specifically, of understaffing the Punjab Boundary Force and not supplying it with air cover. Contra Ziegler, Roberts is convinced that the "over-hasty withdrawal" led "to more rather than fewer deaths".

Mountbatten had been warned by officials who knew the province that the Punjab was where the worst violence would occur. If, when the time came, there weren't enough troops to deal with rioters, one reason was that the British were paranoid that they, the rulers, would be attacked as soon as the decision to leave was made public. This feeling was widespread among British officials, priests, planters, and merchants. In the summer of 1946, a young officer wrote to his family of how he thought that when the British left, "we shall virtually have the whole country against us (for long enough at all events to wipe out our scattered European population) before the show becomes, as inevitably it will, a communal scrap between Hindus and Muslims".

The policy of the Raj in its last days was to make the protection of British lives top priority. In February 1947, the Governor of Bengal, Sir Frederick Burrows, stated that his "first action in the event of an announcement of a date for withdrawal of British power ... would be to have the troops `standing to' and prepare for a concentration of outlying Europeans at very short notice as soon as hostile reactions began to show themselves". In fact, in the summer of 1947, a white man (or woman) was the safest person in India. No one was interested in killing them. But their imagined insecurity meant that many army units were placed near European settlements, instead of being freed for riot control elsewhere.

Postponed


The instinct of self-preservation also lay behind the decision to postpone the Punjab Boundary Award until after the date of Independence. The Punjab Governor, Sir Ewans Jenkins, was very keen that the award be announced as soon as it was ready, so that district officers could be placed in their respective Dominions, Indians in India and Pakistanis in Pakistan; and troops moved to key locations in advance of the transfer of power. The man charged with drawing the boundary lines, Sir Cyril Radcliffe, was ready with the award on August 9 itself. Yet Lord Mountbatten chose to make the award public only after August 15. The Viceroy's explanation for the delay was strange, to say the least: "Without question, the earlier it was published, the more the British would have to bear responsibility for the disturbances which would undoubtedly result". By the same token, "the later we postponed publication, the less would the inevitable odium react upon the British".

In other words, let the natives cop the blame for the horrible fall-out of Independence and Partition.

As a rule, one must only write of history how it happened, not of how it might have happened. Would a more extended time frame — an announcement in April 1947 that the British would quit in a year's time — allow for a less painful process of division? Would more active troop deployments and an earlier announcement of the Radcliffe Award have led to less violence in the Punjab? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. As it turned out, the most appropriate epitaph on the last days of the Raj was provided by the Punjab official who told a young social worker from Oxford: "You British believe in fair play. You have left India in the same condition of chaos as you found it".

E-mail: ramguha@vsnl.com

Communists and the Making of Pakistan What else is new.The rt Wing hindu mahasabha etc already blame Left for Pakistan creation .
And the fundamentalists in India Lump 'Pinko' with muslims 'I fact some one have said India has new religion of left with Muslims!!

Little Mosque on the Prairie Enters Second Season Aliens in its 3rd episode on ctw channel every monday in usa has been evolving into more acceptable 'carcature'of Pakistani dress ,religion & customs.:)

The Melting Pot #98
nb
Sorry the confusion is b/c discussion started in #26 with Ahmed sb All praise for western laws and concepts .I personnaly was not siding with the agreived husband ...not to appreciate some sort of protectiong for women .I just ratteled up the "opposite" view for the heck of argument:)

The Melting Pot #90
Arjun bhai "this is a bad thing how"

While the white women attend PTA meeting ,watching Martha Stewart and having multiple parteners like desperate house wives in Connecticut -:)

The Melting Pot Re: # 82n.b.
"However, my question was relevant to your carrying on about women abusing the law. You seem scarred"
My little sister you dont have to be animal to fight for animal rights.You for got to notice as usual that was 'cut and paste' obviouly from the voluminous post by an indian husband

The Melting Pot "#62 Posted by neembu on October 5, 2007 10:13:34 am
Re: # 60

There are interreligious, interracial and cross class line marriages taking place. Sorry to burst that bubble, but I know several couples who fit the above criteria. "

You are just pricking the bubble to get into it

There is exception to rule..'I have seen 'statstics

I have seen protestent versus mormon & catholic interriligous.Also irish versus Italian inter rascial & donald trump versus Marle Maple inter Class line marriages..he he he

The Melting Pot Re: # 57
Are you wrinkilled old lonely spinstrees in Australia..atleast that some one fouched for..LOL

The Melting Pot Re: # 57
Are you wrinkilled old lonely spinstrees in Australia..atleast that some one fouched for..LOL

The Melting Pot #52

In India atleast many girls marry muslim or unconditional union without dowry.
Some time with tacit consent of family too.
That does not stop the rss goons danger and risking your LIFE

The Melting Pot Re: # 49
To continue with discussion as you want .Conditions of Developing countries as opposed to developed industrialised Advance wht have you countries is like proverbial comparing apples and oranges.

There is special twist to laws meant to protect women in india.
Families are broken because economic condition being so it can and being used to black mail husband family and in laws


Few years back until we faced the reality with the situation of IPC498a (non-bailable, non-compoundable offence) which is worse than TADA or POTA, we never consider the effect of the misuse of the same and how this will spoil the basic foundation of institution of marriage of Indian Society. Seating on fence one will feel the same situation. With all our sincere respect to all of you, we request one of you to go the court, check with lawyer and judge. They will tell the real stats and misuse of act and abuse to age old mothers, sisters (including pregnant), father and husbands.

If you don’t believe please go though at least this three article :-
- WHO Report – Elder abuse by Daughter In LAW is the biggest problem in India .
- US Government Caution warning for marriage in India .
- ZEE TV Andha Kanoo Programe.

In Internet in Goggle Search , please search for 498 , you will find huge no of misuse story by different well known social organization and writers .

Now to kill the left out family and spoil the institution of marriage this Domestic Violence Bill Proposed by a gang of people who are secretly working .

Regarding DV Act Peco Chakravatru says: "In case of 498a, often it is possible to
prove in a black and white way that you are innocent. You can show
Cheque books, credit card bills and bank statements. But Domestic
violence is very vague to define. If you shout a bit loud, even that
can considered as DV. Now, they are saying it will be non-bailable.
The bank accounts will be frozen. The man would be thrown out of his
house and woman can stay (right to matrimonial home). Moreover, man
has to keep paying maintenance to woman by default even if she does
not apply for it."

We must understand, putting a Criminal Case against some one is not a Joke or ordering a PIZZA. If you punish a single innocent and send to jail for atleast for a day also, definitely he will come in contact to other real Criminal and after coming out from Jail what he will do???

So our sincere request to review the same immediately , as already 498a – A strong Blood Cancer already there , this DV Act will totally Kill the Institution of Marriage .
Resulting the Crime against women, illegal business, dishonest way to earn the money , blackmailing will reach in world top most level . Whole world will make us fool and will be able to weaken our basis foundation of the Indian Society. They will make fun of our Judiciary and Criminal Cases. Because in India still we fight for our Mother, sister. We can’t tolerate if any one try to abuse and send them to Jail in false case.

So if you really want to save the Institution of Marriage

 Stop abuse of elders at the name of IPC Criminal LAWS.
 Stop blind arrests innocents, without any investigation
 Stop encouraging single parenting and family breakup
 Strong Legal action against those who implicate innocents or catalyze this abuse.
 All family maters to be considered as Civil Matter case only as Criminal Case is not a Joke.

The Melting Pot Re: # 43

Nor do i want to know .Non of my business .Neither do you know me

The Melting Pot Re: # 26
Sorry My silence meant i aggee with you and not other wise but with a qualifier.
There are lot of things wrong among us.But there prejudeces against us too not to llok beyond our ethinicity.I would not mind if same acclode was given to marrying INTO our culture .I think those who have done so personally in there life have no chioce but to GLORIFY it.There two point of view .Not knowing or caring who you marry is just as admirable nor bad to choose who you want to marry

The Melting Pot #39
Samina i have been long enough to know you as as Samina Shah And thru your self admittence in up that Neembu was you.'
Wife Beater has become 'Takiya Kalam' for you i wont be upset by you .
you have called worse thinks on up .may be you are justified for i have seen worse things called by others To YOU

The Melting Pot Chalta Yaar

Wher did i say Asians are NOT doctors .And they are good catch for any body including WHITE.

The Melting Pot #20,30
Atleat in Usa i have seen too many muslim marrying goras.Lucky Goras both Hindus And muslims dont discriminate against them.
That will open the genetic pool for both hindus and muslims