Partition of India and Pakistan a historical perspective Part 1

Atlee recalls Lord Wavell .

Lord Wavell was the penultimate governor general of British India and served office between Oct 1943 to Feb 1947. His arduous task after assuming office was to bring consensus between warring factions within  India viz. Indian national congress and Muslim league. His job became further complicated as there was no clear cut message from England whether India should be accorded complete independence . After failing to accomplish his mission he was recalled by Atlee much to the relief of general population in India.

Lord Mountbatten takes office .

Towards the end of March Lord Mountbatten arrived in India and took over the  office as viceroy. India was probably passing it's  worst phase then. There were communal riots  in north and east India . Calcutta had witnessed it’s worst riots thanks to Jinnah and his call for "Direct action".The tension between Hindus and Sikhs on the one hand and Muslims on the other had led to outbreaks of arson, rioting and murder in the major cities of British India especially in the Punjab. Elsewhere too, particularly in the Jat area surrounding Delhi, in western UP. Hindu and Muslim population showed signs of antagonism to each other, the atmosphere was explosive.  Others were in a state of confusion and uncertainty as to which way the wind would blow. 

Apart from communal flare that had engulfed India Political Department was in a total chaos, on one hand Indian national congress under  Gandhi was rooting for united India  on other hand Muslims who did not want to remain in united India and considered it as their religious duty and obligation to prepare for the Pakistan that was to come. British political personalities were at their wit ends about how to resolve this political crisis. To add to all these political turmoil Princely States, did not want to accede to the demands of "united India" they rather preferred to be part of British India than a democratic India where they had no power.

More over in another significant move , Great Britain govt on 20th February, 1947 announced their intention of transferring power to Indian hands by June 1948 so Mountbatten  was running short of time, he had to build consensus between warring factions  . MountBatten had to start immediately.

Mountbatten begins consultation with Indian national Congress and Muslim league

Much contrary to the popular belief Gandhi was neither in favor of partition nor was responsible for partition . In fact he and Khan Abdul Gaffar khan were the only prominent leaders who were dead against partition. Gandhi for his attempt to keep India united was ready to give any sort of concession to Muslim league. Gandhi during his discussion with  Mountbatten told him that he was in favor of handing over the reins of Government to Jinnah with a promise of cooperation by the Congress . Luckily his offer to Jinnah found little support  among his own congress colleagues . Gandhi from then was sidelined for future negotiations by both congress party and Mountbatten himself. Gandhi getting sidelined  meant that the future negotiation responsibility was handed over to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,  Pandit Nehru, and Acharya Kripalani (who was the Congress President).

 Note:-**This blogger is of the opinion that partition happened for good , had partition not happened like  Kashmir whole India would have been burning,so Gandhi getting sidelined during negotiation was a blessing in disguise. **

Jinnah, on the other hand, had managed to convince Muslims into believing that their interests will be best served only by having a separate Muslim country.  Jinnah's Muslim league had virtually swept Muslim dominated seats in recently concluded provincial  assembly seats. Popular belief is that Muslims who stayed back were supporters of India. Much contrary to that majority of then Muslims who stayed back were supporters of Jinnah and Pakistan.  . 

Encouraged by Muslim support he was getting for his call for separate Pakistan Jinnah was now adamant on a separate Islamic state .

 The Congress leadership(Sardar Patel , Nehru) on the other hand, by now had realized that it would not be possible to prevent Partition but at the same time did not want concentrated areas of Hindus and Sikhs in the Punjab and Bengal be taken away from them. Patel in particular by this time was convinced that a partnership between the Congress and the League in the administration of the country was impossible. Either the one or the other could alone govern and it was obvious that the League by itself could not do so. At the same time, he realized that the Congress will not be able to run provinces which had a Muslim majority as muslim population was totally against Congress.

Plan for transfer of power:-

Mountbatten's  solution was to divide existing provinces of Bengal and Punjab, of the Muslim districts Assam being given the option of joining the Muslim provinces of Bengal and ascertaining in the N.W.F.P. the wishes of the people of that province. Mountbatten took a middle ground appeasing both congress and Muslim league. His solution of "transfer of authority" to the provinces was concerned the plan suited Jinnah.  "Partition of provinces", plan suited the Congress. N.W.F.P however posed a peculiar problem , it was the only Muslim dominated region which had voted for congress and trusted leadership of Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan. However it was also well known that in case of choice between India and Pakistan people of NWFP would vote for Pakistan. So Khan Abdul Gaffar khan advocated for independent NWFP as he was well aware of the growing Muslim radicalization in Punjab and he wanted to insulate NWFP from Punjabi radicals.

Reaction to Transfer of power:-

Once the outline of Mountbatten's plan became known to the people in Delhi and outside, feverish activity took hold of them. Among the first to act were the Hindu and Sikh legislators of the Punjab who met in New Delhi and passed a resolution in favor of division of that Province. 

Jinnah, on the other hand continued to insist on an undivided Punjab and Bengal and called the partition of these Provinces as 'a sinister move actuated by spite and bitterness'. He also coerced Mountbatten that the option to the NWFP electorate would be limited to choice for Pakistan or India and Not independent NWFP  and  there would be no option for Independence. Khan Abdul  Gaffar khan's to have an interdependent NWFP was was ignored .

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Once the Transfer of power plan became public the gradual migration of Hindu families from the Punjab and  N.W.F.P. started brought in its trail problems to Delhi and other places. Stream of these refugees and their tales of woe and  misery   began to  make an impression in their mood of bitterness, disillusionment and at times desperation,  refugees  undoubtedly   accentuated the  problem  of communal  tension  which had already reached its peak. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Muslim League  was  organizing itself on a militant basis everywhere. With the support that it   had  of a  section  of Government     and     an     important     element    in    the    administrate machinery, the situation was full of explosive   possibilities. 

The press  was  divided  into three,    Anglo-Indian,    Nationalist   and   Muslim  and  in  particular   the cleavage between the latter two in newspapers and periodicals in   regional languages was talking the armed camp mentality from the inner counsels of Government to the forums of expression of public opinion. The general freedom of expression that prevailed was being grossly  abused  and   both sides indulged through insinuations, innuendoes, veiled threats and covert designs was the favorite pastime of those days, of in fuming public opinion and widening communal cleavage.

Personal note: Given the kind of communal tensions prevailing it was prudent for Mountbatten to delay partition plan . This blood bath could have been avoided by proper planning . Mountbatten was in hurry because of deadline given by British govt , but why blame only Mountbatten even congress leaders didn't press for a planned exchange of refugees . 

Further negotiations for transfer of power:-

Quoting from My Reminiscences of Sardar Patel -V Shankar(v Shankar was personal secretory of Sardar Patel):-

"It was this sojourn to the hills(V.Shankar is refering to Simla negotiation) , which was intended to be a period of rest and recreation that marked a turning point in the course of constitutional negotiations. Lord Mountbatten happened to divulge to Pandit Nehru the plan which he had sent to His Majesty's Government, whereupon Pandit Nehru exploded and was desperately looking for an alternative. At the crucial moment he brought forth the solution that had been discussed earlier with Sardar. Finally Lord Mountbatten changed his plans and the scheme of Partition on the basis of two Dominions was conceived and drawn up. I have only to add to that story what transpired at Delhi where Sardar was every day disturbed and agitated at the prospect of anarchy that was threatening to engulf the country and was waiting for a call from Simla. He knew that discussions on constitutional problems would inevitably take place and that a crisis was about to develop. His mind was already made up and when the telephone call came from Simla he was ready to deal with it. That incident is very vivid in my mind. Maniben(Sardar's daughter and unofficial personal secretory), Sardar and myself collected in Sardar's office room after the call came, I think on 9/10 May. The reception was bad because apart from the poor condition of telephone communications between Simla and Delhi, there was interference from Muslim League eavesdroppers. Sardar, who was a little hard of hearing could not follow what V.P.Menon was saying and at the other end Nehru could not hear distinctly what Sardar was saying. Hence the instruments were passed on to V.P. Menon and me. Both of us then began to conduct our conversation as the interpreters of the two illustrious personalities near us, Pandit Nehru near V.P.Menon and Sardar near me. After Menon had given me a gist of what had transpired, which I dutifully conveyed to Sardar, he asked me on behalf of Pandit Nehru to ascertain from Sardar what his views were on the new plan, Sardar conveyed through me to Pandit Nehru that there was no alternative but to accept that plan and that under it we lost only a fraction of India instead of risking the loss of the whole of it. He also told Pandit Nehru that so far as he was concerned he felt that the transfer of power on the basis of Partition and two Dominions was the surest means whatever peace was possible in this sub-continent and of enabling three-fourths of India to seek its own way of a secular life and economic and administrative development. Pandit Nehru seemed to have received this statement of Sardar's views with satisfaction and relief but he asked Sardar whether the Working Committee and Gandhiji would accept it. Sardar's reply was characteristic of him. He told Pandit Nehru that he accepted full responsibility for seeing the scheme through the Working Committee and so far as Gandhiji was concerned he had no doubt that after initial doubts and skepticism he would give way and see their point of view. Pandit Nehru finally asked Sardar if in that case he should go ahead and Sardar's reply was a very firm affirmative."

A conversation which shaped the future of negotiation from congress side with British India. Important point here to note is that both Sardar and Nehru had come to the conclusion that partition was the only viable option , Nehru though was convinced about partition was worried about how his party colleagues more importantly Gandhi would take this . Sardar on other hand commanded the maximum support in working CWC , he was confident that he would be able to convince CWC . Gandhi still believed that partition wasn't an option , he also was of the opinion that if partition is unavoidable then let it happen after British leave India. How ever Jinnah was adamant on Transfer of power only after partition hence Gandhi's solution wasn't a practical one.

Disclaimer: 

Article is based on two books :-

1.My Reminiscences of Sardar Patel by V Shankar

2.Transfer of power in India by V.P.Menon