INDIA BEFORE the PARTITION:
" [If] India is divided she will be lost forever. Therefore . . . if India is to remain undivided, Hindus and Moslems must live together in brotherly love, not in hostile camps organized either for defensive action or retaliation. . . ."
- Gandhiji, The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology, edited by Louis Fischer, 1962.
In 1946, British India was largely at peace. The 255 million Hindus were in a majority, while 92 million Muslims concentrated in the north west and north east of the country, were a minority. In addition, six million Sikhs lived in Punjab, one of the richest and diverse provinces in India. There was communal harmony between these three communities; they lived side by side for generations in the same villages, towns and districts. Even though the Hindus and the Muslims belonged to different castes, they were able to co-exist as long as they did not interfere in each other's customs.
The Hindu religion relied heavily on tolerance and respect as basic virtues. It explained that all human beings are different and must follow their own paths to attain God and self-realization. Most of India's Muslims were Shiites, inclined to mysticism, whereas the aggressive Sunni Muslims were mostly foreigners and puritans. In order to retain their control over the subcontinent, the opportunist British planned political maneuvers to turn the Hindus and the Muslims against each other. As the people began to sense that decisions were being based on religious identities, Muslims recalled the past when they dominated India, and could not stand the thought of colonial power and culture. Many Muslims refused to learn English and associate with the British, and thus, Hindus found better government positions, causing the British to favor the Hindus. With a majority of Hindus seated in Congress, the Muslims believed that they were not being treated well. First, Muslim philosopher Allama Iqbal, in his presidential address to the 1930 convention of the Muslim League, discussed that a separate nation for Muslims was essential in a Hindu-dominated subcontinent. Furthermore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League, began to argue that political parties such as Congress were insensitive to Muslim interests. Ten years later, in a conference at Lahore, Jinnah made his commitment to two separate states, “The Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs, and literature ... To yoke together such two nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to the growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state” (Government of Pakistan).
The idea of the partition strengthened each year, and finally after ‘Direct Action Day’, 16 August 1946, a day of widespread riot and manslaughter, the feeling of separation was mutual.
- Gandhiji, The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology, edited by Louis Fischer, 1962.
In 1946, British India was largely at peace. The 255 million Hindus were in a majority, while 92 million Muslims concentrated in the north west and north east of the country, were a minority. In addition, six million Sikhs lived in Punjab, one of the richest and diverse provinces in India. There was communal harmony between these three communities; they lived side by side for generations in the same villages, towns and districts. Even though the Hindus and the Muslims belonged to different castes, they were able to co-exist as long as they did not interfere in each other's customs.
The Hindu religion relied heavily on tolerance and respect as basic virtues. It explained that all human beings are different and must follow their own paths to attain God and self-realization. Most of India's Muslims were Shiites, inclined to mysticism, whereas the aggressive Sunni Muslims were mostly foreigners and puritans. In order to retain their control over the subcontinent, the opportunist British planned political maneuvers to turn the Hindus and the Muslims against each other. As the people began to sense that decisions were being based on religious identities, Muslims recalled the past when they dominated India, and could not stand the thought of colonial power and culture. Many Muslims refused to learn English and associate with the British, and thus, Hindus found better government positions, causing the British to favor the Hindus. With a majority of Hindus seated in Congress, the Muslims believed that they were not being treated well. First, Muslim philosopher Allama Iqbal, in his presidential address to the 1930 convention of the Muslim League, discussed that a separate nation for Muslims was essential in a Hindu-dominated subcontinent. Furthermore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League, began to argue that political parties such as Congress were insensitive to Muslim interests. Ten years later, in a conference at Lahore, Jinnah made his commitment to two separate states, “The Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs, and literature ... To yoke together such two nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to the growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state” (Government of Pakistan).
The idea of the partition strengthened each year, and finally after ‘Direct Action Day’, 16 August 1946, a day of widespread riot and manslaughter, the feeling of separation was mutual.
GANDHIJI, the FATHER of the NATION
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the primary leader of India's independence movement, was widely known as 'Mahatma', the 'Great Soul', and Bapu, father by the masses. Gandhiji's doctrine focused on the principle that defending truth could cause suffering to oneself, but would not inflict suffering on an adversary. He believed that the adversary must be led away from error through patience and understanding, because what looks like truth to one man may seem erroneous to another. Satyagraha (non-violence) remains one of the most robust philosophies in freedom struggles throughout the world today and had a great influence on other world activists Martin Luther King, James Lawson, James Bevel, Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Dalai Lama, and many others.
Gandhiji spent close to two decades in South Africa starting in 1893 after completing Law in London. In 1915, Gandhiji returned to India permanently where his struggle for Indian independence began. In 1920, he began the noncooperation movement, expanding this movement to the Swadeshi policy (boycott of foreign goods). He led the Salt March to protest against the tax imposed on salt, opposed child marriage, untouchability, and extreme oppression of widows. In 1939, he called the British to quit India which became the most forceful movements in history struggle with mass arrests and unprecedented violence.
In 1943, while the National Congress and Gandhiji called for the British to quit, the Muslim League asked for a partition. Gandhiji was completely opposed to this idea as it contradicted his vision of religious unity. He suggested an agreement, which required the Congress and Muslim League to cooperate and attain independence under a provisional government. However, when Jinnah called for Direct Action Day, Gandhi was infuriated and visited the most riot-prone areas to stop the massacres. He said, “Non violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
Gandhi felt helpless when Nehru sided with Jinnah and agreed to separate India. He tried, in every way possible, to oppose the partition, and was willing to turn the government to the Muslims as an alternative to the partition. Despite all his efforts, the partition was a decision Gandhi was not able to change, and he fell into the “darkest despair” on the eve of India’s independence. "The plan to carve up British India was never approved of or accepted by Gandhi...who realised too late that his closest comrades and disciples were more interested in power than principle, and that his own vision had long been clouded by the illusion that the struggle he led for India's independence was a nonviolent one." Because of his nonviolence efforts, Gandhi was imprisoned on various instances, and even fasted for days, a political device that generated widespread sympathy. He made it his duty “to save India from [its] sad fate, though he well understood it might take his last passionate breath.” On January 30 1948 he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a young Hindu radical, for granting too much to the Muslims. India still remembers its beloved Bapu and celebrates a national holiday, 'Gandhi Jayanti' on October 2nd, his birthday.
Gandhiji spent close to two decades in South Africa starting in 1893 after completing Law in London. In 1915, Gandhiji returned to India permanently where his struggle for Indian independence began. In 1920, he began the noncooperation movement, expanding this movement to the Swadeshi policy (boycott of foreign goods). He led the Salt March to protest against the tax imposed on salt, opposed child marriage, untouchability, and extreme oppression of widows. In 1939, he called the British to quit India which became the most forceful movements in history struggle with mass arrests and unprecedented violence.
In 1943, while the National Congress and Gandhiji called for the British to quit, the Muslim League asked for a partition. Gandhiji was completely opposed to this idea as it contradicted his vision of religious unity. He suggested an agreement, which required the Congress and Muslim League to cooperate and attain independence under a provisional government. However, when Jinnah called for Direct Action Day, Gandhi was infuriated and visited the most riot-prone areas to stop the massacres. He said, “Non violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
Gandhi felt helpless when Nehru sided with Jinnah and agreed to separate India. He tried, in every way possible, to oppose the partition, and was willing to turn the government to the Muslims as an alternative to the partition. Despite all his efforts, the partition was a decision Gandhi was not able to change, and he fell into the “darkest despair” on the eve of India’s independence. "The plan to carve up British India was never approved of or accepted by Gandhi...who realised too late that his closest comrades and disciples were more interested in power than principle, and that his own vision had long been clouded by the illusion that the struggle he led for India's independence was a nonviolent one." Because of his nonviolence efforts, Gandhi was imprisoned on various instances, and even fasted for days, a political device that generated widespread sympathy. He made it his duty “to save India from [its] sad fate, though he well understood it might take his last passionate breath.” On January 30 1948 he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a young Hindu radical, for granting too much to the Muslims. India still remembers its beloved Bapu and celebrates a national holiday, 'Gandhi Jayanti' on October 2nd, his birthday.