Gandhi, Nehru and Modern India by Elizabeth Mauchline Roberts

Author:Elizabeth Mauchline Roberts [Roberts, Elizabeth Mauchline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138290617
Google: hTsZtAEACAAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2018-09-04T15:56:58+00:00

Eventually on 3rd June the leaders of Congress and the Muslim League reached agreement. A new date was announced for independence and partition. It was to be 15th August 1947. There were only two months in which to divide up this huge land and resettle a vast population. It was an impossible task. Nehru said, ‘It is with no joy… that I commend these proposals, though I have no doubt in my mind that this is the right course.’ Nehru assumed that partition would end the bloodshed. He was wrong. Millions of others, however, must share the guilt and responsibility for the bloodbath which attended partition. Only Gandhi, who spent 1947 trudging the roads of Bengal preaching sanity, could carry a light conscience.

Frantic planning continued. The Indian army, which was under British command, had to be divided between the new Indian and Pakistani commanders. The safety of British residents had to be secured. The rule of the princes had to be brought to an end and, most complicated of all, the boundary lines between India and Pakistan had to be drawn.

All the Congress leaders were agreed that autocratic princes could no longer be allowed to rule in a democratic state. Moreover, the continued existence of hundreds of princely states meant that India could not properly be united.

Naturally the princes did not welcome the ending of their power, but most decided to make ‘the best of a bad job’ (see page 61).

Each prince had to decide whether his state was to belong to India or Pakistan. He was to take into account the religion of his people and the geographical position of his state. They had all made up their minds by Independence Day with the exception of the rulers of Kashmir, Hyderabad and Junagadh. The fate of these states is discussed in Chapters 5 and 6.

Other states were to decide in their provincial assemblies if there was any doubt about the country to which they were to belong. The Sind and Baluchistan voted for Pakistan. But the Punjab and Bengal were divided and so decided on partition.

Lord Mountbatten then appointed Sir Cyril Radcliffe to head a commission of four judges (two appointed by the League and two by Congress) to decide the exact lines of the boundaries in Bengal and the Punjab. This was virtually impossible to do fairly, especially as the Commission had only two months in which to finish their work. Inevitably Muslims were left in India and Hindus in Pakistan. Sir Cyril finished his task mentally and physically completely exhausted. His report was not made public until after Independence Day, but wild rumours started and there were mass movements of Hindus and Muslims into areas where they thought they would be safe. Many were killed, a dreadful warning of things to come.

Independence Day was 1 5th August 1947. From the countryside thousands poured into Delhi, in bullock carts, on foot or in grossly overcrowded trains. Everywhere there were waving flags, ceremonial arches and cheering crowds. Nehru made a moving speech dedicating himself to India.

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