What were the political events that led to the partition?

By: Lui Ying Jie

Political events that led to the Partition of India

1. The British Rule – Divide And Rule

2. Indian National Congress – Civil Disobedience Movement

3. Rise of the Muslim League – Lahore Resolution

4. Post WWII – Partition of India

British Rule Brought about a division between leaders and

the people

Divide-and-Rule

Categorising people according to religion and treated them as separate from each other

Led to conflict between different religious groups in India

Partition of Bengal (1905) Western Bengal – majority Hindus

Eastern Bengal – majority Muslims

Muslims would be free from Hindu dominance

Hindus were unhappy that they would lose their hold on their economic and social life in the majority Muslims regions

Partition was annulled in 1911

Indian National Congress

Founded in 1885

Political body of India that was led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah & Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930

Salt March as a protest against the British

Received mixed responses from the people of India

Indian National Congress

Movement was disapproved by many Muslims and Jinnah

Jinnah was unhappy that Gandhi, a Hindu, would lead the Congress that was already made up by predominantly Hindus

Jinnah eventually withdrew from the Congress in 1920

All-India Muslim League Political party set up to

represent the Indian Muslims

Under the helm of Jinnah where he promoted Muslim nationalism

Rise of the Muslim League

Had enough power to negotiate with the British government

The Muslims were placed on a separate electorate

But did not secure enough seats in the elections to form a ministry

Resulted in the introduction of the two-nation theory in India

Rise of the Muslim League

Lahore Resolution (1940)

Creation of an independent state for the Muslim majority

Received disapproval from the Congress who promoted Muslim-Hindu unity

Rise of the Muslim League

Jinnah’s argument:

Hindus and Muslims “belong to different civilizations, which are based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions

Basic teachings of both religions differ

Hinduism: Concept of dharma

Islam: Belief in one God (Allah)

Post WWII

India’s contribution to the war efforts of Britain

87,000 soldiers died and over 60,000 became prisoners of war

Resulted in a lot of resentment against British rule

Post WWII

1945 British elections

British government lost to the Labour Party

Released its colonies and granted India independence

Congress and Muslim League agreed upon separate independent states for Muslims and Hindus

Which were the groups that were uprooted and from

where?By: Timothy Liew

• Groups: Can be broadly defined as a community of people.

• Uprooted: Can be broadly defined as displacement or involuntary migration.

Which were the groups that were uprooted and from

where?

Nature of migrations Migration was due to the perceived safety and

prospects present in their destination.

Involuntary migration occurred when civil unrest, strife and violence were present.

Migration was primarily along religious lines.

Migrants are more likely to be educated men.

Magnitude of Displacement

14.5 Million people migrated within four years after the Partition.

The bulk of the refugees came from the North-West Frontier Provinces, parts of Northern India, Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan.

Migration well continued beyond the 1950s.

Communities affected by the Partition

Skihs

Sindhis

Muhajirs

East Bengalis

Sikhs One of the communities that

were affected most adversely after Partition.

They were mainly uprooted from Pakistan.

Initially settled down in East Punjab.

The Sikhs seek further migration and the diaspora was facilitated by Sikh communities abroad.

Sindhis Initially had low out-migration after

Partition especially in the Sindh province and the city of Karachi.

They became increasingly unsettled after Muslim migrants settled in Karachi.

Eventually many migrated to Bombay and others looked for opportunities abroad.

Muhajirs Urdu-speaking Muslims that were originally from Northern India.

Eventually settled in Karachi as it was envisioned as a preferred destination for white collar employment.

East Bengalis The East Bengalis were

initially from East Pakistan and they mainly migrated to the city of Kolkata.

Their resettlement experience was faced with tremendous hardship.

Development of squatter colonies on the edges of Kolkata known as jabar dakhal.

Impact of Partition on religious minorities in the long-term

By: Markus Heemann

Outline The several different religious minorities in today´s

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and tensions between and within the religions

Long term effects of partition for religious minorities

Current situation and a careful forecast

Map of colonial India

Minorities in Pakistan Hindus (1,6%):

Muslim faith plays a large role in the government Hindu people barely protected. Child abductions and discrimination against Hindu people

Muhajirs (7,5%):

Muslims who migrated from India to Pakistan. Were in many ways different than the local people, mostly spoke Urdu. As they entered positions in civil service, local Sindhs started to feel

threatened. political decline of Muhajirs Led to riots and violence.

Minorities in Bangladesh Hindus (10%):

There is still a huge Anti-Hindu Community, (recent riots 2013).

Biharis (0,17%):

Migrated from Bihar to East Pakistan.

At first welcomed soon evoked resentment and envy.

In the 70s many thousands of them were killed.

Today continue to face hostile treatment from local population.

Live in refugee camps and slums

Minorities in India Muslims (13%):

One third of Muslims in India did not emigrate.

Immediate effect: bloody massacres

The decline of their representation in the population is mayor problem.

Muslims have to face discrimination many ways

Sikhs (1,9%):

Most of them fled into East Pakistan.

Feeling of being uprooted and dislocated prevailed causing a large diaspora all over the world. (Hong Kong, Singapore but also United States and Europe)

Long term effects for religious minorities

The partition itself led to large waves of migration in the newly formed countries. This however caused other observed long term effects:

In case of migrants the feeling of dislocation and lacking sense of home

Underrepresentation of minorities in their home country in the government sector, as well as the economic and educational sector

Hostile environment and fear for one‘s own life created by huge distrust within population

Potential of violent confrontations is extremely high.

Current Situation Nowadays politics (and by that everyday life) in the South Asian

countries are highly influenced by the distrust which rose after the partition in 1947

There is still a huge amount of hostility between but also within the religions to overcome, affecting day to day lives of minorities

However slow progress is made in form of “Non Official Multi Track Dialogue“ and building “People to People bridges“

Sources Tan, Tai Yong and Gyanesh Kudaisya: The Aftermath of Partition

in South Asia, London: Routledge, 2000, pp- 220-243

http://www.irinnews.org/report/91544/pakistan-hindu-minority-lives-in-mounting-fear

Dr Iftikhar H. Malik: Religious Minorities in Pakistan, minority rights group international: http://southas2.w06.wh-2.com/Media/NewsDoc/_1787.Pdf, pp- 10-14

As well as the Goethe Institute and the German Headquarter for Political Education

How did Partition affect the long-term political relations between

South Asian nations?

By: Lian Xin Tian

Strained political relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan

Bangladesh was part of the newly formed Pakistan after the partition

Political differences and clashing interests between East and West Pakistanis

Language controversy

Domination of political scene by West Pakistan

Awami League was banned

Led to increasing tension and armed conflicts

Strained political relationship between Bangladesh and

Pakistan East Pakistan demanded for independence

Operation Searchlight was launched by West Pakistan

Led to a 9-month long civil war known as the Bangladesh Liberation War

East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan in 1971

Process of gaining independence led to strained

relations

Refusal of Pakistan to apologize also continues

to strain political ties between the 2 countries

Hostile and tense political relationship between India and Pakistan

India emerged as a secular state and Pakistan as an Islamic state after partition

Communal violence still occurred even after partition

Both countries sought to undermine the other’s power

Kashmir became a source of contention

Hostile and tense political relationship between India and

Pakistan Escalating tension led to the 1947, 1965

and 1971 wars between India and Pakistan

India’s intervention in the Bangladesh Liberation War

Helped Bangladesh achieve independence

Armed conflicts continues to occur even after the partition

Kashmir: Source of contention Involvement of princely states in

the Indo-Pakistan conflict

Kashmir especially, held much importance to both India and Pakistan strategically and ideologically

To Pakistan, its security would be in danger if Indian troops were stationed along Kashmir’s western border and the control of Kashmir especially important

To India, Kashmir needed to be integrated into India to demonstrate India’s concept of secularism

Kashmir: Source of contention

There were an increasingly secularization of politics in Kashmir

Indo-Pakistani War occurred in 1947 as a result of Kashmir’s accession to India

Conflict is still unresolved today, jeopardizing the political relationship between the 2 countries

Growing security concerns

Military and nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan

Both countries saw each other as a major security threat India and Pakistan are one of the most heavily armed states in

the world

Pakistan was committed to building its military for defense purposes in an event of an armed conflict with India

India had an impressive weapons production programme and was committed to maintaining the country’s military might

Growing security concerns Development of nuclear weapons by both India and

Pakistan -> Nuclear arms race

Possession of nuclear weapons was seen to be vital to their national sovereignty

Destabilizes the political relationship between India and Pakistan

Serious security threatThe partition affected little of the long-term political relations between Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Discussion points

1. Could a united India nation have been possible?

2. What will be the difficulties preventing the international community or allies to serve as a mediator?

4. What was the most important impact of the partition on the long-term political relations between the South Asian nations?