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documents which revealed that the partition of India was linked to the great
game being played between Britain and the USSR at the time. Without this
accidental discovery, the riveting story of India’s partition may have remained
Encouraged by this chance discovery, Sarila expanded his research into the
Sarila has the right credentials to write this tale. Son of the Maharaja of Sarila,
he was the Aide de Camp of Mountbatten in 1948 and served in the Indian
Here is the tragic story of India’s partition. It throws a completely new light on
the established narrative of the partition and independence of India. The history
differences forced the reluctant British rulers to partition India and Gandhi’s
non-violent resistance got the British to pack their bags. Let us see what the
the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) had become a very strategic region
for the British Empire. Especially after the 1857 mutiny, the British feared that
disgruntled Indian rulers would begin intriguing with the Russians. From a
After the second World War the Russians became a formidable power in
Eurasia. The British feared that if India fell under the Russian influence, it
would mean the eclipse of the British Empire. Thus, started a clash between the
British and Russians that Rudyard Kipling termed ‘the Great Game.’
In April 1946, the British Chiefs of Staff Field Marshal Viscount Allenbrooke,
Air Marshal Arthur William Tedder and Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor reported
‘Recent developments made it appear that Russia is our most probable enemy
and to meet its threat, areas on which our war effort will be based and without
which it would not be possible for us to fight at all, would include India.’
The man who first grasped the strategic importance of India for the survival of
the British empire, was Field Marshal Archibald Wavell, viceroy from 1943-
46. He recognised that the British power was fading, and it was a matter of time
before Britain would have to withdraw. In his estimate the Congress party
which would rule India would not cooperate with British interests. This breach,
Wavell noted in his diary that Churchill too had visualised the division of India.
In fact, Churchill’s idea was a division into three parts, Pakistan, Hindustan and
actually happened later. This plan was known secretly within the British
achieve their strategic goal and to fool the Americans who had other ideas.
partitioning India.
The Muslim objective was a little complex. In the provinces where Muslims
that Islam was in danger. The Islam in danger narrative had appeal in Muslim
Hindu domination. They saw Hindus as both divided and passive, who could be
Islami did not want partition as they did not approve of Jinnah’s non-Islamic
ways. However, there was a small elite led by the likes of Agha Khan, Liaqat
Ali Khan and Syed Ahmad Khan who wanted a separate Islamic state. Jinnah
himself, was initially against a break up, but scorned by Gandhi and Nehru he
The objective of the Congress Party, effectively the sole political force
representing Hindu interest, should have been to defend the territorial integrity
The Americans were of the view that an undivided independent India was
crucial to gain their much needed cooperation in the war effort. Second an
independent united India would give a positive signal to the rest of Asia. ‘Asia
for Asiatics’ was a significant part of the American vision for a post war world
order.
Jinnah Floats the Two Nation Theory
Gandhi squandered a hard won election victory in 1937, by resigning from the
provincial governments as part of his badly timed Quit India movement. This
move had exactly the opposite effect than what was intended. The British were
determined to not let anything come in the way of the war effort. Instead of
feeling pressured they simply reduced their dependence on the Congress and
thus its bargaining power. Further the vacuum created, gave a god sent
‘Himalayan blunder.’ The distinguished civil servant V P Menon noted that ‘by
On 24th March 1941 Jinnah proclaimed that Muslims were a separate nation.
This suited the British plan. By strengthening Jinnah, the British were making
not sitting well with the British in the midst of a tough war. In 1940 Gandhi
‘Let them (the Germans) take possession of your beautiful island, if Hitler
chooses to occupy your homes vacate them, if he does not give you free
passage out, allow yourself, every man, woman and child to be slaughtered.’
Jinnah’s scheme for Pakistan included NWFP, Baluchistan, all of Punjab,
Delhi, Sind, all of Bengal, Assam, Hyderabad and all other Muslim princely
The Congress party, being neither farsighted nor adamant on a united India, did
not counter Jinnah’s preposterous scheme. Nehru reasoned that taking the idea
seriously would encourage separatist forces. It wasn’t until 1944 that Gandhi
said that Hindus and Muslims were not separate. He argued that Muslims were
of religion changing nationality. The result was that the two-nation idea was
The irony of Jinnah was that for the first sixty years of his life he fought for a
united India. Jinnah’s difficulties began after Gandhi returned from South
Africa in 1915. In the 1920 Nagpur Congress session Jinnah and Gandhi
clashed. Jinnah was openly booed in the presence of his young wife Ruttie,
with Gandhi refusing to intervene. In 1928 Jinnah persuaded the Muslim league
to give up separate electorate in return for 33% Muslim seats in the central
the Muslims to dominate five provinces and help reduce communal differences.
The Congress rejected this proposal. Angling for his son Jawaharlal to be
elected Congress President, Motilalal Nehru did not want to risk upsetting
Congress leaders by supporting Jinnah. In the midst of this major crisis in his
career, Ruttie decided to leave him. Badly scarred, Jinnah left for England in
It was Liaqat Ali Khan who persuaded Jinnah to return and contest the 1937
masses. Khan assured him that he will arrange the means to win them over. He
did not, however, reveal that whipping up fanaticism was the weapon he had in
mind. Jinnah returned and set upon the task of rebuilding the Muslim League.
He was now consumed by a burning desire to vanquish the Congress and get
even with the arrogant Nehru. For the first time he began to see Mohammad
liners like Liaqat Ali Khan, used by the British and consumed by his own
ambition, he died a bitter man. Colonel Ilahi Bakhsh, his doctor heard Jinnah
say, ‘I have made Pakistan, but I am convinced that I have committed the
had drawn America into the war. Roosevelt was putting pressure on Churchill
to grant self-governance to an undivided India. He felt that this was best course
to gain India’s cooperation in the war effort. Viceroy Linlithgow, however, was
of the firm opinion that no concession should be granted to the Indians at this
crucial juncture in the war. He was certain that any agitation caused by Gandhi
To deflect the American pressure, Churchill decided to send Sir Stafford Cripps
to India. The mission was a smoke screen designed for deliberate failure. The
covert plan was to placate Roosevelt and put the Congress in a dilemma. The
1. Immediately after the war India would be independent either within or outside
the Commonwealth.
3. The princely states would have the right to stay out of the proposed Indian
Union if they so choose.
For the first time the idea of princely states not being part of the union was
mooted. The real motive behind the mission can be gauged from what Foreign
‘I think Jinnah was rather surprised in the distance that it went to meet the
Pakistan case.’
As expected the Congress Party rejected the proposal on 11 April 1942. But
people of any territorial unit to remain in the Indian Union against their
This was inexplicable since the Congress had consistently considered India
The British achieved their objectives of placating the Americans, giving Jinnah
hope and putting the Congress into a dilemma. The Congress on its part, erred
badly in diluting its position on the integrity of India and by not joining the
Executive council. It is arguable that by joining they could have exerted power
and signaled their cooperation in the war effort. This would have been useful to
garner support of the British public and the Americans. The risk of the princely
states seceding was low and the majority of Muslims did not want partition.
the Communist party. The Communists had switched loyalty from the
Nationalists to the British after Russia was attacked by the Germans. This is a
sad commentary on the Communist Party too, but that is another story.
The draft asked for the British to clear out and to use force if necessary. Nehru
opposed the draft saying that the British would not allow this and would render
India into an active war zone. The draft was first accepted and then rejected the
‘It is Gandhiji’s feeling that Japan and Germany will win. This feeling
‘a fifth columnist.’
Viceroy’s council to sabotage the meeting in return for the promise of Pakistan.
Hence as early as June 1945 Jinnah was taken into confidence on the creation
of Pakistan. This event made Jinnah into a strong leader of the Muslims.
Minister. Unlike Churchill, Atlee liked to operate from behind the scene. His
objective was to partition India but make it appear that the Congress wanted it.
we have seen there existed a Wavell plan of Pakistan which was pretty much
He instructed Cripps to reach out to Nehru and ask for his suggestion. On 27
2. The British should not divide India. Only after a plebiscite can territories that
wished to secede could do so.
3. Pakistan was a non-starter because the vote for Muslim League did not mean a
vote for separation.
4. Although there was a feeling that the British would not leave without force, he
was in favour of a negotiated settlement.
plebiscite. Not surprisingly, Atlee decoded this as the Congress being ‘flexible’
was an added relief. Atlee now instructed Cripps to work towards Wavell’s
State for India, Sir Stafford Cripps, President, Board of Trade and A V
4. The Union of India will have three subjects under its control-Foreign Affairs,
Defence and Communication. The provincial governments will control other
subjects.
Atlee’s plan was to somehow induct Nehru and Patel into the government to
prevent the Congress from revolting. Second to browbeat Jinnah into accepting
a truncated Pakistan.
Jinnah was suspicious about a plan that rejected the idea of an independent
Pakistan straight away. The Labour politician and journalist Woodrow Wyatt
was tasked with convincing Jinnah that this plan was the first step on the road
to Pakistan. He writes:
‘When I finished his (Jinnah’s) face lit up. He hit the table with his hand.
confused. Gandhi did realise that the proposal was a trap. No provision for an
principle of Pakistan was to bait the Muslim League. So, while the Congress
The Nationalists urged the Congress to renew the Quit India movement, this
time violently. The 1946 INA revolt had unnerved the British. They came to
believe that the loyalty of the Indian army could no longer be relied upon. Field
of the Indian army was possible.’ A full-blown revolt would have perhaps
The Congress leadership felt that a revolt was too risky. They figured that by
ward off partition. They banked on the NWFP, under Congress friendly rule,
On 6 July 1946, Nehru announced that the Congress was committed to nothing
more than simply entering the Interim government. This prompted Jinnah to
reject the Cabinet Mission plan in toto. Jinnah announced Direct action which
led to the horrific Calcutta killings. The Congress had failed to see that their
government. Jinnah saw this as an ominous move. But the British were pleased
‘As I have said for some months, Pakistan is likely to come from Congresstan.’
Now Wavell began to work on Gandhi and Nehru to accept the Cabinet
Muslim League would not join the government and more violence will result.
Both Gandhi and Nehru rejected the proposal. The Nationalists felt that the
only way to keep India united was to be in the government and exclude Jinnah
from it. This would help to break away the Muslim leaders opposed to Jinnah.
1946 to persuade him to take Jinnah on board but Nehru stood firm.
with Jinnah. A few days ago, I told him in sheer exasperation that if he was so
What transpired next was the biggest blow to the united India project. Wavell
invited the Muslim League to join the Viceroy’s executive council without
either insisting that they join the Constituent assembly or even call off direct
action campaign. This was a great victory for Jinnah. He could now sabotage
Nehru from within. The move did not stop violence either as the Noakhali riots
would at best be enclaves within the borders of India, which could not last for
long. This could have worked if they were firm against any division. However,
the Congress resolution to bifurcate Punjab and Bengal into Muslim and Hindu
parts went against the united India principle. By accepting the division of
Punjab and Bengal, the Congress was in principle accepting Jinnah’s two
nation theory.
The extent of this blunder can be judged by what the US charge d’affairs in
which they supported for so many years in their campaign for united India.
They have also agreed by implication to Jinnah’s allegation that Hindus and
On taking over as viceroy in March 1947, Lord Mountbatten asked Nehru what
of a united India when he said, ‘it would not be right to impose any form of
specific area.’ Mountbatten obviously took this to mean that Nehru was
Gandhian pacifism on the Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan. Fearing
bloodletting, Gaffar Khan decided that his party will not vote in the
came true.
1. Roosevelt figured that fulfilling the Indian aspiration for freedom would
encourage them to support the war effort wholeheartedly.
2. The freedom and unity of India was required to send a positive signal to the
rest of Asia on the post war American plan of ‘Asia for Asiatics.’
India. In fact, he willfully misled Roosevelt by saying that 75% of recruits were
Muslim (only 33% were). He used this to justify acceding to the Muslim
call for civil disobedience in 1942. Nehru who understood foreign relations
better than anybody else at the time got Gandhi to write to Roosevelt appealing
to his ideal of freedom and democracy. Nehru also got Gandhi to mention that a
agitation will be quelled swiftly thus not impacting the war effort. Churchill
chipped in with a scathing criticism of the Congress saying that their offer of
supporting the war effort in lieu of the British quitting was an eyewash and that
they would have no hesitation in joining hands with the Japanese. Realising
that this would be a tightrope walk, Roosevelt stopped pushing the issue.
Congress agreed to the Cabinet Mission plan and division of Punjab and
Bengal.
Baghdad Pact and later the CENTO led by the USA. This formed a defence
barrier against Soviet ambition in the Middle East. In 1958, Pakistan provided
air bases to the CIA in Peshawar from where they flew U2 spy planes. In 1970
Soviets from the East. In 1980 Pakistan played a major role in helping the USA
no longer needed, fed it to the wolves. The question needs to be asked if its
people benefited from the partition. In 1945 Field Marshal Alanbrooke was
Pakistan will end up identifying with Muslim lands and end up in wars not in
its interest.’
The entire saga of colonial rule shows up the British empire as downright
that even today we shy away from honestly analysing it. They wreaked cultural
their own wealth, inflicted famines that killed so many millions that history
must judge Churchill a bigger villain than Hitler. They have their hands soaked
The history of the British Raj from an Indian gaze needs to be written. Even a
However, the saddest part of this story, is the sheer ineptitude of the Indian
leadership. The narrative we have been fed about them is false. The Indian
unapologetically for what they achieved or did not achieve. They failed to
maintain the integrity of the Indian land when partition was imminently
avoidable since neither the Muslims nor the Hindus wanted it.
1. Rejecting a capable and then secular Jinnah from the Congress party in 1920s
made an enemy out of him. If he had been retained in the Congress fold, the
story of India would have been quite different. Gandhi should have intervened
between Nehru and Jinnah keeping long term national interest above personal
likes and dislikes. Nehru should have negotiated harder with Jinnah to keep
India united.
4. Gandhi’s bigger goal appears to have been the ideal of non-violence and not
the unity of India. He has to take the rap for this. Nobody can deny Gandhi the
credit of galvanizing a broken people into a spiritually inspired force. He
caught the imagination of the world and whipped up global sympathy for his
cause, but his failure to use this mammoth advantage to achieve his goals has
to be questioned. He failed to frame and pursue non-negotiable goals. Despite
proclamations of the ideal like non-violence, the masses still ended up losing
their lives for nothing.
5. Finally, to Nehru, an intelligent man who too could not frame clear goals and
work unwaveringly for them, like Jinnah did. If he was clear he would have
cooperated with the British and Americans to contain the Soviets, in return for
a united India. But his distrust for American capitalism came in the way. He
was more interested in following a lofty foreign policy of fighting colonialism
and apartheid, than dousing existential fires at home. This greatly embarrassed
Britain. He was excited by the prospect of mediating peace between the East
and the West. By appealing to the deep felt urges of mankind for freedom,
equality and peace, he believed that he could leave his imprimatur on the world
stage. He should have learnt that behind lofty declarations countries followed
predatory self-interest. These ideas would not persuade the British to abandon
the Pakistan scheme.
All in all, this is a tragic tale of a great civilisation squeezed out of its essence.
It is not surprising that even the journey to reclaim what is its due, is so uphill.
A tale of a people who have a fantastic blue print within their own culture but