Facts about India Pakistan Partition in 1947

Some facts about India Pakistan partition in 1947:

When partition of India comes to our mind , we feel sad about it . From political discourse and media obsessions, a Martian landing in India would conclude that Gujarat 2002 was possibly the only communal conflagration to happen in India. Anyone who says about atrocities, bloodshed and killings during partition?  None.

During Freedom movement, there were several incidences of Hindu-Muslim clashes with British (Jhansi Massacre, Jalianwala Bagh Massacre and Khiwan bazar Massacre).

During partition, there was huge number of Communal riots between Hindus and Muslim.

Now question arises in our mind :- WHO started THE VIOLENCE? Why and How!

Simple and Short Answer would be that our Politics of All India Muslim League was responsible.

I want to elaborate answer to this questiin for you my esteemed readers. Suggestions and Corrections are welcome. You may comment below if you like but no filthy or Abusive langiage be used in the comments. 

The partition of India in mid-August 1947 took place as a part of negotiated settlement brokered by the British Rulets between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League. The principle on which India and the Punjab were divided was that Muslim-majority areas were separated from the rest of India and given to Pakistan.

Before the announcement of the Independence in Aug 1946, during Cabinet Mission of India, divide British India into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan was proposed by the Muslim League. Congress had outrightly rejected the proposal. On 16 August, terming it as Direct Action Day, to protest against this rejection and assert its demand for a separate Muslim Homeland. In those days the situation in Bengal Muslims represented the majority of the population (56%, as against 42% of Hindus) and were mostly concentrated in the eastern part. 

This strike led to "Direct Action riot".  in Calcutta,  Muslim Mob armed with brickbats and iron bars as weapons attacked the Hindu-owned shopkeepers. Hindus in Calcutta soon retaliated with attacks on Muslims found in house, road or shop or even educational institution. They were pulled out by Hindu mobs in Calcutta and were cut into pieces. After this, series of riots/genocide had taken place in retaliation of previous day riots.

  Noakhali riots :- when the Bengali Hinduswere busy in Durga puja activities, rumors were spread by the Muslim League leaders that Hindus and Sikhs had attacked Diara Sharif. As rumor had spread, the Muslims from the surrounding areas began to assemble at the Diara Sharif. Some of the Muslim tenants armed with sharp weapon attacked zamindar offices, Hindu temples, doctors , writers and families of leaders (freedom fighters) were killed brutally. Some of them beheaded or burnt alive.  Freedom fighter Lalmohan Sen was killed when he tried to resist a Muslim mob from killing the Hindus.The Hindu men were forced to offer prayers at the mosques. The Hindus so converted were forced to eat beef as an act which is considered a sacrilege. Mahatma Gandhiplayed a pivotal role in cooling down the situation. He along with his other aides, toured the genocide-stricken Bihar. and was instrumental in calming the communal tension.

Garhmukteshwar and Bihar Massacre. :- As a reaction to the Noakhali Genocide, riots spread to  Bihar. Some of the worst riots took place in Garhmukteshwar in United Provinces where a massacre occurred in Mela.

Now look at the Western side ofIndia.

The total population of the undivided Punjab Province was 33 million. The Punjab was a Muslim majority province while Hindus and Sikhs together were in minority, approx. 44-47 percent of the then total population of tge Punjab. The principle on which India and the Punjab were divided was that Muslim-majority areas were separated from the rest of India and given to Pakistan.

The estimated loss of human life during the partition of India was one million. Besides, 14-18 million people were forced to cross the international border in search of safe havens. “When Muslim, Hindu and Sikh men wanted to take revenge for their peers being killed by the other, they deliberately went out searching for women of other religions to rape and kidnap,”.

In many cases, rape victims married their rapists, converted into their religion and never saw their natal families again. Some were even stripped naked and paraded down on the streets to intensify their trauma and humiliation. In many even more tragic cases,  they were forced to kill their own female relatives themselves.

Muslim refugees sitting on the roof of an overcrowded railway train near New Delhi while trying to flee India.

Thus, at the end of 1947 all traces of Muslim presence in the Indian East Punjab were wiped out, except for some Muslims remaining in the tiny princely state of Malerkotla (total population 88,000). In the Pakistani West Punjab, Hindus and Sikhs became conspicuous by their absence.

Given the fact that the pre-partition Punjab had a robust legacy of a 'live and let live' tradition .

Why did the violence that took place in the Punjab dwarf the violence that took place in other parts of India?

The Muslim League said that it would never accept Indian independence if it meant rule by the Hindu-dominated Congress party. The Muslim League wanted a partition, which meant a division of British ruled India into two countries; one for Non-Muslims and another exclusively for Muslims. This Propaganda created hatred between the people and consequently Muslims Mob started large-scale violence, mainly against Sikhs but against Hindus too in the Muslim-dominated districts of northern Punjab and East Bengal.  Muslims also had been killed by the Hindus and Sikhs together in eest Punjab.

Suggest me - I will add in the answer.