Partition of Punjab & Kashmir & its Impacts ( A 4 parts series) What Went Wrong?

 

Partition of Punjab & Kashmir & its Impacts

( A 4 parts series)  What Went Wrong?

Sukh Dev Sohal (Amritsar), Aamir Riaz (Lhore), Harjinder Singh (Melbourne) , Gangveer Rathore Rahon along with Bikram Singh

Part 1: New Constitution, new political realities, reconciliation and denials 1935 - 1940.

Part 2: US, the New global leader, De-colonization and emergence of new political powers in British India. From Atlantic Charter of 14 August 1941 to December 1945 elections.

Part 3: 14 months that had changed the Punjab & Kashmir altogether, an unprecedented massacre and migration; history has not witnessed until today. From July 1946 to August 1947.

Part 4: Denial, Betrayal and conflict in post 1947 India and Pakistan. From 1947 to 2020.

Note: Series started at 15th August 2020, Till this time two parts are aired, 2nd part was aired at 22 August and rest others will air at 29 August & 5 September 2020. 

Watch the first part here

Part 1New Constitution, new political realities, reconciliation and denials 1935 - 1940.

Some important issues discussed in part 1

1.   Pre 1935 politics

·       3^rd division of Punjab 1901. Muslims felt it as decrease in Muslim pollution percentage while non Muslim thought it as making another Muslim province while for colonial rulers it was part of 3 duck policy to counter Germans i-e (a) formation of Afghanistan as separate country other than British India in 1880s  (b) Erection of Durand line 1894 (c) Formation of NWFP & FATA. Beginning of Land alienation act and its politics. Shifting of battle of Urdu Hindi controversy in Punjab. Making of a new intelligence system IPI.

·       Gradual shifting of Centre from coastal  Calcutta to the borders of Punjab through Delhi Darbar politics and its reactions. 1877-1904-1911

·        Pagri Sanbhal jatta 1907

·       Shifting of Centre and expulsion of Delhi from Punjab 1911 December

·       McMahon Line 1914

 

·       Collapse of Ghadar movement 1914

·       Beginning of Gurdawara politics

·       Tricky Lucknow Pact 1916

·       Jillianawalla bagh massacre : End of Arms struggle & club politics & beginning of new spaces for people politics &  misleading movements, khilafat, Hijrat, non-cooperation etc

·       Linguistic Provinces resolution 1920

·       Swaraj & Shafi league politics

·       Gurdwara act 1925

·       Provincial elections 1920, 23, 26

·       Secret lease agreement for Chutta Tibet, (GB) from Maharaja Kashmir 1927

·       Nehru Report 280 pages 1928

·       Allahbad address 1930

·       First Kashmir movement 1930-1 & Punjab: a movement started by those who were out of State mainly in adjacent Punjabi districts or in cities where migrants were in meaningful number.

·       Communal award, beginning of Dalit politics, Lucknow pact revised. Ahrar, ML, Unionists supported but Congress & Akalies did not.

·       Shaheed Ganj and advice of fazl e Hussain

2.   Results of 1937 elections

·       Total seats 1585.. Congress 707 Independent 385  Muslimleague 106 (Bombay, UP, Bengal) Others 397

·       95 (Unionist Party), 14 (Khalsa National Board), 11 (Hindu Election Board), 10 (Akalis), 4 (Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam), cong 18, Muslim League 1/2

3.   Reconciliation efforts by Jnnah: 6 letters between Jinnah & Nehru & answers 1937

4.   Arrogance of Congress to portray it as sole spokesman of British India. 1937

5.    Nearness between Muslim Majority provinces with ML, Inclusion of A K Fazlul Haq in ML, Sikender Jinnah pact 1937

6.    Amendment in Defense of India act 1915 and reactions as well as actions 1938

7.   Atrocities, communal policies largely anti Muslim, shift from Hindostani to Hindi, Urdu Hindi Controversy, Hindi Tamil Controversy, Banday Matram, Correspondence between Tagore & Subhash C Bose regarding Banday matram, Mahatma, Azad, Birla nexus against S C Bose who was President of Congress, Muslim mass contact movement ,  Two letters of Iqbal to Jinnah,  1938, that indicated two Muslim States within or outside British India. 

8.   WW2, resignation of Congress ministries just to  blackmail Colonial power, Day of deliverance by ML, closeness between Muslims of Minority & Majority provinces under ML, German radio & influence of Germans, Hitler Stalin secret meeting regarding Eurasia, Antiwar narrative of Ahrar and CPI, 1939

9.   English governor removed Hindi as essential subject in Madrass at 21 Feb 1940 that was the demand of Tamil protests since Congress rule 1937-9. Lhore Resolution 1940, exactly after ten years of Baghat Singh hanging, Punjab & Bengal premiers attended it, Authors  said that we followed US constitution based on federalism, No mention of Pakistan in resolution yet Pro Congress media called it Pakistan Resolution instead of Lhore Resolution. Protests & arrests continue against war efforts yet Congress remained confused in spite of out of power, book of Dr Ambedkar and smart suggestion to divide Punjab &  Bengal on communal lines 1940. 

                        

Part 2 US, the New global leader, De-colonization and emergence of new political powers in British India. From Atlantic Charter of 14 August 1941 to December 1945 elections in British India.

 

1.    US & USSR were supporting China in AntiJapanese war since 1937

2.    Tri partite agreement signed between Germany Japan & Italy Sept 1940

3.     Throughout 1940, Germany & USSR were taking control of various nations including fall of France in June 1940 in favor of Hitler & bombing in UK.

4.    Lend & Lease politics , the law passed at 11 March 1941, US President got immense powers

5.    Attack of Hitler on USSR 22 June1941

6.    Atlantic Charter 14 August 1941

7.    Correspondence between Roosevelt & Churchill 1939-45, book of Peter Clark. 

8.    Attack on Pearl Harbor USA by Japanese  7 December 1941

9.    Conference of 26 countries in Washington 01 Jan 1942

10.                      Cripps Mission March 1942

11.                      INA and its politics

12.                      Defeat of Germany & Italy  mid 1943

13.                      End of Comintern, 3^rd International May 1943

14.                      Tehran Conference December 1943… end of

15.                      The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were both created at an international conference convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States in July 1944

16.                      Yalta Conference Feb 1945

17.                      Defeat of Japanese June 1945

18.                      Use of  Atomic bomb in Japan August 1945

Politics in British India 1940-46 elections

19.                      Lala Lajpat Rai, Nehru Report & Ambedkar suggestion of communal division vs C R Formula, Allahbad address & Lhore resolution

20.                      August Offer 1940

21.                      Muslim League annual session 1941 in Madrass , dravidistan Justice party was with ML. E V Ramaswami Naicker Periyar.

22.                      National Defence council, Sir Sikandar included but left due to ML demand 1941.. in War council Ambedkar, noon, Sir Hormasji Pherozeshah Modi, Jogender Singh,

23.                      Cripps Mission March 1942 but since late 1941 it was on cards. Punjabi communistoon ka daftar meclord road lhore, inclusion of communists in training at Burma front, a book written by an indian communist.

24.                      2^nd C R Formula April 1942 Rajgopal Acharya and Mian Iftiqaruddin along with 13 other congress working committee members.

25.                      July 1942 Lifting ban on CPI , but since late 1941 it was on cards. Punjabi communistoon ka daftar meclord road lhore, inclusion of communists in training at Burma front, a book written by an Indian communist.

26.                      Quit India resolution, too late, without Punjab, Bengal, Madrass, without Ahrar, Communists.. leaders arrested

27.                      Answer to Churchill from Roosevelt after quit india… do more

28.                      Death of Skandar 27 December 1942

29.                      Adhikari thesis. Support of CPI to AIML 1943-46

30.                      Anticommunist lobby in congress

31.                      Comparison of CPC & CPI

32.                      Gandhi Jinnah talks May 1944

33.                      Result of 1946 elections and an article

Punjab 175 Sindh 60 NWFP 50 Bengal 250=535

Cong    51              18               30             86= 185

AIML   73               27              17             113= 230

Others and independent                              =120

Percentage of nonmuslims in NWFP assembly?

Link of Part 2

Part 2 US, the New global leader, De-colonization and emergence of new political powers in British India. From Atlantic Charter of 14 August 1941 to December 1945 elections in British India. 

Part 3: 14 months that had changed the Punjab & Kashmir altogether, an unprecedented massacre and migration; history has not witnessed until today. From July 1946 to August 1947. 

It will air at saturday 5.30pm (Pak Time) 29th August 2020