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Imperial
powers have always ruled on the principle of "divide and rule".
This was so with Britain - a small country. The sun never set over its
vast worldwide empire using the same principle of "divide and rule."
Due to the ideas of Victorian liberalism in 19th century, Hume, a retired
British I.C.S. officer, founded Indian National Congress in 1885 to develop
parliamentary institutions in India with British help. Conservatives in
England soon saw danger to British Empire from Congress Party. On the
principle of counterpoise to nationalism of Congress, Viceroy Dufferin
wrote in 1888 about Indian Muslims, "Fifty million men (i.e. Indian
Muslims) are themselves a nation - a very powerful nation." Thus
the seed of two nation theory and partition was planted.
As the time passed, fertilization and watering of the plant was done by
Viceroy after Viceroy. Only important events of its growth are mentioned
here in brief. In 1905, Viceroy Curzon partitioned Bengal presidency into
Hindu and Muslim areas. Developing Curzon's plans, next Viceroy Minto
prompted Aga Khan to start Muslim League, which had mainly big Muslim
landlords, with the main objective - in it's own words - "to foster
a sense of loyalty to the British government among the Muslims of India."
This is exactly what it always did. To counter Gandhiji's satyagrah movements
in 1920s and 1930s, the British created communal riots in India. In 1937
assembly elections in India, Jinnah's Muslim League did very poorly. It
polled only 4% Muslim votes and did not get majority in any Muslim state.
Thus Muslim League was not really the sole representative of Muslims,
though claimed so by Jinnah.
WW II came to India on September 3, 1939. Viceroy Linlithgow decided to
use Muslim League and Jinnah to counter expected Congress demand for freedom,
as is clear from Viceroy's letter to Secretary of state on September 5,
1939. During WW II, Viceroys succeeded in building up Jinnah and Muslim
League by their maneuvers. In February 1940, Linlithgow asked Sir Zafarullah
Khan, a member of Viceroy's Executive Council to draft a scheme of Pakistan.
Viceroy gave Zafarullah Khan's Pak scheme to Jinnah. It was passed by
Muslim League meeting in Lahore on March 23, 1940. In July 1940, Secretary
of State asked Linlithgow to replace Jinnah, as he was too arrogant. Linlithgow
replied to Secretary of state that he need not worry, as others (e.g.
Sir Akbar Hydari) were willing to do his bidding. In 1943, the British
gave up their excuse of protection of minorities and brought the concept
of parity between Congress party and Muslim League. This exists even now
in the form of parity between India and Pakistan.
By the end of 1945, Viceroy General Wavell found that British raj could
not rule India militarily due to Britain's weakness and loss of loyalty
of expanded Indian Army. Hence, he wrote in a most secret letter to Secretary
of State a blue print of Pakistan to protect imperial interests of British
Empire and NOT Muslim interests. The letter reveals that aim was to protect
the Near East from Soviet expansion to Indian Ocean and oil wells there.
To partition India, Atlee sent Cabinet Delegation to India under the pretext
of helping India to get freedom. It arrived in India on March 23, 1946,
and started talks with Indian leaders. Six days later, Wavell wrote a
note to Cabinet Delegation pointing out the weak position of Britain.
Further, "We have one high trump in our hand, the Big Stick. We can
in the last resort make things practically impossible for India by various
kinds of sanctions of which principal would be blockade. We could cut
off India from all kind of supplies of oil, kerosene and import of all
kinds." The general had made military appreciation correctly.
In April 1946, Wavell made his first Break Down plan in consultation with
civil and military officers, to provide for contingency, if Indian Army
revolted against the British. Wavell was an expert at retreat due to his
previous experience in WW II. He kept changing the breakdown plans slightly
till March 1947 giving different names - "Operation Madhouse"
and "Bedlam". Breakdown plans called for withdrawal of British
civil and military personnel to 6 Muslim provinces (i.e. Pakistan) -Punjab,
N.W.F.P. Sindh and Baluchistan in west and Bengal and Assam in N. East,
from 6 Hindu provinces, i.e. Bombay, Madras, C.P., U.P. Bihar and Orissa.
Assam was not a Muslim Majority province. Cabinet Delegation released,
as a suggestion, its plan of constitution for India based on 3-tier plan.
It was really drafted by British government in London and given to Cabinet
Delegation before leaving. It was a camouflaged plan for Greater Pakistan.
As no agreement was forthcoming on May 16 plan, Wavell's Breakdown plan
made on June 2, 1946 was sent to British cabinet next day with some modifications.
To bend Congress to agree to partition, the British encouraged Jinnah
to start communal riots. Jinnah declared that Muslims would take Pakistan
by the sword. Patel replied that sword will be met by sword and if one
Hindu is killed, 4 Muslims would die. JInnah declared August 16 as Direct
Action day to get Pakistan. Suharawardy, chief minister of Bengal maneuvered
to start attack by Muslims on Hindus and Sikhs in Calcutta, a Hindu majority
city On August 16. Result was four times more Muslims than Hindus were
killed there. This was followed by communal rioting in E. Bengal in October
and Bihar in November with same result. Jinnah was scared and thought
of not insisting on sovereign Pakistan. When he went to London in December,
Churchill met him secretly and asked him not to give up his Pakistan demand.
To carry on correspondence, Churchill gave him a false insignificant address
and asked him do the same in India.
Atlee did not agree with Wavell's soldierly Breakdown plans, as it would
expose the British guilt in partition. Atlee wanted politicians way to
create partition. Hence, he called Mountbatten on December 31, 1946 and
asked him to go as Viceroy to replace Wavell. Mountbatten replied that
he and Wavell had similar views. On Atlee's insistence, he went to his
mother for her advice. She was favorite granddaughter of Victoria. She
implored Mountbatten not to accept Atlee's offer, as "he would be
laying himself open to the duplicity and maneuverings of wily and dishonorable
politicians." Against her advice, Mountbatten accepted the offer
to go to India. Mountbatten was a royal sweet talker and succeeded in
dividing India, yet showing that partition was due to disagreement between
Congress and Muslim League, though the Englishmen were for united India.
Wise Sardar Patel became in charge of Home in the provisional government
in September 1946. It was lucky for India. He read all secret government
documents and found out British intrigue against India. As he explained
later, British had kept two trump cards in their hands till the end. They
were paramountcy and the reserve powers and control over services. He
found behind the scenes goings on. He found that the Political department,
in charge of princely states, was plotting against India's interests.
They were mortgaging Bastar in C.P. on a long lease to Nizam. This was
a part of a scheme to give corridor to Pakistan between two wings by using
tribal areas, Hydrabad state and Goa. Patel put a stop to Baster transfer.
These made him convert to partition. It was better to divide India into
two than in many. He along with V.P.Menon made a partition plan in December
1946. It was this partition plan on whose basis actual partition took
place and not Wavell's or Jinnah's plans. He succeeded in convincing Nehru
and Gandhiji to accept his ideas. Gandhiji was willing to have civil war
to prevent partition. Patel's rationale, as he stated later, was that
with partition 80% of India would be free and other 20% would be after
India developed its economy and strength. As the Congress compromise with
the British was based on military balance, Patel's decision was correct.
As it was the British, who wanted partition and had the gun, Jinnah had
a minor role, as he had no gun. There were many prominent Muslims, who
were too willing to become British stooge and do British bidding. One
thing to note is that Congress never accepted two-nation theory. Only
those areas were allowed to leave Indian Union, which voted in legislative
assemblies to opt out. Many other countries were also divided like India
before and after WW II by imperialists.
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