#history
Partition, The Days India burned.
British India was partitioned into the independent States of India and Pakistan in 1947, on the basis of religious demographics.
This led to the creation of the sovereign States of the Dominion of Pakistan (that later split into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh) and the Union of India (later Republic of India).
The native kingdoms were given the freedom to join the two countries or remain independent. Hyderabad chose to remain independent, but was merged in India by police action later. A major part of Kashmir was later occupied by Pakistan. Goa under Portuguese rule and Pondicherry, Mahe Daman and Diu under French occupation were also forced to join India later.
The Indian Independence Act, 1947 had decided 15 August 1947 as the appointed date for the partition. However, Pakistan came into existence a day earlier, on 14 August.
The Indian Independence Act, 1947 resulted in the dissolution of the British Indian Empire and the end of the British Raj. It also resulted in a bloody struggle between the newly constituted Nations of India and Pakistan, and displaced up to 12.5 million people, with estimates of loss of life varying from several hundred thousand to a million (most estimates of the numbers of people who crossed the boundaries between India and Pakistan in 1947 range between 10 and 12 million).
The violent nature of the partition created an atmosphere of mutual hostility and suspicion between India and Pakistan that plagues their relationship to this day.
The partition included the geographical division of the Bengal province into East Bengal, which became part of the Dominion of Pakistan (from 1956, East Pakistan).
West Bengal became part of India, and a similar partition of the Punjab province became West Punjab (later the Pakistani Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory) and East Punjab (later the Indian Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh).
The partition agreement also included the division of Indian government assets, including the Indian Civil Service, the Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy, the Indian Railways, the Central Treasury, and all other administrative services.
The two self-governing countries of India and Pakistan legally came into existence at the stroke of midnight on 14–15 August 1947. The ceremonies for the transfer of power to Pakistan were held a day earlier in Karachi, the then capital of the new State of Pakistan, so that the last British Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, could attend both the ceremonies in Karachi and Delhi.
Thus, Pakistan’s Independence Day is celebrated on 14 August and India’s on 15 August.
Video:
Pakistan And India Partition 1947
– The Day India Burned.
BBC Presentation.
http://bit.ly/2euYKFP
(adapted)
– Joy Kallivayalil.
