Indian independence is a benchmark for the end of colonialism and imperialism. In the short span of 68 years, India has evolved as the largest democracy which has embarked on the path of all round progress, with relevant restraints of a nascent democracy.
15th August is the beginning of a New India. I would briefly like to look back at the history of that period to throw some light on why that date was selected and the various issues which were of paramount importance of that period and some have a lingering effect even now.
Nearly 80 countries became independent since the second world war. Without any exaggeration, the experience of India, nurtured by the Founding Fathers of the democracy, especially Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel, has stood the test of time. Indian people deserve profound appreciation of the world to have embarked as such an inspiring path.
The Indian Independence Act 1947 was as an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned British India into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan. The Act received the royal assent on 18 July 1947, and Pakistan was born on August 14, and India on August 15.
The legislation was formulated by the government of Prime Minister Clement Attlee and the Governor General of India Lord Louis Mountbatten, after representatives of the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League, and the Sikh community came to an agreement with the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, on what has come to be known as the 3 June Plan or Mountbatten Plan.
The Act also made provision for the division of joint assets, etc. between the two new countries, including in particular the division of the armed forces.
On 4th June 1947 Mountbatten held a press conference in which he addressed the question of the 565 princely states. The treaty relations between Britain and the Indian States would come to an end, and on 15th August 1947 the suzerainty of the British Crown was to lapse. Consequently the princely states would assume independent status. They would be free to choose to accede to one or the other of the new dominions.
A crude border had already been drawn up by Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India prior to his replacement, in February 1947, by Lord Mountbatten. In order to determine exactly which territories to assign to each country, in June 1947, Britain appointed Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a lawyer by profession, to chair two Boundary Commissions - one for Bengal and one for Punjab.
The Commission was instructed to "demarcate the boundaries of the two parts of the Punjab on the basis of ascertaining the contiguous majority areas of Muslims and non-Muslims. In doing so, it will also take into account other factors." Other factors were undefined, giving Radcliffe leeway, but included decisions regarding "natural boundaries, communications, watercourses and irrigation systems", as well as socio-political consideration. Each commission also had 4 representatives - 2 from the Indian National Congress and 2 from the Muslim League. Given the deadlock between the interests of the two sides and their rancorous relationship, the final decision was essentially Radcliffe's.
After arriving in India on 8 July 1947, Radcliffe was given just five weeks to decide on a border. He soon met with his fellow college alumnus Mountbatten and travelled to Lahore and Calcutta to meet with commission members, chiefly Nehru from the Congress and Jinnah, President of the Muslim League. He objected to the short time frame, but all parties were insistent that the line be finished before the 15th August British withdrawal from India. Mountbatten had accepted the post as Viceroy on the condition of an early deadline. The decision was completed just a couple of days before the withdrawal, but due to political manoeuvring, not published until 17 August 1947, two days after the grant of independence to India and Pakistan and known as the Radcliffe line.
In the event, between August 1947 and March 1948 the rulers of several Muslim-majority states signed an Instrument of Accession to join Pakistan.
Lord Mountbatten was asked by the Indian leaders to continue as the Governor-General of India. Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister of India and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel became the Home Minister. Over 560 princely states acceded to India. Muhammad Ali Jinnah became the Governor-General of Pakistan, and Liaquat Ali Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Three princely states (namely Junagadh, Bantva and Manavadar) geographically inalienable to India joined the Dominion of Pakistan.
At the time of the partition of India, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, preferred to remain independent. He offered a standstill agreement (to maintain the status quo) to both India and Pakistan. India refused the offer but Pakistan accepted it.
But soon the Gilgit Scouts staged a rebellion in the Northern Areas under British command; this region became effectively a part of Pakistan. Subsequently tribal Kabailis from the Northwest Frontier Province invaded Kashmir proper. The Pakistan Army's British chiefs refused to involve the armed forces officially.
With independence no longer an option, the Maharaja turned to India, requesting troops for safeguarding Kashmir and signed the Instrument of Accession to the Union of India on 26 October 1947. It was accepted by the Governor-General the next day and the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir became a part of the Union of India.
- Written by CB Patel, Publisher & Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar
