Some Aspects of the Political Developments in Punjab, 1945-47

 

Some Aspects of the Political Developments in Punjab, 1945-47

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The period 1945-47, in the Politics of Punjab witnessed a dramatic change. Punjab was one of the badly affected provinces during this period.  It may be argued that, up until the early 1940s, concepts from the Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh populations were not as important in Punjab as ‘biradari’ and other local identities. However, communalism gained significant traction in the decades before. By 1946, Punjab had undergone a transformation, largely due to the influence of politics in escalating interfaith strife and dividing the region's religious communities. The Muslim League (ML) played a major part in inciting communal unrest in Punjab through its aggressive identification of the Muslim population as a whole, its conviction that Pakistan offered a better alternative, and its preaching that the Muslims will be enslaved under the rule of Hindus. This approach was furthered by the Muslim League's electoral campaign in the year of 1945 to 1946, which focused on the Pakistan issue. The Muslim League (ML) was effective in persuading the populace of Pakistan's unavoidable establishment, without providing a clear description of what Pakistan meant for Muslims. The Pakistan movement first gained traction in the provinces of Uttar Pradesh and other areas where the Muslims have been a numerical minority rather than in the Muslim majority provinces like Punjab or the North West Frontier Provinces, which were supposed to make up the state of Pakistan. Muslims' collective consciousness was further aggravated by the cry of ‘Islam in Danger’ and the call for ‘Direct Action’ in the name of ‘Allah’. The discussions surrounding the Cabinet Mission's plan to establish an interim government and constituent assembly widened the chasm between Punjab's various groups. The changing perspectives on these matters held by Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus demonstrated the close connections that had been made between public opinion and politics. This process was accelerated by Jinnah's call for ‘Direct Action,’ as well as the progressive formation of "Private Armies" by various political parties and volunteer groups like the ‘Akalis’, the Muslim National Guards, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). It was only a matter of time until Punjab's civil war broke out.

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