The Transfer of Power to Indians, 1947

 

The Transfer of Power to Indians, 1947

*********************

The Indian subcontinent's fate was up for grabs when Indian leaders convened at Viceroy Lord Mountbatten's residence in Delhi on June 2, 1947. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Acharya Kripalani, and Vallabh Bhai Patel represented the Indian National Congress in the meeting with the Viceroy, while Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Abdur Rab Nishtar, and Liaquat Ali Khan represented the Muslim League (ML). Sardar 'Baldev Singh represented the Sikhs'. The viceroy presented his proposed division plan to them. These leaders met at the Viceroy's House on the month June 3, 1947, and while the conference went on till the following day, 'the representatives of the Sikhs, Muslim League (ML), and INC' informed Viceroy Lord Mountbatten that their ideas had been accepted. Lord Mountbatten The viceroy declared the June 3, 1947, plan of the British administration.

1. On August 15, 1947, the British would hand over control to one or both of the successor authorities, depending on the situation.

2. There are two assemblies that would be constituted.

3. The Bengal and the Punjab would be split if their legislative assemblies made the decision to do so, and a referendum would be held in the North West Frontier Provinces (NWFP) to determine whether or not those provinces would join the current group of representatives from the region.

On August 15, 1947, we Indians were free at last. But the sorrow of Partition came with independence. It struck at the very core of the populace, dividing the subcontinent's resources, administration, economics, and military in the rivalry between the two halves. Millions of people died in Punjab, severing families, friends, and ties, and shattering houses in the communal bloodbath. The massacres in Punjab had a role in the deterioration of ties between Pakistan and India. The recently formed states quickly turned into 'enemy' states. It is essential to note that the politics of the Province played a major part in the communal spirit that existed among various groups of 'Punjabis'.

*************************