The Great Divide
Studio/31.10.49,A22b
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel photograph on October 31, 1949, his 74th birthday.
The nation of India was born, on the 15th August, 1947. Pakistan was born on the 14th August, 1947.The border between the two countries was not revealed until a few days later. What followed then was a period of howling madness. Hindus from the new Pakistan lost their assets and came to India as refugees. My family was amongst them. Muslims from India suffered likewise.
What followed was an orgy of violence. New-found hatred gave way to bloodshed. People who had been neighbours for generations, hacked away at each other. An estimated half million to one million people died in the waves of violence that followed Independence. Others have estimated that…
Source: Pilot Fish Trailblazer Nominee: The Iron Man of India – Pilot Fish
As I have mentioned before, my father was stationed in India from 1940-1947, and witnessed much of the early rioting over Partition. It clouded his previously liberal view of that country and its peoples, and he never felt the same about them after that. This part of history has repercussions through to events today, and it is always good to read more about it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’ve asked Rajiv if he would be willing to write a guest post about another aspect of Indian history. In fact, as I write, I’m thinking that a more detailed look at the massacre at Amritsar from his perspective would be rather good. Let’s see what he says.
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