Even today, the country continues to endure pain of partition’s horrors Punjab and Bengal had to bear brunt of the aftermath
TARUN CHUGH
India is celebrating its Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of independence), and every year on August 15, we citizens celebrate Independence Day. For any country, the anniversary of independence is an occasion of joy and pride. We, too, gained our independence on August 15, 1947. However, the independence that India achieved also came with the agony of partition. The birth of a new, independent Indian nation occurred alongside the violent suffering of partition, leaving permanent scars on millions of Indians. The partition of 1947 witnessed one of the most devastating displacements in human history. On the morning of August 15, 1947, people, displaced from their homeland, were fleeing by trains, on horseback, and even on foot. During this time, riots and violence erupted, leading to the loss of countless lives. It was a distressing event, a horrendous tragedy in which approximately two million people were killed, and fifteen million displaced. This partition was one of the largest migrations in human history, forcing millions of families to leave their ancestral villages and cities and begin new lives as refugees.
The state that suffered the most from this partition was Punjab. Punjab was a province with a vibrant and diverse population, including Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. But the partition conspiracy divided it into two parts, inflicting a deep wound on its heritage and uniqueness. Punjab, which became part of India, was known as East Punjab or Indian Punjab, while Punjab that became part of Pakistan was known as West Punjab or Pakistani Punjab. The land of five rivers, “Punjab,” also witnessed the division of its water sources, with three rivers, Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas, remaining in Indian Punjab, and the other two rivers, Chenab and Jhelum, going to Pakistani Punjab. The pain of this partition has been expressed in various ways, one of which is the famous Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan’s song “Ki Banu Duniya Da,” which later says, “Ravi asks Chenab about the state of Sutlej” (Chenab often inquires Ravi about the condition of Sutlej). The partition of India was a combination of displacement and destruction.
Since independence, the country has endured the sting of partition, but no government has truly acknowledged it. Efforts were made either to erase it from Indian memory or to deliberately neglect it. The wounds of this tragedy are so deep that even today, a large part of the country, especially in Punjab and Bengal, elderly people remember August 15 only as the day of partition. This is indicative of the political weakness that led to one of the greatest migrations in human history.
For the first time, any government officially recognized the horrors of partition as a national tragedy, and that was the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On August 14, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that every year, August 14 would be observed as “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.” The purpose of observing this day is to pay tribute to the souls, who perished in the horrors of partition, and also to create awareness against the political forces and ideological motivations that could once again become a threat to society. At that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “The pain of partition can never be forgotten. Due to hatred and violence, millions of our brothers and sisters had to be displaced and even lost their lives. In memory of their struggles and sacrifices, it has been decided to observe 14th August as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.’ This day will not only inspire us to eliminate the poison of discrimination, hostility, and malice, but it will also strengthen unity, social harmony, and human values.”
The pain of the country’s partition can never be forgotten. Therefore, on August 15, 2021, a day before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed the countrymen that from now on, August 14 would be observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ every year.
The decision to observe this day is not just an opportunity to remember the events but also an occasion to highlight the divisive and intolerant ideologies that led to these tragedies. The memories of the horrors remind us how anti-national sentiments can weaken a nation. The country has learned enough from the horrors of partition. By announcing this Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown that the country is sensitive to those who perished in its worst tragedy, and is also committed to preventing such sad events from recurring. The government intends to remind the people of the present and future generations of the pain and suffering endured by the people during partition and the reasons behind it.
The partition of India in 1947 was not an unplanned event. Despite this, the official neglect of the horrors of partition was an attempt to turn a blind eye to separatism due to appeasement. Today’s generation cannot be blamed for the decisions made 77 years ago, but it cannot be denied that separatism and extremism still thrive in many regions. Whether it is the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir or the violent opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), religious fanaticism remains a reality even today. The ongoing indifference to the horrors of partition has resulted in continued demands for the reservation based on religious grounds and opposition to the national anthem and national flag, even seven decades after independence-issues that originally caused the partition. The dishonor of national symbols and the glorification of religious extremism still persist today.
On this Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, we pay tribute to all the martyrs. Let us internalize the following lines from the revered Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee:
“Let us gird ourselves from today for that golden day. Sacrifice so much that we forget what we gave up, and what we lost.”
(The writer is the National General Secretary of BJP)
