Partition Horrors Remembrance Day – A Story of Pain, Lessons, and Memory

Every year, on 14th August, India observes a solemn occasion — Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. It is a day dedicated to remembering the millions of people who suffered unimaginable pain during the Partition of India in 1947.

This observance was first marked in 2021, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the nation must never forget the sacrifices, the struggles, and the human tragedies of that time. In his words:

“Partition’s pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence… May this day keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment.”

It is not just a day of remembrance — it is also a reminder that India’s unity, social harmony, and human dignity must be preserved at all costs.

Why the Day is Observed

The Partition of 1947 was one of the largest and most tragic migrations in human history. Between 10 to 20 million people were uprooted from their homes, forced to cross hastily drawn borders. An estimated 200,000 to 2 million people lost their lives in communal riots, massacres, and forced migrations. Around 75,000 women suffered sexual violence. Families, communities, and entire cultures were torn apart — a wound that has never fully healed.

The Historical Background – How India was Divided

The Partition of British India created two independent dominions:

• India (which became the Republic of India in 1950)

• Pakistan, which later split into:

  • Islamic Republic of Pakistan (1956)

  • People’s Republic of Bangladesh (1971)

Punjab and Bengal were divided along religious lines, while key institutions such as the British Indian Army, Royal Indian Navy, Indian Civil Service, Railways, and Central Treasury were also split.

The legal basis for this was the Indian Independence Act of 1947, which ended the British Raj. On the midnight of 15 August 1947, the two dominions officially came into existence.

The Ideological Divide – The Roots of Partition

The demand for Partition was driven by religious separatism, most strongly promoted by the All-India Muslim League, under Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Two-Nation Theory — supported by both the Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha — argued that Hindus and Muslims were separate nations and could not coexist in a single country.

However, many leaders and organisations rejected this idea. The Indian National Congress, All India Azad Muslim Conference, Khudai Khidmatgar, All India Anglo-Indian Association, All India Conference of Indian Christians, and Chief Khalsa Diwan all stood for a united India. Prominent voices against Partition included Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Frank Anthony, Purushottam Das Tandon, Maulana Azad, Tara Singh, and Allah Bux Soomro.

Despite opposition, Jinnah hardened his stance, declaring “either a divided India or a destroyed India” and calling for Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946. The resulting communal riots in Calcutta left 6,000 dead within days and set India firmly on the road to Partition.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Muslim League leader)

"Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious

philosophies, social customs, and literature… To yoke together

two such nations under a single state… must lead to growing

discontent and final destruction. The Muslims are a nation

by any definition. By all canons of international law we are

a nation." (Speech at the Lahore session, 22 March 1940)" 

British Attempts to Avoid Partition

The British did not initially want India to be divided.

1. Cripps Mission (1942) – Proposed Dominion Status for India, but allowed provinces to opt out. Congress rejected it, fearing disintegration.

2. Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) – Suggested a federal India with three groups of provinces:

   • Group A: Hindu-majority

   • Groups B & C: Muslim-majority with autonomy

     The central government would handle only defence, foreign affairs, and communication. Congress first agreed, then withdrew support. This angered Jinnah, leading to Direct Action Day.

Mountbatten, the Haste, and the Final Decision

In March 1947, Lord Louis Mountbatten became the last Viceroy of India. He met Nehru, Patel, and Jinnah in hopes of finding a compromise, but violence escalated. Even Nehru and Patel, once opposed to division, began to see Partition as the only way to prevent a civil war.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Senior Congress leader)

"I am not in favor of partition; I am against it. But we have to accept it

as a bitter medicine. The country has been turned into a battlefield,

and the two communities cannot live together in peace. It is better to

have partition than to have a civil war." (Speech in Bombay, July 1947)

Jawaharlal Nehru (Senior Congress leader)

"We have come to a stage when we must either accept division or

face continued conflict and chaos. Partition is bad. But whatever

the price of unity, the price of civil war would be infinitely greater."

(Speech in July1947).

On 3 June 1947, Mountbatten announced his Plan for the Transfer of Power:

• Division of India and creation of Pakistan

• Princely states could join either dominion

Even Mahatma Gandhi, who had fought against the idea of Partition, persuaded Congress leaders to accept it on 14 June 1947, to avoid further bloodshed.

But Mountbatten advanced the date of independence from June 1948 to August 1947. The hurried boundary demarcation, done by Sir Cyril Radcliffe in just five weeks, meant that on 15 August, many did not even know whether they were in India or Pakistan. This chaos unleashed violence on an unimaginable scale.

Cyril Radcliffe (Chairman, Boundary Committee, June - Aug. 1947)

"I had no alternative; the time at my disposal was so short that I

could not do a better job. I was given a job to do and I did my best,

though it may not have been very good

The Human Cost – A Nation Torn Apart

The consequences were catastrophic:

• 10–20 million displaced

• 200,000–2 million killed

• 75,000 women raped

• Entire villages wiped out, centuries-old communities shattered

Writer Nirad C. Chaudhuri noted that within six months, the demand for Pakistan went from being a distant idea to a tragic reality. Even Jinnah himself later admitted:

“I never thought it would happen. I never expected to see Pakistan in my lifetime.”

Shared Responsibility for the Tragedy

The Partition was not the fault of one person alone.

• Jinnah demanded a separate nation.

• Congress ultimately agreed to division.

• Mountbatten rushed the process dangerously.

All three decisions combined to leave millions vulnerable and unprotected.

Sri Aurobindo (Yogi, Philosopher)

"The Partition must go. Let it be only a temporary and not

a permanent dismemberment. The Partition of the country

must be removed. For that I consider the present division of

the country as a temporary expedient. I do not believe that

the division will last. For if it lasts, India may be seriously

weakened, even crippled; civil strife may remain always possible,

possibly leading to a new and more disastrous Partition.

That must not be; the Partition must go.” (15 August 1947).

Lessons from Partition

1. Reject Religious Privilege in Politics – No religion should claim political privilege; violence must never be appeased.

2. Responsible Leadership – Leaders must rise above party interests and avoid short-sighted decisions.

3. Realism Over Idealism – Political choices must be grounded in reality, not just slogans.

4. Know and Acknowledge History – Hiding history only allows mistakes to repeat.

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is not just about looking back — it is about ensuring that India never again allows hatred and division to destroy its unity. Remembering 1947 is remembering that the strength of a nation lies in its ability to stay together, even in the face of deep differences.

As poet S.H. Vatsyayan ‘Ajneya’ wrote on 4 November 1947:

"... The body bears the weight of even its own disease.

Shame! Again, shame!

And this shame is neither Hindu nor Muslim —It is the outrage of my insulted humanity!"

 Source | Partition Horrors