An immaculate account of partition-related stories and events drawing on both written and oral evidence
By Adnan Adil

The Punjab Blooded, Partitioned and Cleansed
By Ishtiaq Ahmed
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Pakistan
Pages: 592
Price: Rs 2100

The partition of the subcontinent, accompanied with mass migration and genocide, has been a recurrent theme for historians and fiction writers. The impact of the tragedy on people’s lives and the scars it left are still visible. Punjab and Bengal were the two most affected regions because they were partitioned on religious grounds.

Political scientist Ishtiaq Ahmed, a Lahori based in Sweden and Professor Emeritus at the Stockholm University, has documented a voluminous and immaculate account of such partition-related stories and events, drawing on both written and oral evidence.

The book, titled ‘The Punjab Blooded, Partitioned and Cleansed’, also digs out some precious data and information regarding demographic and political facts at the time of partition.

Ahmed starts off by explaining the concepts of identity, ethnicity, forced migration, ethnic cleansing and genocide that provide the framework for a historiography that follows.

Ahmed explains these complex phenomena with brevity and clarity that speak of his scholarship and firm grip on the subject. He summarises relevant theories, quotes major examples of ethnic cleansing and genocide from the past and develops a context to understand what happened in the Punjab of 1947. This conceptualisation makes the following narrative in the form of first-person accounts of those who witnessed the history and the secret British papers now made public more meaningful.

He then dilates on the pre-colonial social structure and dynamics of Punjab where Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs lived in peaceful coexistence for centuries. Although Punjab’s society was plural —different religious communities were identifiable— it was also bonded together by strong and common linguistic and cultural traditions. However, the advent of British rule and modernisation sharpened the divisions and created movements of religious revivalism in urban centres and religious identity started becoming stronger among the urban population. A kind of religious nationalism came into existence that gave birth to the politics of the religious divide in Punjab. Ahmed delves into the political context of Punjab’s partition — the division of India and the political events leading up to partition.

Following the 1946 elections, the All India Muslim League emerged as the single largest party in Punjab Assembly, but could not form the government owing to an alliance of the Unionist Party, Congress and the Sikhs.

The protracted election campaign (1945-46) had already accentuated the group identities based on religion and media played a pernicious role in fomenting hatred and conflict. The League’s agitation against the Khizar ministry ended up in governor’ rule in March 1947, further escalating the political tension between Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus and created a sense of insecurity and anxiety about their survival among the Sikhs and Hindus. The League leadership did little to placate the fears of non-Muslims. Congress and Sikhs demanded the bifurcation of Punjab on religious lines. Jinnah belatedly moved to appease Sikhs with generous political offers but failed to win them over.

Ahmed believes a democratic formula would have helped surmount the communal differences and emphasise common culture and tradition, but the political leadership of the three communities failed to agree to a fair power-sharing formula.

From March 2, 1947 onwards, no political party was in power in Punjab who could be held responsible for public safety. The political actors representing the religious divide failed to negotiate peace and power-sharing, the administration was weak, unruly elements were on the rampage and different religious communities were fearful of each other — a perfect setting in which people kill the ‘other’ out of fear or for one’s own survival.

The killings of Muslims in Bihar and Bengal in 1946 and migration of Muslims to northern areas of Punjab inflamed riots and barbaric killings of Hindus and Sikhs in Rawalpindi by Muslims in March 1947. Evidence suggests ex-army servicemen and outlaws were leading the attacks on Sikhs and Hindus. The exodus of non-Muslims started to the eastern districts. The gory tales of the Rawalpindi victims set in motion the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Muslims in East Punjab by Sikhs. The Hindu communalists were not directly involved in killings but funded the bloodshed. Eye-witness accounts say Congress’ leading light Sardar Patel was also involved in financing mob factories and goaded Sikhs to kill Muslims of Lahore.

Punjab was up in flames from mid-August to December 1947. The religious identity took precedence over the ethnic Punjabi identity and assumed an aggressive and macabre dimension. The criminal elements and their political patrons took charge. Some 10 million Punjabis crossed the border and around 800,000 were killed. These facts may already be known, but Ahmed has recorded them with a great sense of responsibility and non-partisanship. He has painstakingly collected written and oral accounts of the brutality and victimhood of both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Ahmed has tried to explain the causes of violence carried out by Muslims and Sikhs against each other. Historical evidence shows how inflexible and short-sighted the political leaders were, and how oblivious to the horrible outcome of their actions. Secret government reports existed showing the government was aware that all the three communities had set up ‘private armies’ and could be dangerous for the law and order situation. The British government looked the other way and devoted its meagre force to save European lives.

Ishtiaq Ahmed concludes that what happened in Punjab in 1947 was essentially ethnic cleansing because the overriding intention was to get rid of unwanted populations, but the organised terror employed for this purpose did carry the characteristics of retributive genocide.  He argues the Sikhs had a special interest in expelling Muslims from East Punjab in order to concentrate their co-religionists in those parts of Punjab which they wanted to become their separate homeland, Khalistan, at a later stage.

Ahmed has also interviewed the Punjabis who migrated and still have nostalgic and fond memories of their birthplaces on either side of the fence. He also narrates recent events in which Punjabis from both sides came closer and showed great respect, generosity and hospitality to each other.

The News: Nov. 3, 2011