Remembrance Day

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Lore & Background

The Partition was the division of British India into two independent Dominions: India and Pakistan. The partition involved the division of two provinces, Bengal and Punjab, based on district-wide non-Muslim or Muslim majorities, and also saw the division of the British Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy, the Indian Civil Service, the railways, and the central treasury. The partition was outlined in the Indian Independence Act 1947 and resulted in the dissolution of the British Raj. The two self-governing independent Dominions of India and Pakistan legally came into existence at midnight on 15 August 1947. The partition occurred on the basis of religious separatism, demanded by the All-India Muslim League, who propagated the idea that Indian Muslims and Indian Hindus were two different nations—a theory propounded by the Hindu Mahasabha as well. The Indian National Congress, along with the Communist Party of India, All India Azad Muslim Conference, Khudai Khidmatgar, All India Anglo-Indian Association, All India Conference of Indian Christians, and Chief Khalsa Diwan, adamantly opposed the partition. Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Frank Anthony, Purushottam Das Tandon, Maulana Azad, Tara Singh and Allah Bux Soomro actively worked to oppose the partition. The leader of All India Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, demanded 'either a divided India or a destroyed India' and called for Direct Action Day, which resulted in communal violence that sowed the seeds for the partition. Though the demand of the All India Muslim League was eventually accepted by the British, the state of India officially rejected the two-nation theory and chose to be a secular state. The partition displaced between 10 and 20 million people along religious lines, creating overwhelming refugee crises. There was large-scale violence, with estimates of loss of life disputed and varying between several hundred thousand and two million. Critics of the partition point to the displacement of fifteen million people, the murder of more than one million people, and the rape of 75,000 women to demonstrate the view that it was a mistake.

Reader's Guide

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day serves as a solemn occasion for India to honour the victims and sufferings of people during the 1947 partition. On 14 August 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that 14 August annually will be remembered as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. Modi said, 'Partitions pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. May the Partition Horrors Remembrance 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.' In 2022, the Delhi Metro honoured the day by setting up an exhibit that included 'panels on the wrecked buildings in Lahore and Amritsar'. The University Grants Commission implored all academic institutions to plan observances. The University of Kashmir organised a photo exhibition highlighting 'the agony, suffering and pain of millions of sufferers of the Partition'. In 2023, Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi organized presentations, panel discussions, and a Photo Exhibition. The Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division had an exhibition of photographs for the public, as did several railway stations, organized by Thalanad Chandrasekharan Nair, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

Did You Know?

• Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was first observed in 2021 after an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The partition displaced between 10 and 20 million people and left 200,000 to 2 million dead.
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah demanded 'either a divided India or a destroyed India' and called for Direct Action Day.
• In 2022, the Delhi Metro set up an exhibit with panels on wrecked buildings in Lahore and Amritsar.
• The University Grants Commission implored all academic institutions to plan observances for the day in 2022.