1947 Partition of India and its lessons

‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ are essential principles that aim to promote fairness, equal opportunities, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their background or identity, perspectives and experiences. These principles are about creating a more just and inclusive society. Let’s work together to make sure everyone is treated with equality and dignity – Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of World Health Organization, December 17, 2023.[1]

Dear Editor,

Tanveer at Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India and colleagues got their systematic review article published in the February 2024 issue of the journal having the title, ‘Catastrophic impact of 1947 partition of India on people’s health’. The investigators searched relevant articles, went through their contents, classified them accordingly, tabulated them for ease of learning and then prepared the write-up by enumerating different events having an impact on the status of health care of the people in that era. Such articles provide us with a refreshing insight into the events of historical significance which affect generations to come. In this cruel, unequal and unjust world where some lives are valued more than others, the authors’ efforts will give solace to those unsung and unheard voices which have remained marginalized till now.

By bringing common people and their plight at the centre stage of the arena, the authors provide us with a direction which has remained unmarked and undistinguished for 76 years. We need to have a better grasp of our shared history to know what went wrong, and that insight may help us to navigate the present in a better way. Kudos to the authors for penning down such a beautiful and marvellous piece for our awakening.[2]

Nevertheless, there are certain points therein which need a different interpretation, ought to take into account certain missing points and demand a different approach than suggested by the authors and I’d mention it pointwise with reasoning. In several places, the authors specify that there was a regression in demographic indicators of vital significance (e.g., mortality rates in certain age groups) and a reduction in life expectancy due to the partition and cross-border migration. But there were large-scale communal riots too alongside political bickering then. Hence social unrest should be charged with more burden than drawing (or redrawing) lines on the map for deterioration in quality of lives with a fall in living standards, according to this school of thought.

Under a header of Impact on the economy, the authors state, ‘Significantly, India’s share in the global economy was about 24.5% before the British rule in the 1700s, but by the 1950, after the exit of the British, it had plummeted to only 4.17%’. But there are two points needing consideration here in this context. Before independence (1947) when the British arrived and before that, for most of human history India and China have been the nations with the largest share of population. Here is an account of the last two centuries.[3] Hence in the pre-Industrial Revolution era, they contributed to the maximum world GDP by simple arithmetic. The more people are there at an agricultural farm or rearing animals, the higher will be its produce (in a linear correlation) and the higher will be its absolute market value. The scenario changed with the arrival of Industrial Revolution in the later part of eighteenth century. Here is a reference from Encyclopedia Britannica[4] which the authors quote in their review elsewhere.

After independence (1947), GDP continued to fall or hovered around the baseline for several decades and started to lift shortly before the turn of the century. The second chart (among 20) of this article with the caption ‘Over 10 times growth in GDP in last 20 years’ provides the information in a simple way.[5] While the British plundered, looted and snatched away our wealth so much so that ‘dacoity’ and ‘thuggery’ words slipped into the Oxford Dictionary, we’d be mindful that since independence we’ve been owners of our destiny.[6] Hence a fair and non-partisan appraisal of what went wrong (and right) should be made when analysing Indian history.

Under a header of Impact on health, the authors write, ‘we can conjecture that had there been no partition, the declining trend of infant and under five mortality would have been continued’. But we need to realise that several events were running then together. The Great Famine of Bengal in 1943,[7] Pakistan’s invasion of Kashmir shortly after independence,[8] artificial fixation of exchange rate resulting in depletion of foreign reserves[9]; all were going simultaneously after World War 2. Every big action has had an impact on the health care sector which is in addition to neglect of education here.[10] Hence how do the authors pinpoint an observation (of declining health indicators of a particular period) with a single event of partition and accompanying riots, I wonder.

Our forefathers and freedom fighters sowed seeds of aspiration and we are reaping what we invested for then. This grey/not-so-rosy picture of today should make us analyse in black and white what went wrong (and right) and then we may get an outline of the way ahead. Appreciation of facts requires their independent realisation bereft of emotions and attachments. In the melee of hurried exodus of the British from India shortly after Royal Indian Navy mutiny, various incidents and occurrences shaped our past and are affecting our present in some way. Nevertheless, this history should inform us that social cohesion, equality and justice with fundamental principles (preamble) of Constitution show us where we need to go. The document arose as a result of the collective wisdom of the experts debating in the Central Hall of Parliament for less than 3 years.

Rising tensions on religious lines, fault lines on caste and creed, centre–state conflict, infusion of black money in elections, misinformation/disinformation campaign on social media and potential of artificial intelligence should warn us that 76 years down the line; still our common enemies are illiteracy/divisive forces in society/self-centeredness/bigotry on parochial issues and we’d rise to the occasion so as not to repeat mistakes of the past. Unity makes the foundation of a strong economy and it is the responsibility of the youth not to listen to those giving calls to tear us asunder to win elections and fulfil their narrow interests. Divide and rule was the stated policy of the British. In this era, we’d show the door to powers who adopt and practice the same theme.

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Conflicts of interest

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