The Partition of India

The Need for Peace between India and Pakistan
A lecture by Prof. Ishtiaq Ahmed
https://bangaloreinternationalcentre....
June 24, 2023

Much has been written and debated about the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. It cost more than one million Hindu, Muslim and Sikh lives and bequeathed a legacy of suspicion, hatred and hostility.

For many it was a blessing, for others a tragedy. For many it meant independence and freedom, for others loss of independence and change of the masters. It left millions traumatized. The violence unleashed before, during and after the independence movement keeps recurring in various forms – most notably, as religious extremism.

75 years on, the crisis on both sides of the border is deepening. The “two nations” are still struggling to define themselves as nations. Emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 as the third nation has challenged several myths. 75 years later, the negative fallout of that legacy is all there to see. It is time to bury the hatchet and build peace. Almost everyone agrees that a strong friendly relationship between these states is essential for their progress, welfare and security of their people.