Even before independence, the British had sown the seeds of hostility between India and Pakistan which brought the nation on the brink of partition. According to the ‘two-nation theory’ advanced by the Muslim League, India consisted of two ‘people’, Hindus and Muslims, and demanded Pakistan, a separate country for the Muslims. On 14-15 Aug 1947, the British government declared partition of the country along with its independence. Religious majority was made the basis of partition. There was no single belt of Muslim majority area in British India. There were two areas of concentration, one in the west and one in the east. There was no way these two parts could be joined. So it was decided that the new country, Pakistan, will comprise of two territories, West and East Pakistan separated by a long expanse of Indian Territory. During the partition, the most serious problem was of minorities. There were minorities on both sides of the border. There were Lakhs of Hindus and Sikhs in the areas that were now in Pakistan and an equally large number of Muslims on the Indian side. The declaration of partition made them undesirable aliens in their own home. As soon as it became clear that the country was going to be partitioned, the minorities on both the sides became easy targets of the attacks. The minorities on both the sides of the border were left with no option than to leave their homes to save their lives. During these riots, people were killed, women were abducted and raped. In some cases, women were killed by their own family members to preserve the ‘family honour’. Many children were separated from their parents. Partition forced about 80 lakh people to migrate across the new border. Between five to ten lakh people were killed in partition related violence. Partition was described as ‘division of hearts’.
