Partition : The Day India Burned (2007 - BBC) (Movies To See Before You Die - Historical / Documentary)

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Purviben

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REVIEW ON PATRITION: THE DAY INDIA BURNED
BY: HADIA RAMZAN
Partition: The Day India Burned (2007) - "BBC Documentary about the effects of Britain's withdrawal from India in 1947 which triggered one of the biggest migrations in history. 15 million were displaced and more than a million died."
The story is told through the testimony of people who lived together for centuries, but were forced out of their homes as one of the largest and most ethnically diverse nations in the world was divided.
The Cabinet Mission 1946 was proposed in order to promote the Hindu-Muslim unity but unfortunately it failed. British ruled the sub-continent for over 200 years. Lahore was the capital of Punjab province which was heavily populated by Hindus and Sikhs. Calcutta was densely populated with Muslim majority. Nehru and Gandhi were the leaders of Hindus while Jinnah was the leader of Muslims in the movement of independence.
In starting, Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs lived together happily but there was a certain barrier between them. The injustice drove the demand for a separate homeland in Muslims. Muslim leaders gathered people in the center of Delhi to demand a separate homeland. From there some mobs became so aggressive that they started to kill others living in the neighborhood and as a result there was bloodshed. During all this chaos British government remained silent and behind the scene.

Then the last viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten came along with his wife and daughter. Soon the Lord and Nehru became good friends but Jinnah remained cold. The Golden Temple of Sikhs was in Lahore. They were scared because they didn’t want their Holy place to get under the rule of Muslims. They then used the name of religion in front of the common people in order to get more votes and sympathy. They trained young people, the use of weapons. Then they slaughtered the Muslims and Muslims slaughtered them. British were having a plan to leave India in 1948 but the situations became so intense that viceroy decided to leave in 1947 soon after partition. He appointed Sir Radcliff for deciding the boundary between the two countries. Finally on 14th August, 1947 Pakistan emerged on the map of the world. And 15th August, 1947 was the independence day of India. When the celebrations of independence ended in both countries Radcliff announced the boundaries of two countries and then got under covers because he knew very well that he had done injustice and people would not spare him. Radcliff favored India by providing them the access to the major rivers and Muslim majority areas. Moreover, the Punjab and Bengal were divided into two. Lahore came in the boundary of Pakistan. The princes of the princely states were also the part of the Nehru and Radcliff’s plan.

After the announcement of boundaries people started to migrate. Hindus and Sikhs living in Pakistani boundary started to migrate towards India and the Muslims living in India started to migrate towards Pakistan. Many Muslims were killed when the Qafla had reached Amritsar from Ambala. People were present there, equipped with latest weapons and swords. Many women jumped into the wells to save themselves. The train in which the refugees were travelling was also stopped and people were killed.

At last 15 million refugees came to Pakistan. Both Hindus and Muslims wanted their areas to get free from each other. Even then the killing didn’t stop until their areas were cleared from Muslims and Hindus respectively. Both had to leave their properties and belongings and had to migrate. Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs had been living together for many centuries but in the end everything got separated. The British also sent their troops back to Britain and then left India handing over the power to Indians. The borders created in 1947 would become the focus for three wars and sixty years of animosity between the government of India and Pakistan but for the people of two countries it was the tragedy of separation that lingered on.

I want my review to get public. So that everyone can access it.