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Cyril Radcliffe was a
scion of the British establishment in the middle of the 20th Century.
One of the finest legal minds of his age, he was the man chosen to
divide the sub continent along religious grounds despite, or maybe
because, having no knowledge of the place. He was given a committee of 4
Muslims and 4 Hindus and told he had 40 days to draw some lines on a
map, creating India and 2 Pakistan divided by nearly 1000 kilometres.
The full impact of his decisions are still being played out today in the
frozen borders of Kashmir while the former comrades try to adapt to each
other as foes. Much is known of his legacy, what of him?
Nehru and Jinnah
agreed on little. The latter sought a Muslim majority state, the former
was happy with the status quo but once Nehru bowed to the inevitable and
partition of his beloved country things had to move and quick. Bengal
and Punjab needed to be sliced in two to form the basis of Jinnah's
beloved Pakistan but how could this done impartially and by who? It had
to be an outsider, someone ignorant of the subcontinent. Someone who
could come in, pencil in some lines on a map then leave before the
crescendo of jeers could find their voice. A scapegoat?
His job was easy. Just
lump together contiguous areas of Muslims together and call it Pakistan.
The rest would be India. (There was the small matter of some 550 semi
autonomous states but that is another story.) His terms of reference
were, however, disingenuous. While putting together a couple of
religiously divided states was his major preoccupation he was also to
take 'other factors' into consideration. The thing is no-one could
explain what these other factors were.
So the poor old fella,
fluent in legalese, was thrown in the deep end full of circling sharks,
each well versed in the art of politics, each eager to persuade,
intimidate. Even his fellow countryman, the final Governor Lord
Mountbatten, with his royal connections, also an adept player. Radcliffe
was alone, well he was rarely alone for frequent visitors, pilot fish,
would seek to influence. He beavered away, poring over maps, asking
questions though surely suspicious of the answers, dividing villages,
severing railway lines.
Outside rumours
swirled in a public vacuum. Mountbatten loved pomp and ceremony and was
conscious of his role in history. He wanted a peaceful handover at
independence from Britain to India and Pakistan. He knew, everyone knew,
that the bespectacled barrister's work was explosive stuff. He announced
the details of partition would be released the day after the formal
ceremonies. But in the villages in affected areas people were scared and
people started moving. In the Punjab Hindus and Sikhs headed east,
Muslims west. Vendettas and scores were being settled, opportunists
preyed on people's fears.
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On the ground,
communities didn't follow Radcliffe's terms of reference.
Inconveniently a Muslim village would be adrift among a sea of
Hindus or Sikhs or the other way round. No matter where he drew
the lines, he was aware of the outcome. 'I'm going through this
terrible job as fast, as well as I can and it makes no
difference because in the end, when I finish, they are all going
to start killing each other anyway.' |
Recommended
Reading
Liberty or Death -
Patrick French
Freedom at Midnight -
Collins & LaPierre |
On the morning of 13th
August, he'd taken 36 days, Cyril Radcliffe's final reports were
delivered to Mountbatten. For 3 days they remained locked away as the
countdown to freedom began in earnest. Among many contentious decisions
was the one that gave the hitherto inconsequential, predominantly Muslim
town of Gurdaspur to India. From here started to road to Kashmir, a
largely Muslim state with a Hindu ruler. With access to India assured
the maharaja elected to join India, a decision that has led to 2 wars
and a nuclear arms race between these one time partners.
As the borders on
Radclffe's maps flowed with blood on the ground, both Nehru and Jinnah,
in the manner of politicians of all hues, reneged on their promise to
accept the borders and attacked the barrister. Back in England
surrounded by comforting law tomes, Radcliffe must have ached as
carnage, rape and massacre swept across northern India as a result of
his judgment calls. With the abuse ringing in his ears he returned his
tax free salary and washed his hands of the whole turgid affair.
So can we blame him
for the current impasse in the sub continent? As a lawyer all he was
doing was following instructions. As a scapegoat he was set up to take
the fall. Neither Mountbatten, Nehru or Jinnah come out of the affair
smelling of roses and countless thousands were butchered on the humid
plains for months after Radcliffe had returned home. Once partition had
been decided upon there was only ever going to be outcome.
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