Partition, boundaries, refugees and Kashmir

Pakistan Affairs · Creation and early years of Pakistan. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

Pakistan began with four linked problems. The Radcliffe Award divided the Punjab and Bengal by contiguous Muslim and non-Muslim majority areas, yet gave India some Muslim-majority areas, such as part of Gurdaspur district. Millions of refugees crossed the new borders amid great violence. India also delayed Pakistan's share of cash and military stores.

The princely states were free to join either dominion once British paramountcy lapsed. Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir became disputes.

In Jammu and Kashmir a Hindu ruler governed a Muslim-majority state. In October 1947 tribal fighters entered the state, Maharaja Hari Singh signed an Instrument of Accession to India, and the first war between India and Pakistan followed. India took the matter to the UN, which called for a ceasefire and a plebiscite.

Rules to remember

Sir Cyril Radcliffe chaired both Boundary Commissions; the Award was made public on 17 August 1947.
Gurdaspur: the part given to India provided a land route to Kashmir.
Assets: Pakistan's agreed share of the cash balances was Rs 750 million, and India held back part of it.
Junagadh: Muslim ruler, mostly Hindu people; acceded to Pakistan in 1947, then taken over by India.
Kashmir: Treaty of Amritsar (1846) began Dogra rule; accession in October 1947; India went to the UN Security Council in January 1948.
UN resolutions of 1948-49: ceasefire, withdrawal of troops, and a UN-supervised plebiscite.
The ceasefire line took effect in 1949 and was renamed the Line of Control by the Simla Agreement (1972).

Common mistake

Students say Pakistan took Kashmir to the United Nations. India made the reference to the Security Council in January 1948; Pakistan's case rests on the UN resolutions that followed, which call for a plebiscite.

Worked example

Junagadh and Kashmir were mirror images of each other in 1947. Explain how.

Junagadh had a Muslim ruler and a mostly Hindu population; its ruler chose Pakistan.
Kashmir had a Hindu ruler and a mostly Muslim population; its ruler chose India.
In Junagadh India argued from the wishes of the population; in Kashmir it argued from the ruler's accession.

Answer: In each state the ruler's religion differed from that of most of his people, but the pattern was reversed. Pakistan points to this contrast in its case on Kashmir.

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