The end of Second World War created an environment where colonial occupation was hard to maintain. Prior to it, Great Britain was one of the most influential power with colonies all over the world and in multiple continents. Indian Sub continent was one similar piece of land that had long been held under the rule of British Queen. Since the Second World War changed the outlook of ruling and gave rise to nationalistic states. The question was about the two nations in form of Muslims and Hindus that had lived together yet aspired to have a separate homeland through the independence act and departure of the queen’s representative government in place.
The possible options were either the creation of two independent states or the unified India giving powers to the majority representative population and its representatives. The latter would be synonymous to turbulence, misfit and animosity for one another. As expected two sovereign states came into existence- India and Pakistan.
Mahatma Gandhi was succeeded to seat of leadership by Jawahir Lal Nehru. Nehru had prolific past behind him and had devoted major chunk of his political life to the salvation from British rule.
“There is no room for praise in service” (Hunt, 2003,122) speaks volumes of the kind of mindset carried by Mahatma Gandhi. To him the service of people was utmost duty of the representatives and politicians.
One the part of Pakistan and Muslims, it was Mohammad Ali Jinnah; a lawyer by profession who lead the ranks of Muslims and advocated their cause. He went on to become to founder Pakistan. He was the Gandhi equivalent of the Muslims of sub continent and both had rich history of efforts, intelligence and devotion to their name and struggle towards accomplishing their long lived goals of salvation from the British Raj. Certain adjustments, decision making and planning had to be done and Gandhi and Nehru were the torch bearers in this regard. Their decisions pertained to the socio economic and political re adjustments and considerations.
As for representatives of Hindus, exchange of letters between the two stalwarts took place only because of the level of challenges that were at hand. The dawn of independence was welcomed with communal riots. Leading to massive bloodshed and sheer carnage. The people of two religions got their long lived wish fulfilled but at the cost of massive displacement, and loss of lives where the numbers soured to millions. A feeling of uncertainty and possible regret over the move was felt in the ambiance as a result of the massive loss of life suffered.
Conflict over water, land, borders demarcation, resources, economic distribution, massive mobilization and displacement and lack of experience on institutional front were few of the many challenges that hawked naked and direct into the eyes of two infant nations that had come into existence in the most adverse circumstances. In the post colonial era, it was a challenge of its own kind, the two nations were not acquaintance to self rule nor had the resources and capacity and marred further by the riots and hatred for one another, it made the scenario further bleak and situation further grim. The feeling of rivalry led to war outbreak in 1948 (Weisburd, 2010, 98). The cause of war was not just limited to a single factor; instead multiple reasons lead to it.
Works Cited:
Hunt, M. H. (2003). The World Transformed: 1945 to the Present: A Documentary Reader. Macmillan.Press.
Weisburd, A. M. (2010). Use of Force: The Practice of States Since World War II. Penn State Press.
