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Answering the unanswerable

Answering the unanswerable. an ‘Indian’ way Britain Quit India Hinduvata Sandesh mishti. If satyagrahim won independence,. why any violence at all? human not mahatmas. Sabarmati Ashram principles for satyagrahis. Practice nonviolence ( ahimsa )

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Answering the unanswerable

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  1. Answering the unanswerable an ‘Indian’ way Britain Quit India Hinduvata Sandesh mishti

  2. If satyagrahim won independence, why any violence at all? human not mahatmas

  3. Sabarmati Ashramprinciples for satyagrahis • Practice nonviolence (ahimsa) • Follow truth —living fully in accord with and in devotion to that which is true • Non-stealing • Chastity (brahmacharya) —subordination of other sensual desires to allow primary devotion to truth • Non-possession • Body-labor or bread-labor [khadi wearer and spinner] • Control of the palate (including no alcohol) • Fearlessness • Equal respect for all religions • Economic strategy such as boycotts (swadeshi) • Freedom from untouchability

  4. Now the British forced to respond:cannot simply ignore, anymore Administratively: India Act (1919) Simon Commission, 1926 Round Table Conferences (London) 1931, 1932 Government of India Act (1935) Cripps Mission (1942), then 1946 Independence declared, summer 1947

  5. The British also respond:with violence: Amritsar Massacre Pathans of the NW Frontier Province - aerial bombardment April 1930 military vs. public welfare spending in 1930s • in India rise from 25% to 45% overall in 20s/30s • In India, 1% on welfare (5% in Canada) India into WWII, again without consultation famine again (maybe 3 million died during WWII) using army against street protestors public whippings and shootings; entire villages destroyed; strafing protestors on street from planes; navy uprising

  6. Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre Duke of Edinburgh “Your action is correct. Lieutenant Governor approves.” and it is not over

  7. The tirangā (the tri-colour) national flag of: the Dominion of India (August 1947-January 1950), then of the Republic of India Parcham-e-Sitāra-o-Hilāl Pakistan’s national flag from 1947

  8. and other complications?

  9. ‘some of the untouchables are worse than cows in understanding’ – Gandhiji Women – • sexuality unclean • women especially need to be protected from, through self-control • humiliation Solution? • ‘all caste girls should marry harijan husbands’ • ‘uplift’ of harijans: religious based no scriptural base for 5th caste not change their role; re-evaluate their status brahmins rejected – untouchables rejected Rejected: Dr. BhimraoRamjiAmbedkar led movement of “unscheduled”

  10. Being ‘untouchable’ - Marcus Perkins Photography (2009) • modern identities - some argue ‘pre-Aryan’ occupationally work with leather and waste ritual ‘place’ described in Mahabharata [Panchamas (5th varna), and Asprushya (untouchables)] forced to live separately, no physical interaction, cannot worship with others or enter places of worship; cannot share wells; violence against women impacts people of all faith practises: Hindu, Jain, Muslim, Sikh

  11. Identity politics: dalit, scheduled, harijan roughly 17% of the population 1/40 humans in the world ‘reservation’ system guarantees – jobs, positions in government, etc. (AA) 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act (POA) sociologists argue now overall equitable access to education, jobs, infrastructure (housing, water, etc) 1997 K. R. Natayanan elected first dalit president 2007, Mayawati, a dalit, elected as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh So change, and space for more change

  12. Finally, independenceWWII – this time war was different Leadership and tactics changed • established Congress leaders detained • younger leaders employed violent anti-government tactics • Mohammad Ali Jinnah – set pace and direction of politics rejected India of diverse social and religious collectivities argued that British India really was two nations advocated for Pakistan only ever ‘soft’ support of other Muslim leaders Punjab, Bengal, Scinde and Northwest Frontier Province – the rest? by 1945, under Labour, he was key negotiator for transfer of power

  13. Finally, independenceWWII – this time war was different It was about domestic British politics by 1942 Labour politicians in Cabinet personally and ideologically committed SWC personally unsupportive of Independence; coerced to act Sir Stafford Cripps to India in 1942 during the war SWC promised self-governance in return for Congress support - failure resulted in General Strike a conservative, WC wanted Cripps to fail, as did Linlithgrow US/China from different ideological POVs, pressured British politicians

  14. And for the Britishthe war was a mess War in Europe Dunkirk, the Blitz, and waiting ‘The miracle of the little ships’ Lend-Lease Program http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/dunkirk/14312.shtml War in the pacific Singapore great historic and strategic significance surrendered 15 February, 1942 Burma longest British WWII campaign horrific losses – one unit of Gurkha Rifles to 25 from 1350 Subhas Bose led 20 000 Indian POW against the British

  15. Partition:India and Pakistan 1946 Cabinet Mission Jinnah won ¾ Muslim vote in provincial assemblies tensions heightened in Punjab and elsewhere Congress and League read Cripps promises differently Atlee Announcement transfer of power to ‘responsible Indian hands’ Jinnah decided to rely on religiously legitimated argument – land made no sense Congress would not negotiate without lower caste By 1947 – huge mutiny 80 ships and 20 shore stations violence could no longer contained

  16. League ‘direct action’ordered by Jinnah Beginning 16 August 1946 interim government without the League proposed - League against congress followers - poor peasants against landlords - poor against police and judicial bodies Calcutta 3 days of attacks of Muslims against Hindus and counter attacks chief minister of Bengal no police – 4000 killed, 8000 injured then Bihar 7000 deaths then the Punjab 5000 dead in 1947, 180 000 through 1948

  17. and in the south • big landlords attacked by peasants • by end of WWII 100 000 members of communist party in India • violence in Maharashtra • demands for independence in Kerala – 16 000 square miles, 3000 villages, for five years, enflamed • British officials can’t handle it – demand withdrawal date of June 1948

  18. and then… • Mountbatten replaced Wavell as Viceroy in February 1947 • Atlee government: power transfer in six months – India Independence Act July, to be implemented August 1947 British to leave in June 1948 • Nehru rejected: • June 1947 Mountbatten announced 14, 15 August 1947 creation of Pakistan and India Bengal and Punjab partition agreed to by Congress/League Mountbatten first governor-general Jinnah first governor-general of Pakistan

  19. too fast; Radcliffe Line unfair resource allocation unfair failed to protect, provide for 2 million refugees internal and trans-border mass murder; mass rape – ‘Khol do’ Experiencing Partition

  20. Subsequent violence • post-independence: women subject to violence repatriated ‘home’ silence, until 1990s also, estimated 25 million refugees re-homed in India Tehrai Dam 25 million refugees de-homed

  21. over 600 princely states separate/unique legal agreements with the Raj plebiscites to determine future: India Pakistan Independent variety of outcomes: peaceful transfer martial law war the Princely States

  22. Hyderabad • long term links with British huge military presence (17 polo grounds) links to British landed society • Muslim ruler over Hindu majority • Operation Polo – September 1948 Sardar Patel ‘iron man’ Acting PM ‘police action’ • joined Union in 1950 merged with Andhra Pradesh • Nizam a political figurehead • now: agriculture, and tech giant fairly stable politics Telangana separatists ‘Tollywood’

  23. Kashmir • ¾-Muslim state bordering newly-created Pakistan • Maharaja did not join • Pakistan invaded; India countered; UN involved • never a plebiscite; no border – a ‘Line of Control’ • tri-administered • three wars post-independence

  24. Independence • won by Indians, or • deserted by a war-worn Britain, or • pushed by the US • internal difference could not be ‘solved’ but ‘solve’ lots • fighting somewhere on the sub-continent every day since • yet it is the world’s biggest democracy, at 1.3 billion people

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