India And Pakistan

Ancient civilization

Partition -- same time as Independence from Britain -- August 15, 1947 -- after years of negotiation --three parts: West Pakistan, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), India

Divided by Religion Pakistan = 95 %Muslim (20 % Shia and other minorities, about 80 % Sunni), 2 % Hindu, 1.6 % Christian India = 80.5 % Hindu, 13.4 % Muslim, 2.3 % Christian, 1.9 Sikh, .8 % Buddhist Bangladesh = 89 % Muslim, 9.2% Hindu, .7 % Buddhist, .3% Christian

Gandhi opposed partition.

Traumatic cross-migration 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims displaced. Largest mass human migration until present (19.5 million in 2015; latest estimates are nearly 60 million internally and externally displaced). Chaotic crossing of populations across new borders. Population of Delhi swelled enormously. At least half a million died in a few months.

Refugee camps

On roads and by train

Chaos and suffering

Bhisham Sahni: 1915-2003 Born in Hindu family in what’s now Pakistan. Worked for independence from Britain. During Partition, served as humanitarian relief worker. Movie actor as well as writer. Taught English at Delhi College. Spoke English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit and Russian. Wrote several novels and many short stories.