Who is responsible for Partition? And who are the culprits of the humanitarian tragedy that killed at least 600,000 people and displaced 15 million?
A new special module created by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) on “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” (August 14) holds three people responsible: “Jinnah, who demanded it; second, the Congress, which accepted it; and third, Mountbatten, who implemented it”.
This quote is part of a section in the module, titled Culprits of the Partition. The section also features a quote by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, from a speech in July 1947: “We have come to a stage when we must either accept division or face continued conflict and chaos. Partition is bad. But whatever the price of unity, the price of civil war would be infinitely greater.”
The modules are separate short publications on specific topics that are not part of the textbooks; one is meant for Classes 6 to 8 (middle stage), and another for Classes 9 to 12 (secondary stage). The section on Culprits of the Partition appears in the first.
NCERT’s special modules are supplementary resources in English and Hindi that cover contemporary and culturally significant topics. They are not part of regular textbooks and are taught through projects, posters, discussions, and debates.
Dr Ruchika Sharma, a Delhi-based historian and professor, welcomed the inclusion of Partition in school lessons but cautioned against oversimplifying its causes. “It is unfair to hold only Jinnah, Mountbatten, and the Congress solely responsible. The rise of the Hindu Mahasabha as an extremist organisation was equally significant. In his writings, Hindu ideologue VD Savarkar argued for ‘Hindusthan’—a nation exclusively for Hindus—which contributed to the perception among Muslims that they would have no rights in independent India.”
{{/usCountry}}Dr Ruchika Sharma, a Delhi-based historian and professor, welcomed the inclusion of Partition in school lessons but cautioned against oversimplifying its causes. “It is unfair to hold only Jinnah, Mountbatten, and the Congress solely responsible. The rise of the Hindu Mahasabha as an extremist organisation was equally significant. In his writings, Hindu ideologue VD Savarkar argued for ‘Hindusthan’—a nation exclusively for Hindus—which contributed to the perception among Muslims that they would have no rights in independent India.”
{{/usCountry}}Both modules open with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message marking the observance of Partition Horrors Remembrance Day from August 14, 2021. Citing his post on X that day, they recall his words: “Partition’s pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced, and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.”
The module for the middle stage states that India’s partition “was not inevitable” and happened due to “wrong ideas”.
The module for the secondary stage says that Muslim leaders, citing differences in “religion, culture, customs, history, and world view,” saw themselves as fundamentally separate from Hindus , rooted in the ideology of “political Islam,” which it claims rejects any permanent equality with non-Muslims.
This ideology, it states, underpinned the Pakistan movement, with Jinnah acting as its “able lawyer-leader.”
Mountbatten became Viceroy in March 1947, but with Jinnah adamant on Pakistan and violence escalating, Nehru and Patel agreed to Partition. On 3 June 1947, Mountbatten announced the plan to divide India, create Pakistan, and let princely states choose their allegiance—accepted by both Congress and the Muslim League.
“In fact, Nehru and Patel accepted Partition due to the fear of civil war. Upon their agreeing, Mahatma Gandhi, also gave up his opposition to Partition. On 14 June 1947, in a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, he persuaded other Congress leaders also to accept Partition,” the module for middle stage states.
It adds that Gandhi opposed it but “ not with violence or anger”; Patel called it “bitter medicine” to avert civil war; and Nehru, though calling it “bad”, said division was preferable as the “price of civil war would be infinitely greater.” While Gandhi and Patel’s quotes are in a section titled “How the Partition happened” Nehru’s quote is under the “Culprits of the Partition” section.
The special module for secondary stage states that India’s Partition has “no parallel in world history”.
Between 1947 and 1950, Partition fractured India’s unity, created hostile borders, triggered mass killings and displacement, deepened communal distrust, devastated Punjab and Bengal’s economies, and set Jammu and Kashmir on a path of social, economic, and demographic decline later worsened by terrorism, the module says.
Under a section titled “Long-Term Losses — still ongoing,” the module states, “India continues to face both external hostility and internal communal fragmentation. The same suspicion and animosity between the two major communities still persists – the very sentiment that had led to Partition.”
The module links Partition to the Kashmir conflict – marked by wars, terrorism, and thousands of deaths – and to foreign powers backing Pakistan to pressure India, resulting in India’s heavy defence costs and lasting strains in foreign policy.