The hasty 1947 border decision reshaped history, triggered mass migration, and left a legacy of conflict between India and Pakistan.
The Mountbatten Plan and the Role of Sir Cyril Radcliffe
In 1947, as Britain prepared to leave the Indian subcontinent, the Mountbatten Partition Plan was announced on June 3. The task of dividing India and Pakistan fell to Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a London barrister who had never visited South Asia before. He was given just five weeks to chair two commissions — one for Punjab and one for Bengal — to draw the new boundaries.
Challenges of the 1947 Boundary Commission
The commission relied on outdated and misleading census data to divide provinces largely along religious lines. Punjab and Bengal had deeply mixed populations, where Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs lived together for generations. Radcliffe’s rushed process overlooked social, cultural, and economic ties, focusing only on majority groups.
The Controversial Radcliffe Line
Completed in August 1947, the Radcliffe Line left both nations dissatisfied:
- Punjab was split, dividing Sikh communities.
- Gurdaspur, a Muslim-majority district, went to India, angering Pakistan.
- The border plan was kept secret until two days after India’s Independence and three days after Pakistan’s.
Partition’s Human Cost
The aftermath was catastrophic. Trains filled with refugees crossed the Radcliffe Line, many arriving with most passengers dead.
- Deaths: Estimates range from 200,000 to 2 million.
- Displacement: Over 14 million people were uprooted in the largest migration of the 20th century.
The Kashmir Conflict Begins
Partition also ignited the Kashmir dispute. The Muslim-majority princely state stayed independent until tribesmen from Pakistan invaded. Its Hindu ruler chose to join India, sparking the first Indo-Pak war and cementing Kashmir as the most volatile flashpoint between the two nations.
79 Years Later: A Lasting Legacy
Nearly eight decades on, the Radcliffe Line stands as a reminder of the cost of rushed decisions in geopolitics. While Sir Cyril Radcliffe left soon after submitting his maps, millions continue to live with the consequences along this contentious border.
