The Day India Burned

I watched a few documentaries about the Partition and I think this one from BBC does a powerful job of portraying the horrid events of partition and those leading up to it. I have essentially created a study guide with chapters and questions for each section. Before watching as segment I would open the class by asking students to analyze the accompanying political cartoon. By studying the political cartoon before watching a piece of the film I was able to engage my students on specific thematic or historic issues. 

Partition: The Day India Burned

Video can be found online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGiTaQ60Je0 

In this documentary you will see the effects of Britain's withdrawal from India in 1947, which triggered one of the biggest migrations in history. 15 million were displaced and more than a million lost their lives. The story is told through the testimony of people who lived together for centuries, but were forced out of their homes as one of the largest and most ethnically diverse nations in the world was divided.

Day 1 – The Cabinet Mission 

(0:00-12:44)

1. What was Lahore like before Partition? How is it being described in the beginning of the documentary?

2. What was life like for the British in India before Partition?

3. What change came about in 1946 for Britain?

4. Who were India’s Independence leaders and what did they want?

5. What were relations like between Hindus and Muslims in Lahore?

6. What was the purpose of the Cabinet Mission?

Day 2 – Riots in Calcutta 

(12:45 – 18:24 – 21:54) 

1. What happened in Calcutta on August 16, 1946?

- How did it start?

- Who was involved?

- What was the result?

2. How did the British respond to the violence?

3. What was Gandhi’s response after the riots? What did he do?

4. How was Gandhi perceived by Muslims and Hindus at this point? 

** I chose to read the police report on the Calcutta riots with the class before watching this segment. 

Day 3 – Finding a Solution with Mountbatten 

(22:00 – 40:00 – 42:30) 

1. Who was Lord Mountbatten? What was his purpose?

2. What was life like for the British Viceroy?

3. How was Mountbatten different from previous viceroys?

4. Was Mountbatten successful in his negotiations with Nehru and Jinnah?

5. Why were tensions rising in the Punjab?

6. What did the Sikhs in the region do as these tensions were rising? 

- How did Sikhs save their women from Muslim mobs?

7. What affect did the violence have on the work of politicians working on a plan for Independence?

8. What shocking change did Mountbatten make once the plan for Independence had been settled?

9. What effect would this have? 

Day 4 – Division and Violence 

(43:00 - 1:00:00)

1. Who was brought in to decide on the line of partition between India and Pakistan?’

Was he qualified?

2. On what basis did he draw the lines of division?

3. What would happen in the princely states?

4. How did the partitioning of the region lead to killing sprees?

Other notes:

 Day 5 – Mobilization 

(1:00:00 - 11:29:29)

1. When did Cyril Radcliff finish determining the boundaries of India and Pakistan?

2. When did Mountbatten plan to release the new borders? Why?

3. What was the effect?

4. How did Radcliff feel about his work?

5. What was the atmosphere on the day on Independence in India and Pakistan?

6. What was Gandhi’s opinion of Partition?

7. What happened to Hindus and Sikhs on the Pakistan side of border?

8. What happened to Muslims on the Indians side of the border?

9. How did people move to the “right” side of the border?

10. What dangers awaited the refugees?

11. What protection did they have?

12. What were some of the problems that were faced during the move?

13. What did Edwina Mountbatten do during Partition?

14. How was Nehru received in the camps he visited?

15. What happened to Lahore after partition? 

Extra Sources for Political Cartoons on Partition: 

https://sites.google.com/site/cabinetmissionplan/illingworth-cartoons-on-india-daily-mail-uk-1942-194