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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Shattered Lands. Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia: Wonderful telling of a sad history
Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia Author : Sam Dalrymple ISBN-13 : 978-0008466817 Publisher : William Collins Guideline Price : £25 The very title of Sam Dalrymple's magnificent book underlines how vital a portrayal of the Indian subcontinent in the 20th century it provides. Many people will probably do a double take when seeing 'partition' in the plural in the subtitle, even more so as it refers to five of them. For most of us, the partition of India no doubt refers to the 1947 division of British-controlled India into the modern Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan . But there are other divisions that have cross-hatched what was once the world's largest imperial holding – the division, and perpetual provisional status, of Jammu and Kashmir between the two newly independent countries; the 1971 secession of East Pakistan to become Bangladesh; and also the separation of two other places whose history as part of the Indian Empire is mostly forgotten: Britain's Arabian territories, including Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, Oman and Aden, which split on Britain's orders in 1931, and Burma, which became a separate crown colony six years later. Dalrymple's richly documented history provides an excellent refresher course for anybody in need of one. The better-known partition naturally looms largest in the book, one of the most dismaying humanitarian catastrophes of a bleak century, spurred by the rise of ethnonationalism, the gross incompetence and racist indifference of the colonial administration and crucially, the proximity to a global conflict that created a heavily militarised society, particularly in the Punjab, the historic home of the British Indian Army. Beginning with the Calcutta Riots of August 16th, 1946, the day the All-India Muslim League called a general strike to demand a separate Muslim homeland, India's Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs slaughtered each other in what Dalrymple calls a 'mutual genocide'. The bloodshed resulted in the deaths of up to two million people and the displacement of between 12 and 20 million, culminating in 'population transfers' between India and Pakistan that are considered the biggest movement of humans in history. READ MORE Panicked populations, driven by fear, distrust and rampant misinformation, killed their neighbours and fellow citizens, often in out-of-body frenzies of violence that would, in some accounts Dalrymple cites, shock and traumatise even the perpetrators for the rest of their lives. 'Firing a village is a normal occurrence like having breakfast, murder is like having a cigarette,' one contemporary account put it. There were many instances of Hindus and Sikhs protecting Muslim friends and strangers, and vice versa, but even these kindly acts would ultimately be powerless against the massive force of genocidal violence, leading people on both sides of the divide to migrate. These included the Hindu Urdu poet and satirist Fikr Taunsvi, who reluctantly left his beloved native Lahore for Delhi after his daughter was murdered by a neighbour. The uprooting of populations also diminished cultures, with the Delhi novelist Ahmed Ali lamenting the 'shrinking of his city's language' after partition. It was only the assassination of Gandhi by the Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse in November 1949 that, Dalrymple says, 'shocked the two nations to their senses' and brought an end to the violence. But the book deals with a lot more than just the events of 1947–1949. Dalrymple begins his account with the bumptious visit of the Simon Commission to India in 1928. The commission was tasked with writing a constitution for British India and was led by Lord John Simon, selected because he had a 'virgin mind on Indian affairs'. It was a perfect exemplification of Britain's mishandling of India and the commission members were shocked to find they were not overly welcome in the colony, where anti-colonial sentiment was rife. One of those members was a young Clement Attlee, who would, two decades later as prime minister, preside over India's leaving the empire. The first cleavage, and the first signs of ethnic strife, occurred in Burma, where there were two big pogroms of Indians in the 1930s. Though it might seem strange to think of present-day Myanmar as being part of India, there was, even among progressive Burmese, support for remaining attached to it. [ Understanding the hidden history of Myanmar Opens in new window ] Burma would later become a front line of the second World War, occupied by the Japanese, with local nationalists, including Aung San, father of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi , collaborating with the occupiers in the hope of getting independence. The former congress leader Subhas Chandra Bose would do the same, establishing the Indian national army, which fought the Allies alongside the Japanese. The British looked warily on the indifference to the war effort of other Indian nationalists, imprisoning most of them, including Jawaharlal Nehru, for much of the war. Only the Muslim League leader, and later founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, stayed out of prison on account of his support for the Allies. Still, the British knew independence would be inevitable when the war ended, as was acknowledged by the wartime viceroy Archibald Wavell. The Bengal famine, caused by a rise in the price of rice after Burmese imports disappeared, and exacerbated by Churchill 's callous racism, brought the impending break-up only closer. [ Winston Churchill sent the Black and Tans to Palestine Opens in new window ] Few of the chief architects of partition emerge with much credit. Nehru and Jinnah are portrayed as self-serving opportunists detached from the reality of life for ordinary Indians. Wavell's successor, Mountbatten, was, even among his contemporaries in India, widely viewed as incompetent although he was inexplicably left in charge of the process of handing over the colony, which was planned with an insanely irresponsible deadline of just 77 days. Even Gandhi, though not particularly venal in Dalrymple's nuanced telling, is far from the facile totem of saintliness he is viewed as in the West. [ Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire Opens in new window ] Still, Dalrymple gives them their due, acknowledging that partition was viewed at the time as a way to put an end to the ethnic violence already under way, even though it only ended up exacerbating it. He quotes John Keenan, an Anglo-Indian army officer of Irish descent, who surmises that the rush to get partition completed was due to fears on Nehru's part that the Tories would return to power in the UK and that Churchill would put a stop to decolonisation. India might even have been partitioned further: 584 princely states existed in India before 1947, with no constitutional link to the British empire. The best-known of these were Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad and Travancore, the latter of which made an ill-fated attempt at declaring independence in 1947. Almost all the princely states were subsumed into either India or Pakistan, with rare peripheral exceptions, such as Nepal and Bhutan, living on as independent states. There were also losers in the shake-up who failed to see their aspirations to independent homelands realised, such as the Naga and the Mizo, two Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups who live either side of the India-Myanmar border. Pakistan also continues to face insurgencies from separatists in its southwestern Balochistan province. The final partition occurred in 1971 when East Pakistan – following horrendous massacres by Pakistani forces that were an echo of the violence of the late 1940s, and a subsequent war with India – gained its independence as Bangladesh. In retrospect, it seems inevitable that a non-contiguous state, its two entities 2,000km apart and speaking different languages, would struggle to last. The fact the Karachi government refused to make Bengali an official language, despite it being spoken by 55 per cent of the population, made things only more fractious. Even so, the violence when it came was no less shocking than 24 years previously. Though relinquishing the colonies was undoubtedly the right thing to do, the precipitous manner in which it was done was much to Britain's discredit, and was done as much out of economic expediency as anything else. With Britain financially crippled after the war, Attlee was determined to let go of India. Britain would similarly give up its Arabian holdings in 1971 when inflation at home made running them far too costly. Oil money meant decolonisation was relatively smooth in Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the Trucial States (now the UAE) but Aden, which was plunged into civil war, fared less well. Though nationalists across the various countries will surely disagree, Dalrymple is in no doubt the partitions left all countries, on the subcontinent at least, worse off. Travel between the three countries, two of which are belligerent nuclear powers, is now heavily restricted and he notes that it is easier for Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to meet in England, their former colonial power, than to meet in the subcontinent itself. The economies of all three countries suffered, particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh, which inherited little of the pre-partition structures or personnel of governance. The scope and verve of Shattered Lands makes it a wonderful read. Dalrymple, who grew up in Delhi, draws on a range of superb memoirs and testimonies of partition, including from the poet Taunsvi, the brigadier Keenan, and the Harvard graduate-turned-Bangladeshi freedom fighter Salahdin Imam, and also an impressive amount of documentation. He tells an extremely sad tale very well. Further reading From the Ruins of Empire by Pankaj Mishra (Penguin, 2013) Mishra's history of the responses of Asian intellectuals, from India, China and the Arab world, to colonialism is a landmark work that provides invaluable insight into the underpinnings of anti-colonial action, which have been often obscured in western narratives. The Siege of Krishnapur by JG Farrell (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1973) Farrell wrote of nothing but empire in his short but glorious career, which encompassed three novels. The Siege of Krishnapur brilliantly details the siege of a fictional British garrison town in India during the 1857 Mutiny. Winner of the Booker Prize in 1973, it lost out in the 2008 Best of the Booker, perhaps in an act of postcolonial poetic justice, to Midnight's Children. [ JG Farrell: plagued by disease Opens in new window ] Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta (Review, 2005) The Indian-American Suketu Mehta was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for this ambitiously sprawling nonfiction book about Mumbai, the city he lived in as a child before emigrating to the US. An important addition to city literature.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan eyes $700 million in freight earnings by expanding shipping fleet — maritime ministry
KARACHI: The state-run Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is set to buy at least 24 more vessels in the next three years to generate an estimated $700 million in freight earnings, the maritime ministry said on Friday. Pakistan currently owns 10 ships including five double-hull Aframax oil tankers and as many Supramax and Panamax bulk carriers. 'The national carrier is now targeting to increase its cargo handling to 52 percent by volume and 43 percent by value (excluding containerized cargo) within three years,' the ministry said in a statement. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced the three-year plan in a meeting held in Islamabad to discuss the government's business strategy to revitalize the maritime and logistics sectors. The move is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's strategy to renew and expand Pakistan's aging shipping fleet in a phased manner to enhance cargo capacity, fuel efficiency and compliance with International Maritime Organization standards, including those governing carbon emissions and ballast water management. The plan, if implemented, would boost the revenues of the national flag-carrier, whose income from shipping business declined 18 percent to Rs25 billion ($88.5 million) in July–March this year compared to the previous one, according to PNSC's financial results posted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange website. Muhammad Arshad, the ministry spokesman, told Arab News that Pakistan's current fleet will be more than doubled with the induction of 13 vessels in the first year. Eight vessels will be bought in the second year and three in the third, which would take the total to 34 vessels in Pakistan's fleet by 2028. 'PNSC currently manages approximately 11 percent of the country's cargo by volume and 4 percent by value,' the ministry said. During the meeting, the minister proposed deepening collaboration between the PNSC, Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works and local industries for the local manufacturing of modern cargo vessels, oil tankers and container carriers. 'This initiative is expected to create skilled employment, strengthen local supply chains, boost industrial activity and rejuvenate Pakistan's shipbuilding sector, positioning the country as a regional maritime hub,' it said. The cash-strapped country plans to finance its modernization efforts without burdening the treasury through leveraging public-private partnerships, maritime leasing models and tapping into global green shipping funds. The government is trying to revive Pakistan's debt-ridden economy with the help of the International Monetary Fund and has set a tax revenue target of Rs14.3 trillion ($50 billion) for the next financial year starting July. Last week, the prime minister directed the authorities to lease new vessels to expand the PNSC's fleet with an aim to reduce the $4 billion annual foreign exchange burden on sea-based trade. Pakistan looks to bolster its maritime trade capacity and reduce reliance on foreign shipping lines, which officials say significantly contributes to the country's widening trade deficit and puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Sky News
Netball: The team made up entirely of UK-based players representing Pakistan at major championship
The Pakistan youth netball team made up entirely of British-based players is competing in their first major championship. They're hoping that they will not only perform well but also help attract other British Asian and Muslim girls to take up the sport. Many of the girls in the team had their hopes of competing internationally crushed last year when they were unable to play in the Asian Netball Championship in Bangalore. Unexplained visa delays by the Indian government meant that the Cosmopolitan Roses Netball team they played for was unable to take part. But since then, a number of the girls who missed out have been sanctioned by Pakistan Netball to form a team to take part in the Asian Youth Netball Championship under their national flag. "It's an incredibly proud moment for the girls taking part," says Sadia Hussain, the co-founder of the British-based Pakistan Netball Academy UK. "Performance netball is one thing, but this is even more special for the girls. It's a chance to represent themselves, and to represent their roots." Sadia acknowledges that there are barriers to cross to encourage young Asian and Muslim girls on to the netball court. Issues around acceptable clothing and cultural and familial uncertainty can put many girls off. But she says the Pakistan Netball Academy, which she helped set up two years ago to tackle under-representation, can offer help, support and advice for girls who want to enjoy the sport she loves. Thankfully for the girls, the Asian Youth Netball Championship is in South Korea so there have been no visa issues to hold them back this time round. "It was hugely disappointing to miss out on the games in India," says the team's young captain Sumayya Safdar. "But it has given us more resolve and determination to perform well, and it's given us extra months to train and prepare." And they're getting some expert support to help them reach their goals. Their coach is former England captain Amanda Newton. Amanda won the Super League and Super Cup with her domestic clubs, and has won Commonwealth and World Championship medals with England. "The girls come from all over the country," says Amanda at a training session in Walsall. "We have players from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Scotland, so we are only able to train as a team every three weeks or so. But the training the girls do either at home, or with their own schools and clubs, has shown a huge level of commitment." "And when they're together, the team spirit is amazing. And they get such confidence and strength from playing with girls who look like they do and share similar faiths and backgrounds." The Asian Youth Netball Championship 2025 is from 27 June to 4 July in Jeonju, South Korea.
Al Jazeera
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Several killed as flash floods sweep away dozens of people in Pakistan
Flash floods have killed at least nine people in northern Pakistan after pre-monsoon rains swept away dozens of individuals. District administrator Shehzad Mahboob said on Friday that the nine people who were killed were from one extended family of 16 who were visiting the area and having a picnic breakfast by the Swat River, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Mahboob explained that children from the family were in the water taking photos when the flood occurred, relatives rushed in to save them, but were trapped in the deluge, which was exacerbated by the monsoon rains. Nine bodies had been recovered, with four members of the family still missing, while another four were rescued, Mahboob said. Earlier on Friday, Shah Fahad, a spokesperson for the provincial emergency service, said nearly 100 rescuers in various groups rescued 58 people and were looking for the tourists who had been swept away. Fahad called on the public to strictly adhere to earlier government warnings about a possible flash flood in the Swat River, a popular destination for tourists in the summer and winter. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 'expressed his grief over the tourists' deaths', a statement from his office said. Sharif added that he had called on authorities to strengthen safety measures near rivers and streams. Meanwhile, according to rescue officials, at least 10 people were killed in rain-related incidents in eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces over the past 24 hours. Since the beginning of the week, heavy rains have battered parts of Pakistan, including blocking highways and damaging homes. According to weather forecasters, rains are expected to continue this week as the country's annual monsoon season, which runs from July through September, begins. However, weather forecasters are predicting less rain to fall in Pakistan during the monsoon season this year compared with 2022, when the intense rainfall flooded rivers, killing 1,739 people.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani province probes alleged sale of UNICEF-tagged soap for anti-polio campaign
PESHAWAR: Authorities in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province are probing the alleged sale of soap bars, which were provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the country's campaign against polio, at a market in Peshawar, officials said on Friday. The comments came after the seizure of over 200 soap bars at the Faqeerabad market in the provincial capital, which bore the 'not-for-sale' marking, according to Additional Assistant Commissioner Azimullah Mehsud. The local administration acted on a tip-off about UNICEF-tagged soap bars being 'diverted' to the open market. A preliminary investigation suggested the consignment originated in the southern Sindh province. Authorities arrested a shopkeeper on June 25, who was selling these soap bars on Facebook and in the local market in the northwestern Pakistani city. 'According to initial investigations, he [the suspect] said these [soaps] were being supplied to him from Sindh,' Mehsud told Arab News. 'The person we have arrested posted them on Facebook and said he is an Afghan national.' He said the UNICEF-tagged soaps were recovered by the city administration and handed over to the anti-corruption department of the city circle for further investigation. 'The suspect allegedly sold these soaps to buyers who would then change the packaging and supply them to various locations, including Jalalabad, an eastern province of Afghanistan, and inside Pakistan such as Dera Ismail Khan district,' he continued. Asked about the tip-off, he said: 'We were told that they have 20,000 cartons.' Mehsud said the authorities recovered three cartons during the raid, with a total of 216 soap bars. He informed the suspect claimed to have additional stock. 'Authorities suspect a large network may be involved [in the activity], but investigations by the anti-corruption department is expected to shed more light on the matter,' he added. Arab News reached out to UNICEF's communication specialist, Zia-ur-Rehman, for comment but did not receive a response. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption department plans to send an open letter to UNICEF and the Sindh provincial administration to further investigate the matter. One of its officials, Humayun Khan, confirmed to Arab News that his department had launched an investigation into the case. Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, making prevention through vaccination critical. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children, are essential to build strong immunity against the virus. Pakistan, one of the last two countries where polio remains endemic, made significant progress in curbing the virus, with annual cases dropping from around 20,000 in the early 1990s to just eight in 2018. The country reported six cases in 2023 and only one in 2021. However, Pakistan witnessed an intense resurgence of the poliovirus in 2024, with 74 cases reported. According to Pakistan's polio program, 13 cases of the virus have so far been confirmed this year.
