Partition’s pain must never be forgotten: Assam BJP spokesperson

On the eve of Independence Day, BJP Assam Chief Spokesperson Kishore Kr Upadhyay delivered a pointed reminder of the tragic human cost of India’s partition in 1947, holding the Congress party and its alliance with the Muslim League responsible for one of the most painful chapters in the nation’s history.

Speaking to reporters, Upadhyay said the partition was not only a political division but also a humanitarian catastrophe that left deep and lasting scars. “The partition did not just bring sorrow to a nation; it destroyed countless lives, leaving a trail of displacement, violence, and death,” he remarked. “Even today, as we celebrate freedom, the memories of those brutal days remind us of the cost of division.”

On August 15, 1947, India’s independence from British rule came at the cost of a violent division that created India and Pakistan. The event unleashed unprecedented bloodshed, particularly in Punjab, Bengal, and other border regions. Historians estimate that between 1.5 and 2 million people were killed, while over 15 million were forced to abandon their homes and cross newly drawn borders as refugees. Communities that had coexisted for centuries were torn apart, with Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims facing massacres, abductions, forced conversions, and systematic sexual violence.

Upadhyay criticised successive Congress governments for what he described as a deliberate neglect of this painful legacy. “The horrors of partition were not adequately taught in schools, and the stories of countless sacrifices faded from public memory,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2021, declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to honour the millions who endured the trauma. The day serves as a reminder of the dangers of hatred and the importance of fostering unity.

“The pain of partition is not just history; it is a lesson,” Upadhyay emphasised. “When communal divisions are fanned in the present, we must remember that unity, tolerance, and harmony are the true strength of our nation. August 14 should awaken us to the importance of peace, courage, and resolve.”