Reference: “Pakistan’s fate, Karmic baggage of it’s crimes”
By
Desh Kapoor
It was on August 16, 1946, and the action started in Bihar and Bengal. Later repeated in Punjab & Kashmir. Here is a picture (attached) from the evening before the Direct Action Day. Here the then Bengal Premier, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (right), is engrossed in a telephone conversation at his residence in Calcutta. Khawaja Nazimuddin, his predecessor, is seated next to him. Two years later, Khawaja Nazimuddin, became Pakistan’s second governor-general and subsequently Pakistan’s second prime minister. Suhrawardy was known as the Butcher of Bengal. Jinnah chose 16 August deliberately for a reason. That day in 1946 was the eighteenth Day of Ramzan and the day was associated with the Battle of Badr, which resulted in Prophet Mohammad’s first decisive victory over the heathens and the subsequent conquest of Mecca. The then Chief Minister of Kolkata and an important Muslim League leader Suhrawardy and his Muslim League colleagues delivered fiery speeches reminding Muslims of Bengal, of the victory of Badr and exhorting them to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet and wrest a victory for Islam on 16 August. By the utterance of the Muslim League leaders and the League Ministers and by declaring the 16th of August, as a public holiday for the observance of the Direct Action Day” of the Muslim League, the Council of Ministers led the Muslims to believe that they have got the power to enforce the observance of the programme by resorting to any violent means-looting, arson and murders, if necessary. For that object in view a planned arrangement, was made to observe the day. A large number of lethal weapons were also imported. To cite one instance, in a “bustee” in Mission Row, Hindu and Muslim cobblers lived in peace and amity. It was during the nights of some days previous to the 10th of August, weapons, like, lathis, spears, daggers, etc., were supplied to the Muslim cobblers and in fear the Hindu cobblers left the bustee on the 10th of August and thus saved themselves. In the afternoon and during the night of 15th of August, many Muslim young men came out in procession armed with lathis & crying Muslim League war slogans. In the morning of the 16th of August, processionists armed with lathi while crying war slogans passed through the Mirzapur Street and forcibly closed the doors of the shops, which were opened. At about 8 a.m. of the 16th of August, a Muslim League flag was hoisted on the Ripon College building, which was subsequently removed by the Hindus, and immediately, the Muslim hooligans armed with daggers, lathis, soda-water bottles attacked the Ripou College Hostel and the college. The Secretary of the Students’ Union of the Ripon College phoned the Hon’ble Mr. H. S. Suhrawardy, who told him in reply that he could not interfere now. At Manicktola Bazar, Hindu shops were looted by the Muslim hooligans, early in the morning of the 16th of August in the presence of the police. Very close to the crossing of the Harrison Road and College Street Luxmi Stores”, a big cloth shop, was looted by the Muslim hooligans in the presence of the police. The sergeants and the police participated in the loot. In the College Street Corporation market “Dalia” a very big shop, and some other big shoe shops were looted in the presence of the police. The owner of “Radu Stores” who was a Muhammad, (shop was on the other side of the road), used fire-guns in dispersing the Hindu crowd which had gathered to prevent the loot of “Dalia” and other shops in the presence of the armed police and the sergeants. Police did not interfere at all. On the afternoon of the 16th August, while a building was attacked by a mob with deadly weapons. From all quarters of the city the looting of the Hindu shops began either in the morning, and in the noon of the 16th August the police at Lal Bazar, the Hon’ble Minister. Mr. H. S. Suhrawardy and the Private Secretary to the Governor of Bengal were phoned by people for police help. Everywhere the appeals from the helpless people produced no results. The following facts, which have been admitted by all historians worldwide: (a) In spite of protest by the Hindu public the 16th of August was declared a public holiday. (b) From the early hours of the 16th of August the Muslim processionists came out with lathis and daggers and other deadly weapons and asked the businessmen to close their shops; on refusal they were cruelly assaulted and shops were looted. And even they closed shops were looted. viz.. “Dalia” and other shops. (e) In the early hours of the 16th of August, there was not even an ordinary police guard on the street. not even traffic police. Ordinarily the police are posted at the time of the Mohurrum and other processions. Ordinary preventive steps were also not taken by the Government. (d) Police help was sought by the people, but no help was rendered. When policemen were available they pleaded helplessness in the situation having had no order to do anything. (e) The officers in charge of the police stations, when informed of the disturbances did not render any help but rather pleaded their inability and asked the people to protect themselves. Muslim goondas and hooligans used the lorries to carry the weapons, even in the meeting presided over by the Hon’ble the Chief Minister. Large number of lathis and other weapons were carried to the meeting by the lorries and sufficient quantity of petrol was used by the Muslim goondas in setting fire to the hindu houses. (g) The normal practice of police, to accompany processions was not observed. From an account of the Brigadier S. D. C. Sixsmith. officiating Commander of Bengal and Assam area, that at 12-30 a.m. on August 17. he was informed by telephone that the police considered that they could no longer control the situation without military assistance and military was posted late in the afternoon of the 17th August. And for two days the city of Calcutta was burning. In fact, the legislative proceedings go on to show how the Muslim leadership worked to create obfuscation even when the evidence of how, and why the cold blooded massacres were started was very clear. Prior to the massacres on Direct Action Day, leaflets were distributed which clearly said what was going to be done. It is quite true that so far as the leaders are concerned they stated that it should be observed peacefully, but it is a common knowledge that thousands of leaflets were distributed by Muslims in order to create definite bloodshed. There was one leaflet which had shown, Jinnah with a sword in hand. This was a Muslim leaflet. “The sword of Islam must be shining on the heavens and shall subdue all bad wishes. It was printed by Gulzar Book Depot of 34/1, Ratu Sarkar Lane. It was written “We Muslims have had the Crown and have ruled. Do not lose the battle. Be ready and take your swords. Why are we with the Kafirs today! The result of love of Kafirs, is no good. Oh! Kafirs do not be proud and happy. The doom is not far off. We shall show our glory with swords in our hands and shall have special victory.” Another leaflet which is called the Jinnah leaflet published from the same place “asking the Muslims to come the arena with their swords and change the demographics. We shall play in the rivers of blood flow of kafirs. We shall have swords in our hands and the noise of Takbir. Tomorrow, there will be Doom’s Day. This was the pamphlet which as distributed just on eve of the Direct Action day on the 16th August. Source: “Bengal Legislative Assembly Proceedings (1946) Vol.71, Pt.3.” The massacres were ruthless and done not just for the objective of winning power, but to instill fear and humiliation amongst the Hindu masses. This voilent direct action process was repeated in West Punjab & West Kashmir, from 1946 to 1948, till entire hindu population was eliminated from that region. Consequent to 1946 direct action by the Jinnahites, which had cost millions of Hindu lives, there was panic reactions of hindus in Hindu majority regions of East Bengal. Young hindu mobs gathered and started taking revenge. This humbled Jinnah and he requested Gandhi jee to intervene and protect muslims in Hindu majority regions. Gandhi immediately went to East Bengal and requested hindu leaders to stop voilence. Gandhi went on hunger strike and finally peace was restored in Hindu majority regions of Bengal.
