Skip to content Skip to navigation

The First Indian Leader trying to Prevent Partition of India

Please look at the 1946 photo from the London Parliamentary Archive --- the individual standing, with left face seen in the photograph, with clenched fists on the table, is Gopinath Bardoloi. Please look at the scare on the face of the Member of the British Cabinet Mission.


Partition of India in August 1947 is an unforgettable tragedy where a million innocent people lost their lives and belongings.


British Administration put up two plans, one after the other, for Partition of India. The first plan, known as "Cabinet Mission Plan" (AKA "Grouping Plan") was presented by a British Cabinet Mission in March 1946. One Indian leader, Gopinath Bardoloi, known as "Gopinath of Assam", thwarted that plan with help from Mahatma Gandhi. Some Indian leaders, led by Jawaharlal Nehru (who became very angry at "Gopinath of Assam") did not mind partition of India in order to grab political power.


A second plan to partition India was forwarded by Bengali leaders in April 1947 who wanted to dissect India to carve out an independent Bengal --- this ignonimous plan was known as "Suhrawardy-Sarat Bose Plan".


One year after the British Cabinet Mission Plan, the British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, arrived India with the third proposal known as "Mountbatten Plan" in June -July 1947. Fully supported by Nehru, India was partioned on August 15, 1947 by the Mountbatten Plan. Subsequent communal riots claimed millions of lives and unimaginable, unforgettable suffering.


If this matter is discussed with a verified time-line, the truth will come out that "Gopinath of Assam" was the only Indian leader besides Mahatma Gandhi who stopped Partition of India ---- proving the true "Assamese Grit" that is needed by the Assamese again today for the survival of Assam.


Himendra Thakur
Boston, USA


Photo has been taken from this page.

Comments

Pallavi Barua's picture

Today, Assam has Nehru Stadium, Nehru Park, etc. These have been named after a person who didn't provide any helping hand to Gopinath Bordoloi when he was fighting against Assam being clubbed with erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)in 1947. The only thing which mattered to Pt. Nehru was the Prime Minister's chair. On assumption of the office of the PM, Nehru thought of using Assam as a dumping yard for refugees from erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Here is an excerpt from a letter which Nehru wrote to Gopinath Bordoloi, "...If Assam adopts an attitude of incapacity to solve the refugee problem, then the claims of Assam for financial help obviously suffer."
Ajoy Warisa's picture

How is assam different from bangladesh now? 38 years of infiltration - what is left of assam? when will New Delhi awake from its slumber?
Anwar A. Ansari's picture

By accepting the Cabinet Mission Plan unanimously and unconditionally, Jinnah and his Muslim League had drawn a curtain to all that had gone before. Then Indian National Congress gave its approval, not unanimous, And then, according to Abul Kalam Azad, happened something that changed the course of history - Nehru's repudiation of the agreement by declaring "we are unfettered by any agreement". By unanimously approving the Cabinet Mission Plan, Jinnah and his Muslim League had put a lid on everything past. I have read a lot of books and articles on the subject of 'Partition of India'. None, repeat none, carries this episode of Nehru's 10 July press conference. And all books and articles give quotations from Abul Kalam Mazda's 'India Wins Freedom'. Again, none, repeat none, gives the passages that I have given in my article, below. Why? Abul Kalam Azad, giving account of the A.I.C.C.'s passing the resolution to approve the Cabinet Mission Plan, says: "Now happened one of those unfortunate events which changed the course of history. On 10 July, Jawaharlal held a Press Conference in Bombay in which he made a statement which in normal circumstances might have passed almost unnoticed, but in the existing atmosphere of suspicion and hatred, set in train a most unfortunate series of consequences. Some Press representatives asked him whether with the passing of the Resolution by A.I.C.C., the Congress had accepted the Plan in toto, including the composition of the interim Government. "Jawaharlal stated in reply that Congress would enter the Constituent Assembly 'completely unfettered by agreements and free to meet all situations as they arise.' (Inverted comas of the author) "Press representatives further asked if this meant that the Cabinet Mission Plan could be modified. "Jawaharlal replied emphatically that the Congress had agreed only to participate in the Constituent Assembly and regarded itself free to change or modify the Cabinet Mission Plan as it thought best. "I must place on record that Jawaharlal's statement was wrong. It was not correct to say that Congress was free to modify the Plan as it pleased. ................................................................. These matters could not be changed unilaterally by Congress without the consent of other parties to the agreement. "The Working Committee felt that it faced a dilemma. On the one side, the prestige of the Congress President was at stake. On the other, the settlement ....... was in danger. To repudiate the President's statement would weaken the organization but to give up the Cabinet Mission Plan would ruin the country. Finally, we drafted a Resolution which made no reference to the Press Conference but reaffirmed the decision of the A.I.C.C. "His Excellency the Viceroy, with the approval of His Majesty's Government, has invited the President of the Congress to take proposals for the immediate formation of an interim Government and the President of the Congress has accepted the invitation. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru will shortly visit New Delhi to discuss this proposal with His Excellency the Viceroy." A few passages further, Abul Kalam Azad says: My comments: Lord Wavell, the Viceroy, had earlier declared that whichever party first accepted the plan, would be invited to form the Interim Government. That gutless Viceroy went back on his promise and bypassing Jinnah in blatant deceit invited the President of the Congress instead to form the Interim Government, who had already repudiated the Cabinet Mission Plan and whose catalogue of mistakes had ruined the unity of India. The gutless, supine and myopic leadership of the Indian National Congress could not see woods from the trees and, in all lunacy, went on to pass a resolution which begins unashamedly by shoving all the blame on the Muslim League. They were so blinded by their selfish interest that they could not see the impending catastrophe by not calling a spade a spade and, as Abul Kalam Azad has recorded, completely omitted even the mention of the bone of contention: the notorious 10 July Nehru Press Conference. The imbecile leadership of Indian National Congress came out in full force to cover up the Himalayan blunder of Nehru rather than rectifying it, which blunder according to Azad changed the course of history (of India). What a farce! What a farce!! The display of lunacy did not stop there. Lord Wavell, in utter insanity, called upon Jawaharlal Nehru, who had repudiated the Cabinet Mission Plan agreement, to form the Interim Government of India. And then all those lunatics, Congress leadership, Wavell and all, went on to blame Mr. Jinnah for the partition. What hypocrisy! What hypocrisy!! It is not Jinnah who brought about the partition of India; it is the duo of the gutless, spineless, unashamed Jawaharlal Nehru and the self-opinionated, egoistic Lord Mountbatten (now in control) who brought about the partition and the destruction upon India. These two demagogues, Nehru and Mountbatten, preferred the ruination of the country over the false prestige of the Congress President. (It still remains an enigma that Nehru had earlier gone to Malaysia and met Mountbatten, the Supreme Commander. Mountbatten, a soldier in uniform on active war service, then made a momentous political statement of great significance by calling Nehru “the future Prime Minister of India”.) Going by the account of events given by Azad that changed the course of history, there is only one single reason of the disastrous partition of India: The display of Nehru's obnoxious & foul diplomacy at the time!!! And the Indian National Congress going along with it. Thus, united India was sacrificed at the altar of false prestige of the President of Indian National Congress. Events have proved Gopinath was a shortsighted man. Anwar Ansari, Harrow, Middlesex, England.
Himjyoti Talukdar's picture

Is somewhere mentioned that the person addressing the meeting is Gopinath Bordoloi? According to few sources He's Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Request author to clarify the issue with sources. 

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

One person was seriously injured in yet another blast that took place in Sonari in Sivasagar district on Sunday midnight. According to information, the blast rocked in front of the Sonari Rajiv Bhawan at 11-45 midnight and the injured person is suspected to be the one who carried the bomb. This was followed by another blast in Sivasagar district’s Gaurisagar area. But no casualty has been reported in the incident. No outfit has so far claimed the responsibility of these blasts. The serial bombings on ULFA’s Military Day and also just a day after the killing of two ULFA cadres during joint operation in North Lakhimpur district are significant. But the banned insurgent outfit has...
Four people died and more than fifty injured while a powerful blast rocked a Mising cultural festival in Jonai in Upper Assam on Saturday midnight. Although ULFA is believed to be behind the incident the banned insurgent outfit refuted the charge saying a section of the people has been trying to slap bad name on them.There was big flutter at the blast site while three people namely Kabita Sonowal, Somesh Sutradhar, Shahjahan Ali dead. The severely injured people numbering more than fifteen have been rushed to the Assam Medical College Hospital and Bina Pegu died on the way to the AMCH by boat.Top ranked police official arrived on the spot and began relief and rescue operations. Other...
Two ULFA militants were left killed at a joint encounter of police and army in Silikhapukhuri area of North Lakhimpur district early in the morning today. Acting on a tip off, police and Army's Bihar Regiment conducted a raid in the area at 4-30 in the morning. Two of the three ULFA militants died on the spot while the remaining one managed to flee from the spot. Later, 2 pistols have been recovered from the dead ULFA militants. In yet another incident last night, a police team from Kakotibari had a narrow escape while a powerful blast rattled Timon Sarupathar gaon in Sivasagar district at 10-30 on Friday evening minutes after a police vehicle passed the spot. No casualty has been reported...
A 12-hour BTAD bandh call by the Rabiram faction of the BPPF is paralyzing the normal life in the BTAD area onSaturday. All markets, shops, offices, educational institutions and banks are remaining closed. Vehicles are also remaining off the roads with only a few moving on National Highway 31(c) with police escort. All markets, shops, offices, educational institutions and banks remained closed while vehicles remained off the roads with only a few moving on National Highway 31(c) with police escort, the sources said.The curfew was imposed in areas falling in the Runikata police station area and under Bengtol police outpost.The camp along the Indo-Bhutan border was dismantled as the militant...
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhubneswar Kalita, BPPF(H) leader Biswajit Doimary and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) general secretary and former Union minister Birendra Prasad Baishya are set to win uncontested in the March 26 Rajya Sabha polls in Assam. The entire development is emerging clear on Saturday. The Congress high command has cleared the name of Kalita following a signature campaign led by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. The regional AGP also in a formal sitting participated by president Brindabon Goswami, Opposition leader Chandra Mohan Patowary and vice president Phani Bhushan Chaudhory announced Birendra Prasad Baishya s as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls. Baishya...
Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya Adviser AASU, addressing a national seminar at the Constitution Club, New Delhi organised by Assam Sahitya Sabha on the topic of Judgement on IMDT Act and implementation of Assam Accord on 14-03-08. Pix by UB Photos.
Zubeen Garg of Ya Ali fame performing during the launch of Sky Chef Fine Dining, a multi cuisine restaurent at Sivasagar, Assam on 12-03-2008 night. Pix by UB Photos.
A powerful blast that rocked Doomdooma town just before a while has left one person dead and several injured. According to information, the blast took place at around 4:20 pm in the afternoon at the Daily Bazaar. The injured people have been rushed to the nearby Doomdooma Civil Hospital. High level police and civil officials have reached the spot and cordoned off the area.
The Border Security Force has handed over a list of some camps set up by the north eastern outfits on the soil of Bangladesh during the day one sitting of its meeting with the Bangladesh Rifles which begins in Shillong on Tuesday. According to information, BSF list has 141 camps of insurgent groups mostly from the North East operating in Bangladesh. The list now in BDR's hand also names 116 rebel leaders and some sympathizers submitted. The prominent insurgent outfit from the north east include ULFA, NSCN(IM), HNLC, PLA, NLFT and UNLF. To name a few top rebel leaders are ULFA c-in-c Paresh Barua, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and HNLC general secretary Cheristerfield Thangkhiew. During...
A vast area measuring nearly 90,000 hectares belonging to Assam is being illegally occupied by the the neighbouring Nagaland, Mozoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.According to information, Nagaland tops the list occupying an area measuring 66,241.69 hectares which belongs to Assam. Nagaland is followed by Arunachal Pradesh in 13,184.88 hectares. Next comes Meghalaya which has been illegal encroached an area measuring 5,873.92 hectares. Mizoram is also not lagging behind. The neighbouring state has been occupying altogether 1,986 hectares of land of Assam.What is more startling is that there has been encroachment in reserve forest areas in Sonitpur and North Lakhimpur districts by...