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

It’s a tragic accident which left two people dead in Borgang area under Biswanath polic station in Darrang district last night while a bus hit them after losing its control. According to information, a Guwahati bound night super from Lakhimpur bearing No AS01 Y9561 suddenly lost its control in Borgang and hit both the people leaving them spot dead. They were identified as Bikash Mech and Manabjyoti Bora, local residents of Jorabari area. Later an irate mob attacked and damaged several buses. Investigation is going on.
ULFA was planning serial bombings in the city from March 10. This startling revelation was made by ULFA leader Champak Sarma who was arrested on Tuesday in front of the Cotton College. Champak was on his way to collect cash from the proprietor of the Wintdrop Hospital Dr Tridip Baruah showing a letter on the pad of ULFA’s 29th battalion commander Bosa Singh. Champak is an inhabitant of Baruahbari gaon under Kamalpur police station in Kamrup district. The police further conducted a raid at Champak’s rented room and recovered a huge cache of explosive materials. Police have claimed that these explosive materials were kept for the March 10 serial bombings in the city.
Altogether 12 businessmen on Tuesday deposed before the Manisana panel which is probing the violence that rocked Beltola on 24th of November. These people came to the commission office housed at the Circuit House in response to the panel’s appeal it made during the recent visit to the spot. The commission, however, asked the Dispur police to lift the people of Beltola willing to depose before it.
Yet again it’s deforestation which has almost denuded the Delhi Reserve Forest of Charaideo. The deforestation is evident from a number of illegal saw mills along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. The cause behind it is the sheer apathy from the part of the forest department. Vvaluable woods of this forest are supplied to different saw mills of Arunachal Pradesh. The state forest department has been failing to protect this forest.
The hydro functioning technology of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has been behind the pollution at Galekey which causes more concern among the people of the area: The people in the area have blamed it all on the oil giant for pollution in different oil field areas since last several years. Recently in January, the ONGC causes huge pollution in Galekey Modinagar Tea Estate. The new Hydro functioning Job Technology has been causing chemical mix water leakage incident from the earth and cracked down the floor of the Galekey M.V. School and residence of a few citizens, it also create soil-air and water pollution there.
The mobile phone service provider Aircel has been expanding its business in different places of Assam continuously. But without any security ring. For its mobile networks the Aircel established ultra-modern mobile towers in different areas of Sivasagar District. The Aircel company has not been with provide 24hour security to these towers, whish is consist of different electronic materials, Generator set etc. There is no adequate security to protect its towers. There is no security personal in the sector one number tower of Nazira, which is situated in front of the Nazira HS & MP School. Deforestation causes concern
Several tea garden people including Moran's Assam Chah Mazdoor general secretary Lakheswar Tati, have been injured in police lathicharge made to quell the situation while these people were attaking the Assam Chah Mazdoor office in Moran. Hundreds of tea garden labourers at the Doomar dalang Tea Estate attacked the Assam Chah Mazdoor office in Moran in protest against the lock out of the garden from January 28. Moranhat police pounded on these striking people with lathicharge. It left several people injured. A seriously injured Tati has been shifted to the Assam Medical College Hospital. The entire incident took place following a clash over distribution of Congres ticket for the recent...
Police have arrested a peace broker, a lawyer and a journalist charging with involving in the ULFA’s recent bid to hijack an Indian Airlines plane. According to information, peoples; consultative group member Lachit Bordoloi was arrested by Moran police on Monday morning after a Gauhati High Court advocate Nekibur Zaman was arrested on Sunday evening. On the other hand, the Tinsukia police also arrested Pradip Gogoi, correspondent of North East Television on Sunday. The police have claimed that their alleged role in the plane hijack bid came to light during the interrogation of an ULFA top leader. Bordoloi was selected by ULFA as one of the members to broker the peace process with...
It’s a big setback for ULFA as three top ranked cadres of the dreaded 709th battalion have surrendered on Monday before Army in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district. According to information, commander Keshav Hazarika, his lieutenant Biraj Phukan, sergeant Major Kumud Bordoloi, all ofthem belong to the crack unit, along with 28 other have laid down their arms before General Officer Commanding B S Jaswal at a function organised at the Army’s Dinjan camp.
Nalbari police have arrested former Asam Assembly Speaker Pulakesh Baruah from his Guwahati based residence on Friday evening. The aitting Trinamul Asom Gana Parishad president was arrested in connection with the the teacher recruitment scam that rocked Nalbari district during 1999-2000. According to information, the Nalbari police led by Deputy superintendent of police, Suren Mushahary, a team arrived in Baruah’s t residence in Guwahati and arrested after quizzing for more than one hour. Baruah failed to turn up and the police took him to Nalbari with his Indica car. Police managed to get all these revelations while they were interrogating an ex -Education officer Amulya Choudhury...