- The Sylhet referendum was held on 6 and 7 July 1947 to decide whether the Sylhet district of Assam would remain in India or join East Bengal (now Bangladesh) in Pakistan. The district had a Muslim majority, but it was also home to a large Hindu minority.
- The referendum was held under the terms of the Mountbatten Plan, which was the plan for the partition of India. The plan stipulated that a referendum would be held in Sylhet if the district’s Muslim League leader, Khwaja Nazimuddin, requested it. Nazimuddin did request a referendum, and the vote was held on 6 and 7 July 1947.
- The results of the referendum were decisive. Out of a total of 5,46,815 eligible voters, 4,23,660 voted in favour of joining East Bengal, while only 1,23,155 voted to remain in Assam. The turnout was 77.1%.
- The results of the referendum led to the transfer of Sylhet to East Bengal. The district became part of Pakistan on 15 August 1947, when India and Pakistan gained independence. The transfer of Sylhet was a major blow to Assam, which lost a significant amount of territory and revenue.
- The Sylhet referendum was a significant event in the history of India and Pakistan. It was the first time that a referendum had been held in India to decide the fate of a province. The results of the referendum showed that the Muslim League had a strong following in Sylhet, and it helped to pave the way for the creation of Pakistan.
- The Sylhet referendum was not without its critics. Some people argued that the referendum was unfair, as it was held during a time of great communal tension. Others argued that the referendum was unnecessary, as the Muslim League had already won a majority of seats in the Sylhet district council.
- The Sylhet referendum had a significant impact on the people of Assam. The loss of Sylhet was a major blow to the province, and it led to a sense of insecurity among the Hindu minority. The referendum also led to an increase in communal violence in Assam.
The Boundary Commissions
- The Boundary Commissions were two commissions set up by the British government in 1947 to demarcate the borders between India and Pakistan. The commissions were chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a British lawyer.
The Punjab Commission
- The Punjab Commission was responsible for demarcating the border between Punjab and West Pakistan. The commission was given the task of dividing the province along religious lines, with Muslims going to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs going to India.
The Bengal Commission
- The Bengal Commission was responsible for demarcating the border between Bengal and East Pakistan. The commission was given the same task as the Punjab Commission, but it faced a more difficult challenge because Bengal was a more religiously mixed province.
The Radcliffe Awards
- The Radcliffe Awards were announced on 17 August 1947, just two days after India and Pakistan gained independence. The awards were met with widespread protests, as both sides felt that they had been treated unfairly.
The Aftermath
- The Radcliffe Awards led to widespread communal violence in Punjab and Bengal. Millions of people were displaced, and thousands were killed. The violence continued for several months, and it took a heavy toll on both countries.
Significance
- The Boundary Commissions were a significant event in the history of India and Pakistan. The awards led to the partition of Punjab and Bengal, and they created two new countries with very different religious compositions. The violence that followed the awards also had a lasting impact on both countries.
- The Boundary Commissions were controversial from the start. The Indian National Congress and the Muslim League both objected to the way the commissions were set up, and they argued that the awards were unfair.
- The Radcliffe Awards had a profound impact on the people of Punjab and Bengal. The awards displaced millions of people, and they led to widespread communal violence. The violence also had a lasting impact on the social fabric of both provinces.
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