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

Guwahati : Punjab Police today caught a ULFA leader Hemanta Roy from Jalandhar town on Monday. This was informed by the Assam Police. Roy is believed to be a senior member of the ULFA’s 709 battalion, the strongest among five battalions of the outfit. He will be produced before the Jalandhar district court tomorrow. He has been remanded into police custody. A team of Assam police will rush to Punjab shortly to bring him back to Assam
Bokajan : Three more Hindi-speaking people were killed and 3 others seriously injured at Parakhowa under Howraghat police station on Sunday evening when militant fired indiscriminately in a local bazaar at about 7.45 PM. Details are awaited.
Diphu : Militants again shot dead four Hindi speaking people in Karbi-Anglong district on Saturday late night. Police said a group of 10-15 heavily armed militants abducted six persons of two family, including a woman, from upper Deihori village and took them to Rongbong ghat under Shantipur out post of Bokajan police station, lined them up and fired indiscriminately. Four persons died on the spot while two other managed to escape with heavy injury. The deceased were identified as Mohan Kanu, 35; his wife Sheela Gupta, 30; Nandalal Swami, 20; and Mahabir Swami, 25. Ram Swami, 30 and Kanu Swami managed to escape from the spot though they were injured by gunshots. Later they informed police...
Kaziranga : Atlast some good news from Kaziranga. The stepped up vigilance in Kaziranga is working. On Friday evening a team of forest guards lead by Ikramul Mujib captured three poachers from a Karbi Village near Burapahar range of Kaziranga, The name of these poachers are Sikari Signer of Fulaguri Khristan Bosti, Longsing Lekthe of Fulaguri and Rongbong Engti of Amguri village. In another incident a poacher called Jabli Rongpi surrendered at the office of the Range Officer on Friday. All of them have confessed their involvement in poaching in Kaziranga
Popular Assamese singer Sangeeta Kakatis new video album -" Mor Priya Geet" is a perfect blend.Popular Assamese singer, Sangeeta Kakatis new assamese album" Mor Priya Geet" composing of eight songs has been released. The famous song " Rongmone Patiba Rongore Mela" of the National Games and " Khelo aaha Khel" written by Dr Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi is a part of this album.The theme song has been written by Ashim Bora and music is by Rajib Kalita. The clippings of football, hockey, atheletics etc have been shown in both the songs. Besides this, the pictures of famous sportsmen from Assam like Bhugeshwar Baruah, Dipankar Bhattacharya have also been shown in the...
On August 15 this year India will celebrate the 60 th Independence Day to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947 . Sixty years ago on this day flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs took place in all the state capitals. In all the cities around India the flag hoisting ceremony was done by politicians belonging to that constituency. In Assam, it was so arranged that India's national flag, which replaced the flag of the revolution, would be hoisted on behalf of the organ of revolution, the Indian National Congress and not the Government. So it came to pass that Maulana M. Tayyebulla, as the President of Assam...
Guwahati : Ace archer Jayanta Talukdar has been chosen for the Arjuna award. He would be the third sports person from Assam, after Bhogeswar Baruah (1966) and Monalisa Barua Mehta (1987), who would receive this prestigious award.Jayanta, a member of Tata Archery Academy, Jamshedpur, was born in Guwahati in the year 1987. The archer came into the limelight in 2004 when he lead the Indian team to its win first in the Junior World Championship by winning a silver medal in Britain. This was just the beginning. In 2006, Jayanta created history as he became the first Indian Archer to win a gold medal in the FITA Meteksan Archery World Cup at Porec, Croatia. He also bagged a gold medal in SAF...
Diphu : Suspected Kuki and Karbi National Liberation Front ( KNLF) activists gunned down 12 hindi speaking people at Delaware under Arkoma outpost under Bokajan Police station on Friday. Investigations are on and police are questioning a lot of people in the area. Meanwhile reports of violence have also come in from Diphu town.
Guwahati :Police killed one and captured four in an encounter with ULFA operatives in Lichchubari hillock, near Hengerabari, a residential area which is hardly one and a half kilometers away from Assam’s capital city Dispur on late Thursday evening. Police sources said that a team of police and special commando force reached the Lichuchbagan hillock at 11.00 PM as they had some specific information about the presence of a group of ULFA militants in the area. When they reached the top they noticed some people moving around suspiciously and asked them to stop. The group responded by throwing a grenade on the petrol and tried to run away. The grenade missed the target and exploded...
Guwahati : Kidnapped Tea garden executive Anirudhdha Tanti was released today near Odalguri in BTAD at about 12.30 PM. He was kidnapped on 31st July from Hirajuli Tea Garden when he was on the way to his quarter from the factory at about 11.30 PM. He is the youngest son of Ex MLA Bhimananda Tanti of Rangapara Constituency