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

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Guwahati seat: AGP ready to leave Guwahati to BJP

22 Feb 2009 - 4:08pm | editor
The Asom Gana Parishad has unanimously decided to leave the prestigious Guwahati seat to BJP. But the formal announcement is expected this week when the leaders will be holding talks with BJP leader...

Training cum awareness Programme on “Protection of Plant Varieties Farmers Right”

20 Mar 2010 - 4:14pm | tpsaikia
The Intellectual Property Right (IPR) Cell, AAU in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Nagaon and Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Shillongani, organized a day long training...

Sonia calls up Gogoi

4 May 2014 - 9:53am | AT News
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday said that the BTAD situation is under control.Talking to Sonia Gandhi over telephone in the morning, Gogoi apprised the Congress president of the preparedness to...

National media education meet

30 Sep 2015 - 9:13pm | editor
Assam Don Bosco University and Educational Leadership are hosting a national conference in collaboration with Mizoram University department of Mass Communication. Dr. K. V. Nagaraj, Professor at...

Other Contents by Author

Assam governor J B Patnaik on Tuesday said that the ongoing orgy of violence is not a fit case to impose president’s rule in the state. Addressing a press conference In New Delhi, Patnaik appealed to the people of all sections to exercise restraint and to help the government restore normalcy in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri district where at least 33 people lost their lives.
Hundreds of people representing various minority organizations staged dharna in front of the Assam Bhawan in New Delhi, on Tuesday demanding steps to ensure safety of the minority people in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. Shouting anti-government slogans, the protestors demanded deployment of more security forces to combat violence that spread to rural areas and neighbouring districts. Protesters said that the clash confines to only the Bodoland area. They alleged that the incident has been taking place for the couple of days even as no action has been taken.
Three members of the Broadcast Editors' Association on Tuesday called on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Guwahati and discussed the role of a section of media in the gory GS Road molestation case. Consisting of renowned journalists NK Singh Dibang and Ashutosh, the three member delegation discussed media role in building public opinion, competition among media houses and portrayal of regional news in national media. Later, Gogoi told the reporters that the discussion was positive.
Ethnic frenzy in three lower Assam districts has gone from bad to worse. The death toll has mounted to 32 on Tuesday. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has written to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister AK Antony asking for more paramilitary forces and troops to rein in the situation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi called up the chief minister to get an update of the situation. According to information, around 40,000 people have fled their homes looking for safer areas. In Kokrajhar alone 19 people were killed killed in Kokrajhar and 12 others were killed in Chirang and adjoining areas.Incidents of violence are taking place mainly in the...
In a fresh development, a senior police officer in the troubled torn Chirang district has put in his papers caught in an awkward situation after the orgy of violence erupted in the district. Bijni Sub-Divisional Police Officer Narayan Das on Tuesday resigned from office saying that he was unable to control riots. Violence spread to the district on Sunday two days after it erupted in Kokrajhar. Meanwhile, shoot-at-sight orders and an indefinite curfew have been clamped in the district. A night curfew has been clamped from 6 evening to 6 morning. Miscreants set on fire hundreds of houses after the villagers fled to safer areas.
TV journalist Gauravjyoti Neog was remanded to judicial custody after he was produced before the chief judicial magistrate in Guwahati on Tuesday. Neog, who filmed the GS Road molestation incident with the help of Amarjyoti Kalita was on Saturday was remanded to 3 days police custody which ended on Monday. He was arrested on Friday evening on the basis of some glaring evidence procured from several sources. Notably, other 14 people accused in the case have already been sent to jail a couple of days.
Train services to and from Assam remain severely disrupted on Tuesday following the ethnic clash in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts where death toll has gone up to 26. Over 30,000 passengers have been remaining stranded at different places following violence where over 300 houses were reduced to ashes in over 30 villages. According to NF Railway, 11 down trains from Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Kamakhya railway stations have been cancelled. Altogether 21 trains, including the Rajdhani Express, have been halted at different places along the route leaving more than 20,000 passengers stranded. Several passengers have been injured when miscreants pelted stones at the Guwahati-bound...
Railway Minister Mukul Roy on Tuesday sought deployment of adequate forces in Assam to ensure safety of passengers in the trouble torn Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. In a letter to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Roy said that the violence-hit areas in lower Assam need assistance to ensure safety for the railway passengers.
Security forces Tuesday shot dead four miscreants in Kokrajhar. With this the death toll in group clash in two districts has gone up to 25. Kokrajhar and Chirang district administrations are yet to lift the curfew clamped on Sunday. Additional security forces have arrived in both the troubled torn districts. Police opened blank fire on Tuesday to contain unrest. Curfew is in force in Gouripur, Golakganj, Bilasipara and Chapar areas. More than 40,000 people have abandoned their homes and taken shelter in relief camps set up by the district administration. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka and Revenue Minister Prithibi Majhi have been camping in the districts. Director General...
Assam police on Tuesday got transit remand of Amar Jyoti Kalita a day after the main accused in the Guwahati molestation case was arrested in Varansi. Kalita was remanded to five days police custody when he was produced before a local court in Varansi on Tuesday in presence of a team of Assam police. Kalita would be brought back to Guwahati on Wednesday to be grilled in this connection. He and Gaurav Jyoti Neog, a reporter from a news channel filmed the molestation.