Partition of Punjab: How a Secularist Province Developed Communal Consciousness

Abstract

Why did the Punjabi community, well-known for its unique intercommunal harmony among Sikhs; Muslims; and Hindus, suddenly erupt into religious persecution at a more severe level than other Indian provinces which did not boast such a peaceful history? Although this question has largely been ignored in favor of a macro-analysis of the Partition of the entire Indian subcontinent, understanding how communal tensions arose in a relatively cordial community provides useful insight into the factors that increase one’s awareness of religious identity and destruction of their national identity. This paper identifies why intercommunal relations thrived in pre-partition Punjab. Furthermore, it investigates the elements which facilitated Punjab’s chaotic violence: 1) The fall of the Punjabi Unionist Party symbolized the destruction of national identity, 2) Involvement of the INC and the Muslim League in Punjabi government affairs through the utilization of propaganda introduced religious sectarianism, and 3) The British negligence while constructing the Punjab Boundary Award eliminated any means of reconciliation among the Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs.