Author: Rafiq Zakaria
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 304
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8172761287
Description
Was Gandhi responsible for the break-up of India? In this work, the author presents ably and lucidly his conclusions based on intensive research and his uncanny insights.
A spate of books on the division of India has appeared both in India and the United Kingdom; a lot of original source material has also become available. Unfortunately, there has been no study of the role of Gandhi in the fateful decision which caused the death of one million Hindus and Muslims and uprooting of fifteen million of them. The Mahatma's part has not been properly delineated so far; it has got lost in the times which are replete with the role of the two Viceroys, the congress leaders, Muslim League, and the British leaders like Churchill, Attlee.
Nevertheless as the Mahatma continued to be the dominant force among the masses to his last day, he has been subjected to attacks and innuendoes, projecting him as the original sinner.
Of late there has been a revival of the question regarding Gandhi's role in the partition of India among a section of the people. Apart from the statement of the assassin of the Mahatma before the trial court, there are books and plays wherein attempt has been made to put the blame of partitioning the subcontinent on Gandhi. He has been accused of being anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim. The Marathi play Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy staged in Mumbai created a fresh controversy which has been widely highlighted by the media. Dr Zakaria has, therefore, unearthed all that he could to find out whether the Mahatma caused or contributed to partition.
The author, in his inimitable style has culled out all the facts and analyzed their implications. His presentation throws a new light on a subject that continues to be of absorbing interest.
CONTENTS: Early Stirrings / Mantra of Satyagraha / Return to India / Non-Cooperation Movement / Collapse of the United Front / Despair and Hope / Constitutional Encounters / To London with Love / Integration of Hinduism / Facing New Challenges / Threat of Disintegration / Quit India Movement / Last Desperate Attempt / Towards Partition / The Tragic End / What is the Truth? / Notes + Bibliography + Index
AUTHOR: Dr Rafiq Zakaria has had a distinguished career in fields as varied as law, education, journalism, politics, and Islamic studies. He is a scholar of international repute, and has authored more than fifteen books.