The day India burned is a documentary by BBC published on 14th August, 2007. It basically deals with the partition of India and Pakistan.
Partition of India provides a good overview of the fateful events leading to that cataclysmic decision by the British and the catastrophic suffering of ordinary people caught in the crossfire of communal hatred.
It described in detail British motivation for leaving India after world war 2 in a quick and face-saving number; the underlying distrust of Hindus and Muslims of each other despite centuries of living together; Muslim educational and economic backwardness relative to Hindus and their fear of Hindu domination in a united India; the failure of the march 1946 Cabinet Mission in Shimla on account of Nehru’s refusal to a agree to a decentralized subcontinent.
The beginning of the Hindu-Muslim communal riots with Jinnah’s call for direct action in Calcutta in August 1946; the desperate attempts made by Gandhi to effect Hindu-Muslim unity via appeal to their humanity; and the pressure exerted on most Princely States to agree to ascension to India.
It also describes: the manipulation of people by political leaders in the name of religion; the slaughter looting, raping and mayhem among different communities from forcible ethnic and religious cleansing; the horrific price paid by human for defending their honor.
The utter lack of governmental preparation for a mass migration of people; the needless human carnage caused by Mountbatten’s decision to expedite the planned partition; and the decline of hitherto culturally rich and cosmopolitan cities like Lahore by loss of other communities
According to my opinion this documentary is based on the story of those bloody months of 1947 through various testimonies of people who were forced to leave their ancestral homes after living together for centuries, despite all the religious disparities. The documentary also has some dramatized reconstructions which are sure going to surprise the youth who might not be knowing or have read much on the most unfortunate happening in the history of India.
To give an idea, it tells you how the British officials hurriedly took many major decisions disregarding the possible dangerous outcome in various regions of the country, especially Punjab. the well-directed film clearly shows cases that how it was earlier decided that the split will be there in the summer of 1948 after long negotiations between Lord Mountbatten, Mohammed Ali Jinhua and Jawaharlal Nehru. But then it was suddenly announced that the British empire would actually be granting the freedom a year ahead than planned in August 1947. It further reveals how the border line of this partition was drawn by a person, who had never been to India and knew nothing about the religious and cultural diversification existing in the country. Moreover, it also tells the fact that how numerous Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were being slaughtered all over, since the British army was too small in numbers in front of the huge mobs and therefore couldn’t stop it well in time
The plague to humanity has killed many and has targeted rages in many minds which will take years to endanger and distortion.