Freedom at Midnight

I recently read Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. It describes in great detail the events leading up to the Partition of India and the subsequent bloodshed due to communal riots. It also gives a fairly extensive account of Gandhiji’s assassination as also his final views and activities during partition. An extremely well written book with a thrilling narrative, Freedom at Midnight surprises you with its level of detail and research. On reading the book, what struck me most was how a small break from the chain of events could have had a big impact on the way subsequent events were played out. The book relies primarily on personal reflections from Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, and it is evident how in hindsight he wished that some things could have been done differently.

That led me to think. At any given instance, people occupying the most important positions in the society, country or world are grappling with decisions that could have an impact not only on the present generation but also beyond. The costs of partition and the riots that followed are still being felt in the present day sub-continent.  Could Nehru have known at the time what the impending partition meant for the masses? Or did he become too engrossed in the day-to-day administrative work to actually understand the consequences of his decision? Did he spend the rest of his days guilt ridden- weighed in by the impact of his decision? How did Radcliffe spend his life – after presiding over the bloodiest partition in the history of mankind? Did freedom only serve the purpose of few classes of politicians and elites? What did an ordinary Punjabi think on being told to leave his/her belongings and travel thousands of miles across a riot-hit area because he is now ‘free’?  Were the identity of people partitioned defined by being a Sikh and Muslim or was he a Punjabi and Bengali first?  I know there are no easy answers to any of these questions. But one thing is certain; any action or decision taken by a leader is saved forever for posterity. He might escape the judgment of his people but in the end, his actions would have to stand the test of history. The legacy that he leaves– good or bad is entirely in his own hands.