DEMYSTIFYING THE RADCLIFFE AWARD: IT FAVOURED PAKISTAN NOT INDIA

Prof Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed takes up once again the Controversial Radcliffe Award Sir Cyril Radcliffe gave on the Partition of Punjab which demarcated the international boundary between India and Pakistan. THE MAP SHOWS THAT AMRITSAR DISTRICT (IN PINK) WHICH WAS HINDU-SIKH MAJORITY DISTRICT WITH 53% HINDU-SIKH MAJORITY WAS SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY PAKISTAN EXCEPT THE EAST. THEREFORE GURDASPUR HAD TO REMAIN IN INDIA ACCORDING TO LORD WAVELL'S DEMARCATION PLAN OF 7 FEBRUARY 1946. THEREFORE RADCLIFFE GAVE 3 TEHSILS OF GURDASPUR DISTRICT WHICH HAD A LESS THAN 1% OF MUSLIM MAJORITY WAS SPLIT AND WERE ON THE EASTERN BANK OF RAVI WERE GIVEN TO INDIA AND SHAKKARGARH TEHSIL OF GURDASPUR DISTRICT WHICH WAS ON THE WESTERN BANK OF RAVI WAS GIVEN TO PAKISTAN. THERE WAS NO GRAND CONSPIRACY AGAINST EITHER INDIA OR PAKISTAN.