INDIA FIRST | FACTS DESK |
Direct Action Day (16 August 1946) was orchestrated by the Muslim League under Mohammad Ali Jinnah, with Bengal’s then Chief Minister H.S. Suhrawardy implementing it in Calcutta. Jinnah declared it openly, and the event was promoted by Muslim League leaders as a jihad or war against “kafirs” (non-Muslims). Mobs attacked Hindus, looted shops and temples, set fires, and committed mass killings. In just 72 hours, thousands were killed, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and there were widespread reports of rape and extreme brutality against Hindu women, including mutilations and public hangings of bodies.
The main aim was to press for Pakistan by demonstrating the scale of violence possible if Muslim League demands were not met, putting pressure on both the British and Congress.
Gandhi, Nehru, and Congress: Their Response
• Gandhi and Nehru’s actions during and after the riots have been widely criticized. Nehru, instead of addressing Hindu grievances, used harsh language against Hindus in Bihar, warning of military action if they did not change their attitude towards Muslims. Hindu complaints were largely ignored.
• Gandhi undertook a fast to stop the violence, but only after Hindus began to retaliate in self-defense. He repeatedly urged Hindus to show restraint and sought to appease the Muslim League.
• Both Congress and the British government failed to protect Hindus on a large scale, leading to deep resentment and anger among the Hindu community.
Was the Incident Hidden from Indian History?
Historical accounts and survivor testimonies suggest that the Congress-led governments after independence did not give the Direct Action Day massacre the prominence it deserved in official histories.
The scale of violence, especially against Hindus, and the brutality of the riots have often been downplayed or omitted in mainstream narratives and textbooks.
This has led to accusations that the Congress party, by focusing on communal harmony and the narrative of partition, did not fully acknowledge or memorialize the suffering of Hindus during these riots .
And ignorant HINDUS still respect Gandhi as MAHATMA and Nehru as CHACHA !??
Direct Action Day was a planned and brutal campaign by the Muslim League to force the creation of Pakistan and demonstrate their power through mass violence against Hindus. Gandhi and Nehru’s responses have been criticized as inadequate, and Congress-led governments after independence have been accused of minimizing the incident in India’s official history .
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