Master Tara Singh & Punjabs partition

From emerging the premier spokesperson of the Sikh community to

an activist who campaigned for a separate homeland, Master Tara
Singh played a pivotal role in shaping the events in the runup to the
Partition
!aghuvendra Tanwar
The eternal rebel" Master Tara Singh
Master Tara Singh pleading with #$%$ !adcliffe,
head of the Punjab 'oundary #ommission seeking
inclusion of important Sikh shrines in the (ndian
part of Punjab )Pakistan Times, *+ %uly, *+,-.$
(/ prePartition )*+,-. (ndia, the Sikhs formed just about *per cent of (ndias population
and around *0 per cent of the undivided Punjab$ The Sikhs did not constitute a majority
even in one of undivided Punjabs 0+ districts$ This was probably because the dynamic and
hardworking nature of a majority of the community placed them where ever attractive
opportunity beckoned$ /ot surprisingly, the Sikhs enjoyed a level of national importance
well beyond than was merited by their demographic strength$
Princely states
The Punjab at the time presented a uni1ue picture$ 2n one hand there were the vast
majority of ordinary Punjabis who walked in tune with the countrys struggle for freedom$
2n the other hand the ruling princes of the Punjab states led by the ruling family of Patiala
were held in high esteem by the 'ritish not only for the support they had given the 'ritish in
suppressing the great anti 'ritish uprising of *34- but also for their unambiguous and
continued loyalty$ (n the months leading to the e5it of the 'ritish there are records that
show the princely states of Punjab pleading with the 'ritish not to leave and continue ruling
(ndia$
Master Tara Singh who by the *+67s was the key spokesman of the country, was a
committed supporter of the 8andhian movements" 9:e cannot boycott the (ndian /ational
#ongress permanently; ( would not mind if you instead of standing with the #ongress
boycott it, stand in front of it in the fight for freedom, but if you boycott it and stand in the
back lines it will be a matter of shame for our community;<
=s the idea that Punjab would have to be divided if the state of Pakistan was to take form
began to gain momentum$ Tara Singh was among the first to talk of =>ad Punjab in the
form of a representation to the #ripps Mission )*+,0.$ 2bserved carefully, Tara Singh while
raising the issue appears almost apologetic$ :hile addressing the =ll(ndia Sikh ?outh
#onference sometime later )*+,6. he said" 9;=>ad Punjab was a move to cripple the
Pakistan scheme<$ (n =ugust *+,, )=mritsar., Tara Singh was assigned the task of ensuring
for the community a political location in which the Sikhs were in a position that was free of
Muslim or @indu domination )Mitras (ndian =nnual !egister.$ Aven though Biceroy :avell
did not think too highly of Tara Singh Finding him" 9;emotional and stupid<, a majority of
'ritish field officers in Punjab, including 8overnor %enkins, thought otherwise and took Tara
Singh and his close associate 8iani Cartar Singh seriously$ #$'$ 'irdwood writes" 9; his
)Tara Singhs. complete freedom from all material attachments; secondly ( have found in
him a man of obstinate courage in propagating every interest of his community;$ @as a
twinkle in his eyes which persists even while he may be simultaneously engaged in fierce
repartee; like Cartar Singh )he. is a man of drastically simple needs;< )(ndian Freedom
Struggle D !ole of Muslims & Sikhs.$ =nother 'ritish note advises younger officers 9not to
go by their )Tara SinghEs and Cartar SinghEs. unkept and untidy looks< they are men with
high and sharp intellect$
Sikh leadership
(n the months leading to the actual announcement of the plan to Partition (ndia )%une 6,
*+,-. e5tensive efforts were made by the Muslim Feague to convince the Sikh leadership
that they should seek their )Sikh. future not with (ndia but with Pakistan$ The Gawn, from
which %innah often initiated his political discourse noted" 9There is nothing but sadness in
Muslim hearts; memories can be forgotten )March *+,- riots. and wounds healed, Muslims
and Sikhs can together add to the glory of Pakistan$ ;< )%une -.$ Several Muslim Feague
leaders made out a case of how the Sikhs could easily dominate trade and commerce in
Pakistan but would be dominated by the @indus if they chose their future with (ndia$
So keen were the Feague leaders for an understanding with the Sikhs that they involved
one Major Short to mediate$ :hen Short, re1uested Tara Singh to come to Fahore and meet
the senior Muslim Feague leader /awab Mamdot, Tara Singh refused$ Mamdot then offered
to meet Tara Singh at a place of his )Tara Singhs. choosing$ Master Tara Singh, not only
refused to acknowledge the Feagues overtures but went on to snub %innah" 9;stop the
hypocrisy of being a friend of the Sikhs;< )Ceesings, #ontemporary =rchives, Bol$ H, P$
=3H6,.$
=s Biceroy Mountbatten was returning from Fondon, carrying his 8overnments approval for
the Partition plan, %awaharlal /ehru who was then in Mussoorie learnt that Tara Singh was
unhappy with the emerging political scene and was likely to come out openly against the
plan$ /ehru rushed from Mussoorie to =mritsar )May 03, *+,-. to go straight into a late
night meeting with Tara Singh )#ivil & Military 8a>ette, May 6*. /othing is known of what
transpired in this meeting, but the following morning Tara Singh and party appeared 1uite
mellowed$ (t would not be unfair to assume that on the part of /ehru, promises were made
and assurances given$
Feeling betrayed
:hat is important in this conte5t is that Tara Singh and his close associates were clear,
having also repeatedly made it so, that for any scheme planning the division of Punjab to be
acceptable to the Sikhs it must contain the provision for e5change of population and
property$ 2nce it became clear from the broad lines of the Partition plan as e5plained by the
Biceroy in his historic press conference )%une 6., that the organised e5changing of
population was not a part of the scheme, Tara Singh, felt betrayed and cheated$ The %uly 3
)*+,-. mass hartal by the Sikhs in the Punjab attracted worldwide attention for its peaceful
nature of protest$ Sikhs did not eat or cook foodI fields were not irrigatedI people slept on
the ground$ =rdaas was performed across the state$ /ot a single incidence of violence was
reported on the day of the hartal$
Several studies have charged Tara Singh for playing a frontal role in instigating violence,
including the March )*+,-. speech in Fahore$ 'ut interestingly when the Punjab #(G,
reputed for its notoriety, wanted to arrest Tara Singh, 8overnor %enkins and 8overnor
designate #handu Fal Trivedi recorded a view that Tara Singh was, in fact, the surest bet for
restoring normalcy in the Punjab )Transfer of Power, Bol$ J((, p$ H6H.
Prime Minister /ehru was in the Punjab on =ugust 0,$ =fter addressing a public meeting and
appealing for peace in pouring rain near the =dampur air strip, he met Tara Singh and 8iani
Cartar Singh in =mritsar the same evening$ Two days later, eight senior =kali leaders
appealed for peace$ (n fact, several appeals made by Tara Singh and 8iani Cartar Singh,
followed$
=s days passed, it was realised that the agricultural land being offered in the eastern Punjab
in lieu of lands that were being vacated by the migrating peasantry in the western districts
were not only inferior in 1uality but was falling short by over 0$4 million acres$ Tara Singh
took the lead in raising the issue$ !ather than being addressed, the issue, got further
complicated when on September -, the third Amergency #ommittee Meeting )A#M., chaired
by the Biceroy and attended by /ehru and @ome Minister Patel, resolved on putting a
restriction on the movementKresettlement of Sikhs beyond Gelhi$ (n fact, a permit was
re1uired by Sikhs to move into LP$ The rationale was that Sikhs had seen much violence in
the Punjab and were likely to carry the strife into regions that were hitherto peaceful$
The Mountbatten Papers contain a topsecret note, Sikh Problem Part (($ /ot surprisingly, it
draws attention to the anger of the Sikhs and of how they were feeling let down by the new
state and powers in Gelhi" 9;does the Lnion not owe us a place under the sun;$< )File *,7.
Perceived as communal
Throughout September and 2ctober )*+,-., the @indu Mahasabha had been demanding
that the government and the #ongress were dutybound to carry Punjabs Partition to its
logical conclusion$ This really meant forcing Muslims to vacate lands and properties in the
eastern districts, particularly in and around Gelhi$ Much as we know has been made of Tara
Singhs supporting the demand$ To be fair, for Tara Singh, the issue was essentially
economic$ @owever it was only natural and understandable that his stand should have been
perceived as a 9communal one<$ =s /ehru angrily put it" 9$$Muslims have not betrayed the
country as a community; others too have acted treacherously;< )Statesman, 2ctober ,,
*+,-.$ The more Tara Singh pleaded in support of the Sikhs and @indus in terms of being
denied ade1uate compensation, the more he was targeted as being a threat to the country$
(t may come as a surprise because this fact has remained under cover, indeed oversighted,
that till about late 2ctober )*+,-. by when the violence in Punjab had begun to burn itself
out, the #ongress, the =kalis and the !SS worked in the Punjab as one body and soul$ They
were indistinguishable$ @owever, following 8andhijis assassination when for reasons that
remain 1uestionable to this day, the !SS was banned, not surprisingly Tara Singh was
shocked to find that some #ongress leaders wanted even the =kali Gal to be banned$
'eing sidelined
'y the end of *+,-, Tara Singh was clearly an undesirable element for the #ongress, /ehru
and even Mahatma 8andhi$ Tara Singh was already the principal target of ridicule and
dislike among the Muslim Feague and the :est Punjab press$ The irony is that only a few
months earlier the #ongress had depended so heavily on Tara SinghEs support$
(n the years that followed, things in the Punjab took comple5 political turns$ Tara Singh,
was arrested for the first time in free (ndia on February *+, *+,+ when he was on his way
to Gelhi as head of a jatha to remind the #ongress of promises it had made to the Sikhs,
some of which went back to as early as *+0+$ Tara Singhs arrest was not a routine matter
as @ome Minister Patel noted" 9;did so with a heavy heart;< Tara Singh met /ehru several
times in the following months and years, even heart to heart$ The Punjabi Suba or a
homeland for his people as he often said was conceded in his life time )*+HH.$ 'ut as
happens so often in the shady world of politics, by the time of his death the following year,
he had been all but sidetracked$ This was e5ceptional because, but for some of his
immediate contemporaries virtually every leader of the community owed in some way his
rise to the Master$ =nd this was across political party lines$
=lmost 64 years after his death, political memory if not destiny took another turn$ 2n
=ugust 0776, Prime Minister =tal 'ihari Bajpayee dedicated a portrait of the Master installed
in Parliament @ouse$
The writer is Senior Professor of Modern @istory, Curukshetra Lniversity,
Curukshetra$
Gown history lane
M NTrust me Try me was the headline given by The Tribune to a statement issued by
Master Tara Singh soon after the !egional Formula was agreed upon by the =kalis$
:hat Tara Singh said on March *4, *+4H, sums up his basic approach$
M 9The Sikhs may prove as undemocratic and narrow minded as their brethren the
@indus had proved during the last 3 years for such is the mentality prevailing all
around; if the Sikhs go astray and try to rule over the @indus D it shall be against
the path of the 8urus, and ( shall fight against them the Sikhs as vehemently as (
am fighting for them$<