Towards Freedom, 1947, Part 1

2013·87.4 MB·English

by  Mahajan, Sucheta, 1958-

OXPORD
Part 1
TOWARDS FREEDOM
Documents on the Movement for
Independence in India, 1947 Part 1
Going beyond the legalistic notion of independence
as a ‘transfer of power’, the Towards Freedom
series documents within the overarching framework
of the ‘movement for independence’ the largely
unaddressed discourses on the struggles for social
justice, economic empowerment, and cultural
autonomy. Through meticulously selected historical
material from the period 1937-47, relating to the
activities, attitudes, and ideas of diverse sections
of Indian society, it brings to the fore the varied
contributions to the attainment of independence.
This volume, published in three parts,
systematically covers the major socio-political
developments during 1947, the year that saw
the end of colonial rule and the emergence of
two nation states. The first part pertains to the
main political developments that took place in the
three-way conflict between imperialist, nationalist,
and communal forces. This story continues in
the second part, which takes up the question of
the princely states, the settlement of boundaries,
and the rehabilitation of refugees, while the third
traverses the issues of caste, religious minorities,
language and literature, educational policy, the
position of women, the future of the Congress
organization, the functioning of provincial
ministries, the economic consequences of partition,
and the peasant and working class movements.
The documents in this part present multiple points
of view, represented by a range of sources,
from newspapers, private papers, institutional
collections, speeches, and writings of principal
players to colonial archives. The striking level of
popular involvement in important issues is reflected
in the delightful letters to the editors, maps of
proposed boundary lines, cartoons with acerbic wit,
and quaint advertisements, such as the one for a
balm, titled ‘Freedom from Pain’, evidently inspired
by the impending freedom of the country!
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2018 with funding from
Public. Resource.Org
https://archive.org/details/towardsfreedomdo01maha
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ICHR: Towards Freedom
General Editor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
Volume Editor Sucheta Mahajan
Towards Freedom
Documents on the Movement for Independence in India
1947
Part 1
Edited by
Sucheta Mahajan
With a Preface by the General Editor
Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
Indian Council of Historical Research
OXrORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
OXPORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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Published in India by
Oxford University Press
YMCA Library Building, 1 Jai Singh Road, New Delhi 110 001, India
© Indian Council of Historical Research 2013
The moral rights of the authors have been asserted
First Edition published in 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
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prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted
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rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the
above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the
address above
You must not circulate this book in any other form
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-808397-9
ISBN-10: 0-19-808397-1
Typeset in Berthold Baskerville 11.5/14
by Le Studio Graphique, Gurgaon 122 001
Printed in India by Rakmo Press, New Delhi 110 020
To my parents,
Vidyadhar and Savitri
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