09-13-2005, 07:29 PM
From Pioneer, 12 September 2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Gandhi, Jinnah were mere pawns
Arendra Singh Sarila is a former diplomat and heir to the princely state of Sarila
<b>What are the hidden facts that your book The Untold Story of India's Partition talks about? </b>Â
* My book delves into the deep secrets that historians and political analysts failed to unearth. It talks of the crucial link between India's Partition and the fears of the British about the erstwhile USSR gaining control of the oil wells of the Middle East. It is on how when the British realised that Indian leaders would not join them in their game against the Soviet Union that they used those who were willing to do so. The British used Islam as a political tool to fulfil their objectives and partitioned India.
<b>So you believe that it wasn't the political leaders but the British who called for the Partition? </b>
* Absolutely. All our leaders, be it Gandhi or Jinnah, were merely pawns. They could not look through the real motive of the British who had sown the seed of division in 1906 by establishing separate electorates. Our leaders just played into their hands. Why else should an ardent nationalist like Jinnah turn communal and why should Gandhi who believed in Independence through cooperation start the non-cooperation movement? My book talks about all this.
<b>Where did you find the details?</b>
* All this is well documented. I have both British and American documents that have come up during my research over the years.
<b>As the ADC of Lord Mountbatten did you have access to extra information?</b>
* I was too young at that point. But yes, I remember meeting leaders at that time and that helped me form perceptions regarding their personalities. Also, after Mountbatten retired, I often visited his home where we sat and discussed issues. That gave me a lot of insight. Such information is not easily available to others.
Tavishi Paitandy
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Gandhi, Jinnah were mere pawns
Arendra Singh Sarila is a former diplomat and heir to the princely state of Sarila
<b>What are the hidden facts that your book The Untold Story of India's Partition talks about? </b>Â
* My book delves into the deep secrets that historians and political analysts failed to unearth. It talks of the crucial link between India's Partition and the fears of the British about the erstwhile USSR gaining control of the oil wells of the Middle East. It is on how when the British realised that Indian leaders would not join them in their game against the Soviet Union that they used those who were willing to do so. The British used Islam as a political tool to fulfil their objectives and partitioned India.
<b>So you believe that it wasn't the political leaders but the British who called for the Partition? </b>
* Absolutely. All our leaders, be it Gandhi or Jinnah, were merely pawns. They could not look through the real motive of the British who had sown the seed of division in 1906 by establishing separate electorates. Our leaders just played into their hands. Why else should an ardent nationalist like Jinnah turn communal and why should Gandhi who believed in Independence through cooperation start the non-cooperation movement? My book talks about all this.
<b>Where did you find the details?</b>
* All this is well documented. I have both British and American documents that have come up during my research over the years.
<b>As the ADC of Lord Mountbatten did you have access to extra information?</b>
* I was too young at that point. But yes, I remember meeting leaders at that time and that helped me form perceptions regarding their personalities. Also, after Mountbatten retired, I often visited his home where we sat and discussed issues. That gave me a lot of insight. Such information is not easily available to others.
Tavishi Paitandy
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->