The Issue of FARAKKA: 
An Introduction

 

III.   The Sealed Fate BEFORE 1947

I am quite surprised to learn through my cursory reading on the issue of Farakka that the fate of Bangladesh (former East Pakistan) was sealed even before 1947. One can only respect the long-term vision (design) of India in regard to the post-partition possibilities, and one can only equally deplore the lack of long-term vision of the overall leadership of Pakistan and the leadership of East Bengal in this regard.

For those who are not familiar with the location of Farakka Barrage, it lies in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Who knew that this district of Murshidabad would play a pivotal, strategic role in the post-partition plan? Well, India and the West Bengal engineers did.

"During the time of Partition, West Bengal engineers urged before the Bengal Boundary Committee that it was vital for the maintenance of the Calcutta Port that the Ganga-Bhagirathi opening should remain within the Indian Union, even though Murshidabad district in which it is situated is a Muslim-majority area." [K. K. Framji in Sunil Sarma (ed.), p. 103]

Pakistan did protest, but the British "gentlemen" apparently better appreciated the idea of the Indian side. It was so important to India that apparently India was willing to trade an important Hindu-majority area in exchange for Muslim-majority Murshidabad. I have not known before that the traded area was Hindu-majority and others can corroborate about this, but guess what area did India trade?

"The case (of Murshidabad) was hotly contested by Pakistan, Sir Cyril Radcliffe, Chairman of the Commission, who fully appreciated the force of the Indian contention, gave Murshidabad to India and compensated Pakistan awarding the Hindu-majority are of Khulna to East Pakistan." [ibid., p. 103]

What a strategic foresight on the part of India!

Go to Part IV: The "Expert" Game.
Go to the Farakka Index

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