Why did India and Pakistan become two separate countries?
Pakistan separated from India primarily due to religious, political, and social differences that culminated during British colonial rule. Here’s a concise breakdown of the key reasons:
1. Religious Divide
- Hindus and Muslims were the two dominant religious communities in British India.
- Muslims, who were a minority (around 25%), feared marginalization in a Hindu-majority democratic setup after independence.
- The All-India Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, argued that Muslims needed a separate nation to freely practice their religion and protect their cultural and political rights.
2. Two-Nation Theory
- Jinnah and the Muslim League promoted the Two-Nation Theory, which stated that Hindus and Muslims were fundamentally different in religion, culture, and identity.
- Therefore, they believed that Muslims should have a separate homeland — Pakistan.
3. Failure of Power-Sharing Agreements
- Several efforts to unite India under a single federal system failed, such as the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946).
- The Congress Party (dominated by Hindus) and the Muslim League could not agree on how to share power fairly.
4. Political Mobilization and Communal Violence
- Growing communal tensions and violence between Hindus and Muslims further polarized the communities.
- The Muslim League gained mass support in Muslim-majority areas, especially after calling for the creation of Pakistan in the Lahore Resolution of 1940.
5. British Role and Partition Plan
- The British, seeking a swift and manageable exit from India after World War II, supported partition to avoid civil war.
- On August 14–15, 1947, British India was divided into two nations: India (predominantly Hindu) and Pakistan (predominantly Muslim).
Summary:
Pakistan separated from India due to the Muslim League’s demand for a separate state to protect Muslim interests, the failure of Hindu-Muslim unity, and rising communal tensions — all set against the backdrop of British colonial withdrawal.