DF,
I agree with the first part.
However the second part is largely a myth. The first train did not carry East Punjabi Muslims.
Instead it was carrying Sarkari Baboos (government officials) and army officers from Delhi who had opted to serve in Pakistani government. I can perhaps dig out the exact name and number of the train. It may take some time though. This train was attacked in a bad attempt to deprive Pakistan of the government workers. The planners of this attack (I'll point a bit later) were $tupidly hoping that such an action will lead to collapse of the nascent state of Pakistan. I say $tupid, because Pakistan later showed that it can produce the same amount of cr@ppy baboos indian style in a year or so.
This train was not intended for "migration of Muslims" at all the way so many myths about partition say.
Civilian migration trains and caravans started a bit later and slowly increased in their ferocity and zulm.
Indians who are pointing out Rawalpindi riots, are not entirely wrong. However the exact location was not Pindi, but a major Sikh-dominated market outside Pindi.
However the number of sikhs killed in these riots was rather small. But the impact on Sikh population was huge.
There were other incidents in that dark period like the Masjid Shaheed Ganj that I call Masjis $tupid ganj. Even Iqbal was disgusted when he wrote,
-- Masjid to bana di shab bhar main Iman ke hararat walon nain
-- Man upna purana paapi hai, berson main namazi bun na saka
people can build a mosque in one night, but they are unable to be honest abe even after years of prostration.
However this is all nitpicking. it pails in comparison to what was about to happen. And sadly everyone knew about it.
For example, Jinnah calls upon Governor Jenkins of Punjab, and says, my dear governor, mobs are getting ready please post army at major areas to make sure things do not get out of hands.
Police on the other hand was under the control of home minister Sardar Patel. he had already refused to do anything for Punjab.
Gov. Jenkins only promised small contingent of army for a vast state like Punjab (both East and West). Gen. Ayub and one Hindu Punjabi officer (forgetting his name) were put in charge of this under-powered under-manned army contingent.
Why?
I don't know.
None of the papers in "transfer of power" explains the reasons why British did not post large numbers of army jawans to protect life and limb during the partition.
One can only theorize.
Even though Jinnah, and Giyani Kartar Singh, and Sardar Baldev Singh (minister in Delhi Gov) tried to figure out a way, but none had the actual power on the ground to stop it.
Akali Sikhs like Tara Singh, and Muslim leagures like Shaukat the black faced were too much into blood bath.
and so was Sardar Wilubh bhai patel (the home minister).
The holocaust of Punjab that followed August 1947 was unmatchable by any other part of India.
Partition impacted mostly one state in the whole of British India. And that state was Punjab.
Before partition
-- East Punjab (Indian side) had 55-65% Muslim Punjabis. (depending on city/village)
-- West Punjab (Pak side) had 35-45% non-Muslim Punjabis (depending on city/village)
After partition
--- Indian Punjab had 0% Muslim punjabis (totally annihilated by Indian mobs)
-- Pak Punjab had 0% non-Muslim punjabis (totally annihilated by Pak mobs)
--- few exceptions were tiny Muslim population in Malir kotla, and tiny sikh population around holy shrines such as: Nankana sahib and Punja sahib
nowhere else in India or Pak, the ethnic cleansing was so absolute so comprehensive.
Around 1947 there were few riots and some uprooting around Delhi area and tiny bit in Kolkatta etc.
So partition should be blamed for the killings and rapes and ethnic cleansing in Punjab only.
And such blame is more on Punjabi Muslims as they were in majority and to lesser extent on other groups because they were in minority.
peace
p.s. this is an honest opinion. I am not trying to take sides on this.
but even after being slapped so many times by people of Punjab some people still living in this dream.
