August 14 in History: Partition of British India, Japan’s Surrender and Other Defining Moments

'What have I done?': The moment Jinnah confronted the horrors of Partition

Journalist Kuldip Nayar recounted Muhammad Ali Jinnah's despair over Partition's human tragedy. He witnessed streams of people fleeing across the divided Punjab from an aircraft. Nayar also described the devastation and fear he experienced approaching the Wagah border. The scale of the upheaval became increasingly visible as violence escalated significantly. India observes August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to honor the suffering.

August 14 in History: Partition of British India, Japan’s Surrender and Other Defining Moments

On August 14, one of the most important events in modern history took place in 1947, when British India was divided and the independent state of Pakistan was created. The change ended nearly two centuries of British colonial rule over a vast region, but it also brought one of the largest and most painful migrations in history. Millions of people crossed new borders as India and Pakistan emerged as separate states. At the time, the event mattered…

'What have I done?': Jinnah's words after seeing Partition horror

Journalist Kuldip Nayar's autobiography recounts Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah's despairing remark, "What have I done?", after witnessing the mass displacement during the 1947 Partition. The article also details Nayar's own grim experiences of the communal violence and human tragedy at the time, highlighting the immense upheaval that accompanied the division of the subcontinent, now commemorated as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

What have I done: Jinnah’s reported reaction to Partition

New Delhi: As Partition tore through the subcontinent in 1947, millions were forced to flee across a newly drawn border amid communal violence, killings and looting, and it was against this backdrop that Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, after seeing streams of people fleeing across a divided Punjab, reportedly struck his forehead and asked in despair: “What have I done?” The episode is recounted by journalist and author Kuldip Nayar in his …

‘What Have I Done?’: The Moment Pakistan Founder Jinnah Confronted The Horrors of Partition

As Partition tore through the subcontinent in 1947, millions were forced to flee across a newly drawn border amid communal violence, killings and looting, and it was against this backdrop that Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, after seeing streams of people fleeing across a divided Punjab, reportedly struck his forehead and asked in despair: 'What have I done?'

What have I done?: The moment Jinnah confronted the horrors of Partition - The Tribune

As Partition tore through the subcontinent in 1947, millions were forced to flee across a newly drawn border amid communal violence, killings and looting, and it was against this backdrop that Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, after seeing streams of people fleeing across a divided Punjab, reportedly struck his forehead and asked in despair: “What […]