INTRODUCTION
1947 the year of partition for India and Pakistan, was the result of the Indian Independence Act of 18 July 1947. The immediate partition led to huge migration of minority groups to join their co-religionists. This migration surprised not only people but also the government also and led to various socio and economic impacts.
SOCIAL IMPACT
Moral values of people declined due to lawlessness due to which about fifty thousand womens were abducted, communal riots and murders became common. It became difficult for refugees to settle down in a new place which was unfamiliar. Mass migration led to overcrowding of places while it added new elements in society. People belong to different professions which create heterogeneity in nature. Women were liberalised due to the free culture of west Punjab. Formal education. Was accepted for womens, restrictions on inter marriage, Purdah etc were removed. New cultural spirit was enhanced among people and assimilated various aspects of culture from refugees. Dietary habits of people have changed. Vegetarians were replaced by non vegetarian, displaced people who never tried alcohol became regular alcoholics with local people. Mode of transportation was shifted from Tongas to Rickshaws and auto Rickshaws.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
- IMPACT ON INDUSTRIAL SECTOR :- The occupational gap occurred due to lack of skills required in east punjab and west punjab. People who migrated to Pakistan and those who came to India specialised differently and faced problems. Who immigrated to India were generally professionals and faced problems adjusting to manual labour which created an occupational gap in refugee places. East Punjab was left with small cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ambala which were overcrowded due to large refugees. Industrial sector saw a huge decline, and it became difficult to provide jobs to the huge displaced people. Inflation rate became very high as production was not equal to demands.
- IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE SECTOR :- Refugees who migrated from well fertile land got poor land which never produced as much food as it had consumed. Partition divided the canals and rivers too. Major chunk of investments on land and canals was done in West Punjab by the British because of which East Punjab was left with three canals, Bari doab canal, Western Yamuna canal and Sirhind canal. Land Holdings were declined which forced manual agriculture. Weeding, thrashing and harvesting was either done manually or by bullocks. Agriculture production saw a steady increase during the year 1951 to 1961 of 2.5% per annum. New methods of agriculture tools, seeds and fertiliser were introduced which turned East Punjab into a surplus Region.
CONCLUSION
Partition left a huge economic impact on the lives of people who left their homes and became refugees. It also impacted the government who had a task to build the economy of the country and settle these refugees. Displaced people found it alienated at first but established themselves in odd circumstances and proved their skills.
BOOK REFERENCE ( CLICK TO BUY )
The Sikhs of the Punjab (The New Cambridge History of India)