Direct Action Day and the Spiral of Violence

After the Cabinet Mission Plan failed, the Muslim League called for 'Direct Action' on 16 August 1946 to press its demand for Pakistan. In Calcutta the day turned into days of rioting between Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs, in which thousands of people were killed. The violence spread: in October 1946 attacks on Hindus in Noakhali in eastern Bengal were followed by revenge killings of Muslims in Bihar. Gandhi walked from village to village in Noakhali trying to restore peace.

Historians debate how far political leaders planned the violence and how far it grew from local fear, rumor and the breakdown of order. What is clear is that the killings hardened attitudes, convinced many that the communities could not live under one government, and persuaded British officials that they needed to leave quickly. Violence thus became both a cause and a consequence of the move toward partition.