Archive · 25 Jan 2026
Biography Reopens Debate on Nehru's Role in Partition
A new book about Asif Pasha, a former Law Minister, talks about India's Partition in 1947.
Most people blame Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the Partition, but this book says Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress leadership might also be responsible.
The book says that if Nehru had been more willing to compromise, Partition might have been avoided.
It also talks about how the British policies, like separate electorates, made communal divisions worse.
Asif Pasha, who wrote about these things, believed that Partition was not just about communalism but also about political mistakes and lack of compromise.
He passed away just after reviewing his biography.
A new biography of Asif Pasha reopens the debate on who was responsible for India's Partition in 1947.
The book argues that Jawaharlal Nehru's refusal to compromise on the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 pushed Muhammad Ali Jinnah to demand Pakistan.
Asif Pasha believed that a more federal approach by the Congress leadership could have prevented Partition.
The book traces the roots of Partition back to the British policies of separate electorates introduced in 1909.
Asif Pasha, who served as Law Minister, was known for his merit-based appointments and work for minority empowerment.
- Who
- Asif Pasha, Jawaharlal Nehru, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- What
- Debate on the responsibility for India's Partition in 1947
- When
- 1947 (Partition), 1946 (Cabinet Mission Plan), 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms)
- Where
- India, Subcontinent
- Why
- To understand the political and historical context of India's Partition
- Book Title
- No Regrets: The Life and Times of Asif Pasha
- Author
- J.S. Ifthekhar
- Publisher
- Media Plus Foundation
- Pages
- 250+
- Key Figure
- Asif Pasha
- Key Books Referenced
- What Price Freedom, India Wins Freedom
- Cabinet Mission Plan Year
- 1946
- Morley-Minto Reforms Year
- 1909