August 16, 1946. Jinnah declared Direct Action Day. Murderous mobs razed Hindu shops, raped women, killed at will. Gopal Patha, a butcher, picked up arms to save his people, save Calcutta. Not even a footnote in history. #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay
Jinnah ran to Gandhi. Gandhi met Patha, asked him to lay down arms. "I will not lay down even a nail if it has been used for defending Hindu honour," Patha said.
Our history is many shades of grey. Let there be truth. And then reconciliation.
August 16, 1946. The Week of the Long Knives begins. Corpses line Calcutta streets. The chief architect? This man, often referred to as the butcher of Bengal, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
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