New Delhi: During 24th session of the Punjab History Conference – last month, a voluminous book entitled Select Documents on Partition of Punjab-1947 by a veteran research scholar, Dr. Kirpal Singh, was released by Dr. H.K. Manmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor Punjabi University, Patiala.
Dr. Manmohan Singh threw light on the brilliant career of Dr. Kirpal Singh and complimented him by saying that his book was a serious attempt to tap all resources both public and private, mostly _ unpublished, scattered at various places in India, Pakistan and England. Commenting on the contents of the book he said that it deals with the following: –
- Documents leading to the formulation of the Partition Plan by Lord Mountbatten,
- Documents relating to implementation of the Plan viz. Partition Council, Steering Committee, Punjab Partition Committee and its proceedings etc.
- Punjab Boundary Commission — the non-Muslim case, Redcliffs Awards, Punjab Boundary Force etc.
- Documents relating to aftermath of partition of Punjab viz. Working of Military Evacuee organisation. Important correspondence between high officials of India and Pakistan, East Punjab Division Agency and recovery of abducted women etc. The Supplementary Documents deal with the controversy relating to the Punjab Boundary Award and the proposed arrest of the Sikh Leaders.
The book was completed on the pattern of India — Transfer of Power volumes published by the British Government in England. The prefaces, introduction, chronology, important personages and summary of every document have been given in the beginning.
The book will go down in history as a monumental work on partition of Punjab which is a unique event in the annals of mankind as it was followed by unprecedented mass migrations having far-reaching consequences — social, political and economic. (The Spokesman, April 15).
