“This Is Tyranny! The Foreigner Who Had Never Seen India Drew Rajasthan-Pakistan Border”

A statement by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has gone viral recently, in which he pointed out, “Rajasthan is certainly not Pakistan…” His remark came amid discussions about water-sharing disputes. This brings attention to the controversial legacy of the British official who, without ever setting foot in India, drew the boundary separating Rajasthan and other regions from Pakistan.

The Story of the Radcliffe Line
The Radcliffe Line, which demarcates India and Pakistan, has a fascinating and contentious history. Sir Cyril John Radcliffe, a British judge, was appointed as the chairman of the Boundary Commission tasked with partitioning India and creating Pakistan. Despite his authority, Radcliffe had never visited India before and had little knowledge of its geography, culture, or social complexities. He was expected to divide the land using incomplete maps and population data, under immense time pressure—just five weeks—to finalize the partition.

Challenges and Consequences
As senior journalist Kuldip Nayar noted in an interview with Radcliffe, he faced enormous challenges due to his lack of familiarity with India. His hurried decisions led to tragic consequences:

• Millions of people were displaced, leading to widespread communal violence.
• Rajasthan’s western regions became part of the international border with Pakistan.
• Vast stretches of the Thar Desert were separated by the new boundary.
• Long-established trade routes, grazing lands, and agricultural areas were cut off.
• Districts like Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Bikaner were effectively isolated from mainstream connectivity.

Radcliffe Refused Payment
Radcliffe was reportedly disturbed by the violence and upheaval that followed his decisions. According to Nayar, he even refused to accept his fee for the partition work and never publicly elaborated on his personal anguish, which may explain why he never returned to India.

Length and Geography of the Border
The Radcliffe Line runs along the border of Rajasthan, Punjab, and other states, with a total length of 3,310 km, also touching Jammu and Kashmir. In Rajasthan, five districts lie along the border: Ganganagar, Bikaner (168 km), Jaisalmer (464 km), Barmer, and recently formed Phalodi. On the Pakistani side, the districts of Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and parts of Sindh Province like Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Sanghar, Umerkot, and Tharparkar are adjacent to the Radcliffe Line.

The arbitrary lines drawn by Radcliffe continue to influence regional politics, cross-border relations, and the lives of people in Rajasthan and Pakistan decades after Partition, reminding us of the human cost of hasty colonial decisions.