The Implementation of 3rd June Plan
April 10th, 2008 | by Raja Ghias |By the end of June, the procedure for deciding on the unity or partition of Bengal and the Punjab had been work out, and in each case it had resulted in a decision in favor of “Partition”. In Bengal, the Congress members asked for a preliminary vote of the whole Legislative Assembly on which of the Constituent Assemblies the Provinces should join if it decided to remain united. 126 members voted to join the new Pakistan Constituent Assembly against 90 in favor of joining the existing one. Thereafter the Assembly divided into two parts; the one representing the non-Muslim majority areas decided by 58votes to 21 that the Province should be partitioned. The other part, representing the Muslim-majority areas, voted to remain united by 106 to 35. Under the plan a vote of either part in favor of partition meant partition of the Province. Bengal therefore was doomed to the operation of partition. In the Punjab the Assembly; then the members from the Muslim majority areas of the Western P[Punjab gave verdict against partition by 69 votes to 27, but by partition was made certain when the members from the non-Muslim majority areas of the East Punjab decided in favor of division by 50 votes to 22.
The Sind Legislative Assembly met on 26 June and decided by 30 votes to join a new Constituent Assembly. In Baluchistan the Shahi Jirga nad the non-official members of the Quetta Municipality met and unanimously decided to join a new Constituent Assembly. The referendum in Sylhet was held in early July and a majority voted in favor of separation and joining East Bengal.
The North-West Frontier Province was the last areas to record its decision. British officers of the Indian Army with experience of the Frontier were appointed to conduct the referendum, under the Referendum Commissioner, Brigadier J.R Booth. The referendum was held from July 6 to 17, and resulted in 289, 244 votes for joining Pakistan against 2,874 for remaining in India.
Thus by free votes of its own people or their elected representative all the Muslim majority areas declared they in favor of Pakistan.
