Meera, a college student in Delhi, is reading letters her great-grandfather wrote between 1946 and 1948. One letter describes crowds singing in the streets on a morning in mid-August 1947. A few weeks later he writes about the family next door, Muslims and old friends of his own family. They sit up late night after night, talking in low voices, unable to decide what to do. Another letter recalls the naval ratings who had risen in Bombay a year earlier. A later letter speaks of rulers of distant kingdoms, still on their thrones.
Families like the one next door in the letters faced what has been called a cruel choice. Which of the following describes that choice?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Facing sudden death or shrinking chances at home, or being torn from age-old roots
Option (1) Living under a ban on their faith, or handing their lands over to the state — Incorrect. Faith itself was left free. The fear came from violence and lost chances at home.
Option (2) Taking up arms for their own community, or seeking shelter in British army camps — Incorrect. The real choice lay between staying in danger and leaving home for good.
Option (3) Facing sudden death or shrinking chances at home, or being torn from age-old roots — Correct. Muslims in India, and Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, faced the threat of sudden death or squeezed opportunities if they stayed, and a forcible tearing away from age-old roots if they left. Millions became refugees.
Option (4) Losing their right to vote at home, or paying a special tax as a religious minority — Incorrect. Minorities kept their vote and paid no special tax. The hard choice came from violence and the danger of staying.
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