CRD215 | Reading Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s “Pakistan or the Partition of India”

On March 23, 1940, the All-India Muslim League adopted the historic Pakistan Resolution, demanding the partition of India into two independent sovereign states. While the idea of a separate Muslim state had been quietly gaining momentum in some circles for a decade or so, the League’s resolution formalized this demand, compelling stakeholders to confront its implications and articulate their views on the matter. Among the many responsesfrom political leaders, legal experts, colonial officials and members of civil society, one stood out for its extraordinary depth, precision and intellectual rigor: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Pakistan or the Partition of India (first prepared as 1940 Report, published in 1941 as Thoughts on Pakistan, and republished in 1945 under its current title).

Although ostensibly focused on the question of partition, Pakistan or the Partition of India transcends its immediate political context. B.R. Ambedkar presents a compelling analysis of early 20th-century India, examining the people, ideas, and movements that shaped it. He deeply engages with a wide range of political and constitutional concepts, such as sovereignty, nationalism, federalism, minority rights, and pluralism, exploring their complex interplay within the Indian context. In both the breadth and depth of its socio-political analysis, the text has been likened to classics including Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1835) and Karl Marx’s The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (1852).

This course offers a collaborative forum for students to engage deeply with Pakistan or the Partition of India and explore themes such as religious pluralism, self-determination, and the rise of the nation-state. It examines the challenges of building and sustaining constitutional democracies in deeply divided societies—issues that remain relevant to contemporary India and the world. Further, the course builds on students’ broader engagement with Ambedkar’s constitutional and political thought.

The course begins with a survey of the political and constitutional developments leading up to the publication of Pakistan or the Partition of India and then delves deeply into the text. Its structure and sequencing broadly mirror Ambedkar’s chapter organization, enabling participants to follow and appreciate the progression of his arguments. The course concludes with the post-1940 evolution of Ambedkar’s constitutional and political thought, culminating in his interventions in the Indian Constituent Assembly.

As the title suggests, this seminar is designed for an in-depth exploration of a single primary text: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Pakistan or the Partition of India, which forms the foundation of the reading set, along with reliance on secondary literature. However, classroom discussions and the framing of each session will selectively draw on secondary sources introduced by the course instructor. Alongside the key text, other primary materials will include constitutional antecedent documents and proceedings from the Indian Constituent Assembly.

This is an advanced, interdisciplinary course that builds on the core constitutional law courses taken by law students and the foundational constitution courses completed by MPP students. It also offers an opportunity for students to deploy their learning from core social science course they have completed, towards a key moment in India’s constitutional and political history. The course will build on foundational knowledge in constitutional law, history, and political science.

The course is seminar-style and research-focused, requiring students to engage deeply with pre-assigned readings. Class sessions will provide a space for students to share their analysis, pursue interesting lines of inquiry, and collaboratively and critically evaluate the arguments presented in the readings. The course instructor will organize and facilitate discussions. The course’s evaluation elements including response papers and a term paper will encourage students to internalize and apply classroom learnings and discussions effectively.