Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins

It is a book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. It was first published in 1975. It describes the last days of the British Raj in India leading up to Indian independence, the partition, and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The title of the book is a reference to the famous Tryst with destiny speech the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gave at midnight, August 15, 1947 when India gained its independence.

The duo of Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins enjoy a formidable and well-deserved reputation as narrators of history. While not quite historians, their books like O Jerusalem and Is Paris Burning are second to none when it comes to in-depth research and engaging prose. Freedom at Midnight is another example of writing by the team.

The book starts with the appointment of Lord Mountbatten as the viceroy of India. Freedom from the British is all but won, but the spectre of communal violence between Hindus and Muslims has raised its head and it seems that nothing short of the Mahatma’s (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi), direct intervention will stop it. From here on the book can be divided into three parts-the events leading up to the decision to partition India into India and Pakistan, the Partition and its aftermath, shaping of the new India and the assassination of Gandhi.

The first part provides insights into the man Louis Mountbatten and how he came to be the viceroy. The authors had the story from the horse’s mouth as Lord Mountbatten freely agreed to interview for them and share his notes and documents. This part also describes the various Indian political leaders as Mountbatten saw them. He interacted extensively with the Indian leadership and describes them all colourfully and with a decidedly British wit.

The second part brings the actual execution of the decision of partition and its consequences. The partition of India into India and Pakistan, the splintering of 3000 years of co-existence, the ensuing mass migration, and the religious genocide on both sides of the newly fashioned border is recorded with the compassion it deserves. They have the advantage of being impartial, and they use it by looking history in the face and recounting the events fairly, no matter how twisted their later tellings have been. This part is also where the authors their distinctive style – choosing some individuals and tracking them through the entire narrative while the bigger picture is laid out in the background. Thus they transform their historical story into a story of the masses, those with least ambitions but the most to lose.

The third part is the story of an infant nation taking its first steps.. The text is reminiscent of colonial authors like Kipling when it takes on the princely semi-independent states and the excesses of their rulers. The fascinating, exotic India still lived in these states in 1947, and the authors bring it to life brilliantly. The story of how the Pakistan army regulars mixed with hill tribesmen invaded the Kashmir valley in 1948 and the ensuing merger of Kashmir into India is as thrilling a tale of geopolitics as any other and the authors, having access to the very bureaucrats who negotiated the merger, do it complete justice.

There are places where the authors lose their neutrality and display a bias towards the west and the western. Here they are just as slightly deferential toward Lord Mountbatten as they are dismissive towards the Indian leadership. Nothing overt, but the slight undertones are evident. Some of the events of the Indian Freedom movement could have been treated in a less cavalier manner. Calling the Quit India Movement a “short bloody outburst” isn’t the best way to describe an event widely regarded as seminal in India’s history. Or maybe it’s just me being an Indian. Either ways, these are minor arguments against a largely fair treatment of history.

Freedom at Midnight is an excellent bitter-sweet recounting of India’s tryst with freedom and destiny. The roots of some of what happens in India today can be found in the summer of 1947 and thereby in the pages of this book. If that isn’t enough reason for you to read this book, check this out - did you know that even after India was free; it was Lord Mountbatten who called the shots in Indian administration for some time. No? Read this book to find out why!

I recommend reading this in conjunction with Shashi Tharoor’s The Great Indian Novel.