Reuters: As India marks 70 years of partition, memories fresh of border bloodshed
AMRITSAR, India (Reuters) - India's independence from British colonial rule coincided with the partition of the subcontinent into two separate countries, setting off unprecedented communal carnage on both sides of the hastily created border.
A mass migration followed, marred by violence and bloodshed, as about 15 million Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, fearing discrimination, swapped countries in an upheaval that cost more than a million lives.
During the chaotic transition, train cars full of bodies arrived at railway stations in the twin cities of Lahore and Amritsar in the province of Punjab, which was split roughly down the middle at partition on Aug. 14, 1947.
As India prepares to mark 70 years of independence on Aug. 15, families who witnessed the death and destruction during partition recalled the tales of horror.
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Update: Pakistan marks 70 years of independence with pageantry, reflection (CNN)
WNU Editor: Here is an interesting comparison of the two conutries .... India and Pakistan at 70: their years of independence in charts (Financial Times).
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