NEW DELHI, April 9 : In a powerful address at the News18 “Rising Bharat Summit 2025”, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh did not mince words, calling the Partition of India “possibly the greatest blunder in recent world history.”
Lambasting the political ambition of just individuals, Nehru and Jinnah, fostering the idea of partition, Dr Jitendra Singh asserted that there was no public demand for such division and even the Muslim intelligentsia had opposed the idea of partition.
Declaring that the division was not demanded by the people, but orchestrated by two men — Nehru and Jinnah — in a bid to secure power, and the ambition of these two individuals was ably exploited by the British Empire.
“There was no public demand. No yearning. Partition was the result of the personal ambitions of two leaders who couldn’t share power. And the British made the most of it,” Dr. Jitendra Singh asserted.
He revealed that a three-way split — Hindustan, Pakistan, and ‘Princestan’ — was originally envisaged and would have materialized had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel not intervened.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled the horrific aftermath of Partition — the largest population exchange in human history, massive bloodshed, and decades of poverty that followed. He questioned the legitimacy of the Two-Nation Theory, noting that Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan exposed the hollowness of that ideological foundation.
“Even the Muslim intelligentsia opposed the idea of partition. The Progressive Writers’ Forum rejected it. But no one listened,” he said.
He also spoke of Balochistan’s ongoing resistance, discontent in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, and Radcliffe’s own admission to his stepson that the division was a mistake.
Calling Out Post-Partition Failures and Decades of Appeasement,Dr. Jitendra Singh delivered a searing critique of post-partition governance, listing three historic blunders namely the Article 370, which he said failed to bring peace to J&K, Mishandling of China, resulting in aggression despite diplomatic efforts and the Non-Aligned Movement, which he noted lost relevance even in Nehru’s tenure.
“For decades, appeasement politics strangled India’s true potential. It was BJP and leaders like Syama Prasad Mookerjee who stood for justice for all — appeasement for none,” said Dr. Singh. he further highlighted that “Appeasement stunted India. BJP’s mantra is justice for all, appeasement for none.”
Dr. Jitendra Singh celebrated the Modi government’s “politics of performance over vote bank”, citing examples of development in neglected colonies where minorities now receive basic amenities and PM Awas Yojana homes.
“Modi ji has transformed Indian politics. No citizen is judged by caste or religion — only by need. Antyodaya drives our delivery: we reach the last man first,” he emphasized.
On PM Modi’s vision for India@2047, Dr. Jitendra Singh called this “the best of times for India.” He highlighted major strides such as the StartUp Ecosystem: From 350 startups in 2014 to India being 3rd globally today.Reverse Brain Drain: Indian Youth abroad now seek opportunities in India and plans to return.
Specifically, the Employment Reforms: Abolition of interviews to level the playing field.Democratization of Civil Services with Children from Punjab, Haryana, and J&K now crack top ranks, breaking the old monopoly. He mentioned that in the last decades the self esteem among the youth has risen along with significant rise in their aspirations.
The Minister also praised the government’s efforts toward women’s empowerment, noting that girls have topped the UPSC exam in recent years, and are now leaders in entrepreneurship and education.
As Minister of Space, Dr. JitendraSingh shared India’s bold space ambitions and stated “We will land an Indian on the Moon by 2040 and build our own Bharat Space Station by 2035. The sectors such as Space and Nuclear energy which operated under the garb of Secrecy for several decades have now been opened for private sector synergy.
