Read the following passage and answer the questions (41-45):
”The British element is gone, but they have left the mischief behind”
It is no use saying that we ask for separate electorates, because it is good for us. We have heard it long enough. We have heard it for years, and as a result of this agitation we are now a separate nation ... Can you show me one free country where there are separate electorates? If so, I shall be prepared to accept it. But in this unfortunate country if this separate electorate is going to be persisted in, even after the division of the country, woe betide the country; it is not worth living in. Therefore, I say, it is not for my good alone, it is for your own good that I say it, forget the past. One day, we may be united ... The British element is gone, but they have left the mischief behind. We do not want to perpetuate that mischief. (Hear, hear). When the British introduced this element they had not expected that they will have to go so soon. They wanted it for their easy administration. That is all right. But they have left the legacy behind. Are we to get out of it or not?
According to the speaker, what was the consequence of the policy of a separate electorates?
Correct Answer :
The partition of India
Solution :
Correct Option: The partition of India
Explanation:
Let us analyze the passage to understand the speaker's argument step-by-step:
1. Identification of the core subject: The speaker is addressing the legacy of "separate electorates" introduced during British colonial rule.
2. Analysis of the consequences mentioned: The speaker notes that as a result of the agitation for separate electorates, "we are now a separate nation". This directly refers to the division or partition of the country into separate nations (India and Pakistan).
3. Contextual evidence: The speaker explicitly mentions, "...even after the division of the country, woe betide the country; it is not worth living in." The phrase "division of the country" is synonymous with partition.
4. Conclusion: Based on the text, the consequence of persisting with the policy of separate electorates was the creation of a separate nation, which refers to The partition of India. Therefore, this option is the correct answer.
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