The Punjab was experiencing major unrest leading up to partition. The province was directly ruled by Governor Evan Jenkins from March 1947 due to the breakdown of the elected government. In June 1947, the Punjab province was partitioned into East and West Punjab.

Governor of Punjab, Evan Jenkins, 1946

Source: Elliot & Fry, National Portrait Gallery, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Political disarray reflected the breakdown in communal relations. Inter-communal violence was on the rise and attacks were becoming increasingly co-ordinated. The government of Punjab was pressed to take a more active role in tackling communal violence through arrests of suspected militants. In one particular case implicating the Sikh leader Tara Singh in communal violence, Governor Jenkins advised against arrests in a bid to avoid further enflaming communal animosity.

Leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Tara Singh, 1956

Source: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

British inaction reflected the late-stage desire to avoid involvement in a fast deteriorating social order and impending humanitarian crisis.