Direct Action Day

E52703

Direct Action Day was a 1946 political protest in British India called by the Muslim League that led to widespread communal riots in Calcutta, significantly intensifying tensions that preceded the Partition of India.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf communal riot
historical event
political protest
alsoKnownAs Great Calcutta Killings
surface form: Calcutta Killings of 1946

Great Calcutta Killings
calledAs day of mass protest
general strike
calledBy Muhammad Ali Jinnah
cause Muslim League demand for a separate Muslim homeland
Muslim League rejection of the Cabinet Mission Plan implementation
political deadlock between Muslim League and Indian National Congress
cityNowKnownAs Calcutta
surface form: Kolkata
colonialPower United Kingdom
countryAtTime British India
date 1946-08-16
deathTollEstimate several thousand people
governingAuthorityAtTime Government of British India
surface form: British colonial government of India
historicalSignificance major precursor to the Partition of India in 1947
turning point in Hindu–Muslim relations in late colonial India
location Bengal Presidency
British India
Calcutta
opposedBy Hindu Mahasabha
Indian National Congress
organisedBy All India Muslim League
surface form: All-India Muslim League
partOf events leading to the Partition of India
politicalContext demand for Pakistan
end of British colonial rule in India
primaryCommunitiesInvolved Hindu diaspora
surface form: Hindus

Muslims
provincialGovernmentAtLocation Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy ministry in Bengal
region Bengal
relatedTo Bihar riots of 1946
Cabinet Mission negotiations
surface form: Cabinet Mission Plan

Noakhali riots
Partition of India
creation of Pakistan
result escalation of violence in Bengal
intensification of communal tensions
large-scale Hindu–Muslim violence
mass displacement of civilians
subsequent communal riots in Noakhali and Bihar
thousands of deaths
widespread communal riots in Calcutta
slogan Direct Action
timePeriod final phase of British rule in India
violenceType communal violence
year 1946

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Partition of India relatedEvent Direct Action Day