CHAPTER IX

THE DIVIDED LAND

Eastern Bengal—Its rivers—Its fertility—Ancient weaving industry—Modern hand-looms—Growth of jute—Variable prices—Jute or rice?—Settlement and zemindars—Boycott on cotton and salt—Lord Curzon and the Partition—Alternative scheme—Useless protests against Partition—The Fast of Commemoration—Part cause of unrest—So-called sentimental objections—Separation from Calcutta—Sorrows of landlords—Conjunction with Assam—Fears of separation from Calcutta High Court 160