The events accompanying the partition of India may be classified as genocidal massacres. While there is no available evidence of the intent to annihilate entire ethnic, national, racial, or religious groups as such, the victims of the mass killings were clearly chosen by their killers on the grounds of their membership in such groups.

No authentic figures are available as to how many people were killed during and after the partition. Radha Kumar, writing on the subject, has estimated that half a million to a million people were killed and over fifteen million were displaced. Genocidal massacre characterized both sides of the divide. While Muslims killed Hindus and raped their women on the Pakistani side, Hindus killed Muslims and raped their women on Indian side.

Muslims made up 25 percent of India's population before partition. They had fought alongside Hindus during the 1857 "mutiny" against the British rulers and also...