Is this related to Canadian history?

Question:

Hey guys,
Just wondering if anyone knows if the partition of India & Pakistan is related to Canadian history in any way at all?

Answer:

Only indirectly. Both Canada and India (as well as the territory that would become Pakistan) were part of the British Empire prior to WWII. Canada, though, had already achieved a great deal of autonomy with "Dominion" status, whereas home rule in India was more complex and halting. However, the Second World War hastened both countries' desire for full independence.

In the case of India, nationalists had been increasingly pushing for independence since the late 1800s motivated by the perception that British rule was exploiting the Indian economy and undermining traditional Indian cultures. There was widespread resistance in India to Britain during the war, with some Indians (in Bengal) joining a Japanese-sponsored rebel army. British power was greatly weakened by 1945, and it was clear that British rule could no longer be forcibly upheld. This was the chief reason for Britain's hasty partition and departure from the Indian subcontinent in 1947.

Canada, on the other hand, did not experience a long resistance to British rule prior to WWII. Canadians were major and enthusiastic, at least initially, participants in the British war effort. However, British military planners tended to treat Canadians poorly, using them in costly attacks without giving Canadians much of a voice in setting strategy or politics. The worst example of this was the disastrous attack on Dieppe (along the cost of France) in 1942 -- an operation manned almost entirely by Canadians but planned largely (and badly) by British officers. Thousands of Canadians were killed or captured at Dieppe. Though Canada remained active in the Allied war effort until the surrender of Germany in 1945 (including fighting heroically in the D-Day invasion), many Canadians never forgot or forgave Britain for how they were treated during the war, particularly at Dieppe. As a result, Canadians widely demanded and quickly received independence from the British Empire.

So, the similarities between Canadian independence and the partition of the Indian subcontinent are limited. The events happened close to each other and shared a common root cause (WWII), but the context and specifics are very different.