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Why did Jawaharlal Nehru reluctantly accept the partition of India?

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Jawaharlal Nehru, c. 1930s — Jawaharlal Nehru As India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was in office for more than 16 years, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s reluctant acceptance of the partition of India was driven by the pragmatic realization that the division of the subcontinent had become inevitable due to escalating communal violence.1

Following the 1937 provincial elections, a political rift between the Congress Party and the Muslim League hardened into a deep-seated conflict between Hindus and Muslims. This antagonism intensified over the following decade, culminating in widespread clashes in late 1946 that resulted in approximately 7,000 deaths.21

While Mahatma Gandhi remained steadfast in his refusal to accept the division of the country, Nehru concluded that the political situation had reached a point where partition was the only realistic path forward to achieve independence. Consequently, he acquiesced to the creation of Pakistan and India as separate states, a transition that was finalized on August 15, 1947.1