This three-page undergraduate essay examines the multitude of religious and political problems that have arisen on the Indian subcontinent since the withdrawal of the British in 1947. The author explains the tensions between the Muslims and the Hindus, the hatred and mistrust between the Sikhs and the Hindus, and discusses why these tensions have triggered decades of conflict. The essay concludes with the observation that as demeaning and unjust British colonial rule was for the people of the Indian subcontinent, at least the presence of the British prevented major bloodshed between Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs.