Introduction
The history of struggle for Indian independence cannot be imagined without considering the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah Mahomedali Jinnabhai reverently addressed as Quaid-E-Azam as well as Baba-E-Quam in Pakistan. He was born in Karachi on twenty fifth December 1876. Very little is known of his siblings except Fatima who cared for him in his last days. His second wife was a Parasi young fashionable lady namely Rattanbai Petil, twenty four years yonger to him. She was daughter of his friend Sir Dinshaw Petil. The marriage was widely criticized by the Parsis as well as Jinnah's relatives. Jinnah also got a taste of his own medicine when his daughter Dina also married a Christian against his well. She even retorted that she had just followed the example of her own father. The relations between the father and daughter were far from normal.
Brief life history
Jinnah was no doubt a man of firm determination. Although he was a firm secularist in his early life, later experience convinced him that the Muslims would not get due space in Hindu India. Hence he became not only a supporter of separate homeland for Muslims but also founder and key architect of new state- Pakistan carved out of undivided India. He even sacrificed his health for the cause of Pakistan. He suffered from deadly disease tuberculosis known only to his sister Fatima and some others. He delibrately kept this secret for the sake of his aim. He knew that others would take undue advantage.of his sickness. His fear was very true. Many years later, Mountbatten stated that if he had known Jinnah was so ill, he would have stalled, hoping Jinnah's death would avert partition.
After long and bitter struggle, finally on third June 1947, the announcement of creation of state of Pakistan was formally announced on Radio by Mountbatten, Nehru, Jinnah and Sikh leader Baldev Singh. Although not in script, Jinnah concluded his address with 'Pakistan Zindabad". Jinnah went from Delhi to Karachi in Mountbatten's plane. On 14th August, Pakistan became independent. Jinnah was appointed first Governor General of Pakistan. Despite his poor health, Jinnah worked tirelessly for consolidation of Pakistan, supervising refugee rehabilation. Pakistan had to cope with problems of staff shortage as many employes had gone to India or back to Britain. Pakistan had also to get share of assets in undivided India.
Jinnah died on Eleventh September 1948, just a year after formation of Pakistan.
A brilliant career
Jinnah was very successful in legal profession. at the age of twenty, he was offered salary of Rs. 1500/ P.M. In those days this amount was very attractive. But Jinnah refused this offer. He hoped to earn Rs. 1,500/- daily and he really did. There is a proverb- If you can kiss the queen, don't touch the maid. Jinnah meticulously followed this. If you accept anything lesser than what you deserve, you cannot rise high. But Jinnah was not greedy. He was just ambitious. The fee for legal service is not only income but also also a measurement of career success. As first Governor General, he accepted only token remuneration of Rupee one per month. Although he was meticulous in dress code, he was essentially simple. What is simplicity? Simplicity means that you adopt the normal practice. Wearing loin cloth is no simplicity. This is just a way to get attraction. Once Sarojani Naidu remarked that Gandhi's simplicity is very costly to the nation. Jinnah was simple in temperament. He was not interested in getting title like 'Sir' or 'Lord'. When Lord Reading Viceroy suggested knighthood, Jinnah just replied- "I prefer to be plain Mr. Jinnah".
He was very self confident and self respecting. British minister Edwin Montagu wrote in his memoirs that Jinnah was young, perfectly mannered, impressive looking, armed to the teeth with dialetics and insistent on the whole of his scheme. Once a magistrate said in the court- "Mr. Jinnah, remember that you are not addressing a third class magistrate". Jinnah promptly retorted- "My Lord, allow me to warn you that you are not addressing a third class pleader." One very famous case that he pleaded is known as 'caucus case'. It was alleged that a causus of Europeans rigged the Bombay Municipal elections so as to keep Pheroze Shah Mehta out of council. Jinnah could not win the case of Pherozeshah Mehta but this gave a boost to his career and image as a lawyer.
Western values
Jinnah was impressed by western life style and ideas of liberalism and democracy. He also adopted western dress. He was very particular about dress. However, in later years with shift to Islamic way of life, he adopted Achakan and Jinnah cap. He was for rule of law. He was a born aristocrat. He is known for liberal tipping in restaurants. He would never get back any balance after paying a bill. He would just give one note may be Rs. 100/- which was big in those days. Even if the bill were for Rs. twenty only, he would not wait to get back the balance. He was in the moderate group of congress that included eminent personalities like Dada Bhai Naoroji, the grand old man of India, Gopal Krishna Ghokhale and Pheroze Shah Mehta. He was opposed to the Khilafat movement in North Western Frontier province as well as the non cooperation movement of Mahatma gandhi. He considered these as anarchy. He was a firm believer in rule of law. He wanted independence through constitutional means. That is why British preferred him. During quit India movement, most Congress leaders were in jail. Then he got higher recognition by the British as sole leader of Muslim commuinity.
Believer in Rule of law and considered Satyagraha as anarchy
No doubt, non cooperation non violence was significant part of independence movement. However Jinnah viewed this as anarchy. In recent period, the views of Jinnah have assumed significance. We have witnessed many such movements by present day Gandhis in the national capital in the name of fighting corruption and introducing anti corruption legislation. If such trend is unabated, we are doomed to a state of chaos and anarchy. Jinna's criticism of Gandhian Satyagraha as 'anarchy' is not so unreasonable. If Gandhi could severely oppose the armed revolutionaries as 'terrorists', what is wrong if Jinnah considers the Gandhian Satyagraha as 'anarchic.'
Secularist and symbol of Hindu Muslim unity in early days
He was a secular in the beginning. He was considered a symbol of Hindu Muslim unity. He even opposed seperate electorates for Muslims although ironically he was elected as Bombay's Muslim representative on the imperial Mulim council from Muslim constituency. It is relevent to quote Gopal Krishna Ghokhale, who stated that "Jinnah has true stuff in him and that freedom from all sectarian prejudice which will make him the best ambassador of Hindu- Muslim unity."
It may be considered a paradox that despite his being an ambassador of Hindu Muslim unity by a great leader like Gokhale, he became a votary of Two nation theory and founder of a state based on religion carved out of united India. Such contradiction in his approach arises mainly from element of fear in the Muslim community. Though Jinnah did not particpate in religious rituals and was religiously neutral, he very much belonged to the Muslim community and shared all the fears. However, according to Akbar Ahmad, Jinnah rediscovered his own Islamic roots, his sense of identity, of culture and history, which would come increasingly to the fore in the final years of his life.". It is noticable that Jinnah put on Muslim dress in late 1930s.
Political activities
Jinnah started his political career in Congress. He was member of the Home League formed in 1916 for securing more rights to Indians in adminsitation. The League aimed only for getting a dominion status within the British Empire. Later when Congress opted for complete independence and adopted Satyagraha movement, Jinnah opposed. The tide was against him. Jinnah was shouted down. He left Congress in disgust. Then onwards, he was only in Muslim League.
He did not find favor with Simon commission report that denied Indians any role in mater of constitutional reforms. In 1928, British government accepted the view that Indians be involved in framing own constitution. Moti Lal Nehru committee submitted a report outlining the proposed constitution. India would be a dominion within the British Commonwealth. The structure would be federal. There would be division of functions between center and the states. The residuary powers would be with center. Language of the state would be Indian viz. Hindi, Tamil etc but English would also be used. There would be secularism and no separate religion based constituencies but there would be reservations of seats proportionate to population. Three round table conferences were held but there could be no agreement. Jinnah did not accept the Simon Commission and Moti Lal Nehru report as these did not adequately safeguard the interets of Muslims. Apart from Muslim League, Khilafat also did not accept the Nehru report.
Jinnah submitted fourteen points that included separate constituencies based on religion and that residiuary powers in the constritution should be with states and not center. Jinnah understood that Muslims were in minority in India and so the states should have more power. The Muslim majority states of Punjab and North Frontier Province could enjoy more autonomy and power if the fourteen points were accepted. The Congress leaders did not favorably consider the Jinnah's fourteen point programme. No doubt this inability of the Congress to consider Jinnah's fourteen points was a significant factor that led to partition of India. In fact fourteen points were a precondition for United India. All that Jinnah required was that there be seperate electoral lists for each community on basis of population. This would ensure that minorities would get due representation in legislature according to respective population. The Congress leaders did not favorably consider Jinnah's fourteen points.
Refusal by Congress to give any heed to fourten points of Jinnah led to frustration. Moreover the Congress provincial governments did not understand the culture and aspirations of Muslims in their jurisdiction. There were many in Congress for whom Hindi and ban on cow slaughter were important. Congress did nothing to restrain the supposedly Hindu oriented leaders in its ranks. Naturally, the Muslims felt insecure.
The creation of Pakistan state goes more to the credit of noted poet Iqbal. In 1930, Muhammad Iqbal called for a state for Muslims in India. There was exchange of leters between Iqbal and Jinnah. Iqbal persuaded Jinnah to be more active. Jinnah spared no efforts to accomplish the creation of Pakistan. In February 1940, a formal resolution demanding separate state of Pakistan was adopted in Lahore. Two nation theory was the basis of carving state of Pakistan out of India. The theory simply means that Hindus and Muslims are distinct nations even though living in same territory.
The reaction of Congress leaders to the Lahore resolution was very aggressive though Gandhi was somewhat restrained. Pt Nehru referred to the Lahore resolution as 'Jinnah's fantastic proposals whereas C. Rajagopalachari considered this "a sign of a diseased mentality". In absence of any reconciliatory attitude, Jinnah's campaign for Pakistan became more aggressive. Jinnah commented- "Pakistan is a matter of life or death for us." Muslim League won all seats reserved for Muslims in Constituent Assembly. The Muslim League polled 75% of the Muslim vote. Jinnah's biographer Bolitho views that- "This was Jinnah's glorious hour: is arduous political campaigns, his robust beliefs and claims were at last justified." By end of 1946, The Muslim League came strongly in favour of a fully sovereign Pakistan with dominion status.
The British Government decided to transfer power to India latest by June 1948. The announcement of independence as well as partion of India was announced in a joint broadcast by Lord Mountbatten, Nehru, Jinnah and Sikh leader Baldev Singh. Jinnah concluded his address with the words- "Pakistan Zindabad".
The Punjab and Bengal assemblies opted for Pakstan. North west Frontier Province followed suit. Jinnah was appointed Pakistan's first Governor General. Significantly, even after partition of the country and formation of Pakistan- Muslim homeland, Jinnah was still secular at heart. He served interests of Muslim community but would not favor a state based on Islamic fundamentalism. He still hoped that state would have nothing to do with religion or worship, which was personal affair of citizens. He addressed the new constituent assembly of Pakistan in these words- " You are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in the state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or creed- that has nothing to do with the state." On 14th August 1947, Pakistan got independence. One observer commented on Jinnah- "Here indeed is Pakistan's King Emperor, Archibishop of Canterbury, speaker and prime minister concentrated into one formidable Quaid-E-Azam
Jinnah's role in problems of infant Pakistan
Pakistan suffered massively from unprecented riots/ massacre in the early period or formation of Pakistan. It may be correct to say that Jinnah could not be soley responsible for the massacres. May be situation was so bad and emotive that he could not control. British government also can't be considered absolutely blame free regarding massacres during the process of transfer of power. It will not be out of place to reproduce here the views of Christopher Beaumont, Radcliffe's private secretary that "Mountbatten must take the blame- though not the sole blame- for the massacres in Punjab in which between 500,000 to a million men, women and children perished."
Jinnah personally supervised the rehabilation of refugees. He also had to deal with the issue of division of assets between India and Pakistan. It will be relevant to point oiut here that Mahatama Gandhi had to threaten with fast unto death if Pakistan was not paid due share of assets. Pakistan was entitled to one sixth of assets in united India. The threat by Mahatma Gandhi to go on indefinite fast for payment of due proportionate assets to Pakistan led to his assasination. It goes to credit of Jinnah that he worked tirelessly for consolidation and placing Pakstan on sound footing despite his poor health.
In a radio broadcast addressed to people of U.S.A., Jinnah clearly said that he could not exactly say what the constitution of Pakistan would be but he was sure that this would be democratic as Islam itself is based on democratic values. In words of Jinnah- " The constitution of Pakistan is yet to be framed by the Pakistan Constituent Asembly. I do not know what the ultimate shape of the constitution is going to be but I am sure that it will be a democratic type embodying the essential principles of Islam. Today these are applicable in actual life as these were 1300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of man, justice and fair play to everybody. We are the inheritors of these glorious traditions and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations as framers of the future constitution of Pakistan."
On Jinnah's death, Pt Nehru stated: "How shall we judge him? I have been very angry with him often during the past years. But now there is no bitterness in my thought of him. Only a great sadness for all that has been. He succeeded in his quest and gained his objective but at what a cost and with what a difference from what he had imagined."
The Quaid E Azam rests in Mazar-e-Quaid mausoleum in Karachi. It will not be wrong to say that the state of Pakistan by itself is in memorium of Jinnah. To quote Mohiuddin- " He was and continues to be as highly honored in Pakistan as George Washington in the United states. Pakistan owes its very existence to his drive, tenacity and judgment. Jinnah's importance in creation of Pakistan was monumental and immeasureable."
Could Partition of India be avoided
Many blame Jinnah only for the creation of Pakistan and partition of India. We need give serious thought to the fact that Jinnah in spite of all his secularism ultimately was instrumental in division of the country. What appears is that Jinnah and Muslim League feared the majority community. If the Congress had seriously considered the apprehensions of minorities, partition of India could be avoided. The two nation theory may not be correct. In fact, Jinnah got support only in Bengal, Punjab and N.W. Frontier provinces. Most Muslims in India were with Congress.
Indian leadership denied the two nation theory but also acceted that there is unity in diversity. The phrase 'unity in diversity' recognizes the differences. It will be relevant to point out here that there were other divisiove tendencies also. There are still Sikh terrorists claiming Khalistan. These terroists were killing non Sikhs in Punjab. They also killed the police personnel. These activities necessitated Blue star operation to combat the Khalistani terrroists hiding and operating from golden temple. Indira Gandhi, Prime minister was killed by terrorists working as her body guards. This is just to bring home the point that Muslim League was not the only separist religious group.
There were some Hindu fundamentalist organizations working in the garb of religious and cultural organization. It is not correct to say that Jinnah and his Muslim League alone believed in two nation theory. Rashtriya Syayam Sewak Singh, described India as Hindu Rashtra. There were rank communal elements in Congress also for whom Hindu, Hindi and Hindustan were identical terms. Does Hindu Rashtra not mean that non Hindus are not genuine citizens but foreign elements. Often, the saffron organizations and even their sympatehizers in Congress proclaim that India has been under foreign rule for thosusand years. Rather they say that Hindus (not non Hindus) were under foreign rule for thousand years. They include the period of Muslim rule also as foreign rule. There was even move to bring the RSS members in the congress fold but assasination of Mahatma Gandhi put an end to such efforts. Their pet issues were promoting Hindi and banning cow slaughter. This alienated not only religious minorities but also non Hindi speaking south Indians. Consequently, Dravida Kazagam was established by Ramaswamy Naikar. The Dalits or scheduled castes were also ill treated by upper caste Hindus. It is also worthwhile to point out that the Hindus in Punjab were persuaded by the saffron groups to mention Hindi and not Punabi as mother tongue. This appears very bizare that a Hindu Punabi may disown his own mother tongue and mention Hindi as his mother tonguie. This resulted from the concept of Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan. It goes without saying that the apprehensions of Jinnah and Muslim Leagure were not so ill founded. Once Jinnah said- Every Indian is not Gandhi. He could trust Gandhi but not other Congress leaders.
It can be safely concluded that if the Congress had shown greater foresight and removed the apprehensions of Muslims and other minorities, division of India and creation of Pakistan could be avoided. Jinnah's demand for greater autonomy to states and restraining the Hindu communal forces could certainly help to keep entire nation united and avoid partition of India
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