Jinnah & Hindu - Muslim Unity

The founding of Pakistan by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah so greatly dominates his political life and career that his other roles are bound to be ignored. One important role which Jinnah played in the politics of India was for the achievement of unity between the Hindus and Muslims by bringing about some understanding between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League. In fact, for more than two decades Jinnah was known more for this role than for any other. It will be recalled that Gopal Krishna Gokhale expressed the view 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.”1 Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, who compiled Jinnah’s speeches and writings in 1918 gave the volume the sub-title An Ambassador of Unity and wrote that Jinnah stood “approved and confirmed by his countrymen not merely as an ambassador, but as an embodied symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.”2 Similarly, Jawahar Lal Nehru, who strongly differed from Jinnah on several political issues, wrote in 1936 that Jinnah had been “largely responsible in the past for bringing the Moslem League nearer to the Congress.”3 The fact is that Jinnah continued to work for unity between the Hindus and Muslims until he was convinced early in 1940 that the Hindu leaders were not at all prepared for any kind of understanding. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this aspect of Jinnah’s political life.

Quaid-e-Azam Par Buhtaan Laganay Walay [Urdu article]

!!!قائد اعظم پر بہتان لگانے والے

Quaid-e-Azam with his party's working committee - 1946

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The Cabinet Mission holds talks with the Quaid - 1946

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Nawab Bahadur Yar Jang with the Quaid

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Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan

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Quaid-e-Azam arriving for the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution - 1940

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Statues of Fatima Jinnah and Quaid-e-Azam at the National Heritage Museum, Islamabad

Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry with foreign delegates of the International Judicial Conference evince interest in the statues of Fatima Jinnah and Quaid-e-Azam at the National Heritage Museum at Shakkarparian in Islamabad .
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Quaid-i-Azam: Kashmir The “Jugular Vein of Pakistan.”

By Dr Raja Muhammad Khan

Quaid-e-Azam in Kashmir

Quaid-i-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is among the few leaders of the 20th century, who are recipients of the greatest tributes. While, Sir Aga Khan considered him “the greatest man he ever met”, Mr. Nichols, the author of `Verdict on India’, called him “the most important man in Asia.” Other gauged him as “an outstanding figure of 20th century not only in India, but in the whole world.” Since a lot has been said, and written about the Quaid’s unparallel commitment with people of Kashmir and Kashmiri cause, the fact remains that, the first ever Muslim Political party of sub-continent the; “All India Muslim League” was formed in 1906, at the residence of a Kashmiri of Bengal, Sir Salimullah Khan. Above all, the greatest Philosopher, poet and Scholar Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a Kashmiri himself, initially sponsored the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of Sub-continent in 1930. He also made it clear that, the dream of Muslim India would be incomplete without the freedom of the Islamic State of Kashmir. In a way, it was the formal announcement of Kashmir as an inalienable part of the new ideological Muslim State in Sub-continent, Pakistan.

Quaid-e-Azam, Fatima Jinnah and the Liaquats in Kashmir

As revealed through the available archives, Quaid-i-Azam, visited Kashmir at least four times. First time, Quaid visited Kashmir 1926. Apparently, it was a private visit to spend few holidays in Kashmir, but, practically, this visionary leader had used the visit to assess the socio-economic condition of the people of Kashmir, under the cruel rule of Maharaja Hari Singh. Indeed, there was no political awakening in the State, nor Kashmiris could form political parties. Earlier, once some noted Kashmiris dared to submit a memorandum to the Viceroy of India, demanding reforms in the educational and economic sectors, and to redress the grievances of Kashmiri masses, the Dogra Government in Kashmir victimized and tortured them. The Quaid uneasily watched this situation and later, got a special resolution passed in the All India Muslim League Working Committee session held in Lahore in 1926. The unanimously passed resolution drew the attention of the Maharajah’s Government towards the educational and economic backwardness of the Muslims of Kashmir and requested him to improve the living standard of the Muslim masses, forming bulk of the population. Quaid again visited Kashmir in 1929, and met with some salient leaders of the state. Both these visits remained low profile and to watch the situation there.

Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan - Was the prime minister conniving against the Governor General?

While Liaquat Ali Khan is generally regarded as Jinnah's right hand man, this may not be entirely true. Dr Hamida Khuhro's biography of her father reveals that Jinnah told Mr Khuhro "The prime minister (Liaquat) is average while the remaining cabinet is below average". They are believed to have differning opinions on the issue of minorities.

When Mr Jinnah was convalescing in Ziarat, only 2-3 weeks from his death, Liaquat Ali Khan and Chaudhry Muhammed Ali arrived unannounced one evening. "Do you know why they have come" Jinnah asked his sister and dismissing one of her theories replied "They have come to see whether I will live or die". Shortly after the visit Mr Jinnah told his physician that it did not matter whether he lived or died.

When Mr Jinnah arrived in Karachi on the last day of his life (11 September 1948), an ambulance sent to him wihout fuel, which hastened his end. The Prime Minister had been adivsed by the Military Secretary of the Governor General not to come to the aerodrome. Indeed the Prime Minister reached the Governor General's house after his soul had departed his frail body. Two pages from Miss Fatima Jinnah's book 'My Brother' were censored out while his physician's book was proscribed in 1948 only to be released in 1976 on Mr Jinah's birth centenary. Here the two are seen easing their tension through nicotine.

Credit: Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi

Transfer of power: Quaid-e-Azam addresses the Constituent Assembly, 14 August 1947

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Quaid-e-Azam acknowledging the crowd -1940

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M A H Ispahani and Khwaja Khairuddin with the Quaid

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Sir Abdullah Haroon listens to the Quaid addressing the Sindh Muslim League Session, 1938

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The All India Muslim League Session in 1936

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The Partition Agreement is reached - 3rd June, 1947

Clockwise from left: Abdur Rab Nishtar, Baldev Singh, Acharya Kirpalani, Vallabhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Louis Mountbatten, Mohammed Ali jinnah, and Liaquat Ali Khan. The butcher of Gurdaspur Lord Ismay is seated at the back.

Quaid-e-Azam with Liaquat Ali Khan - London, 1946

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Quaid-e-Azam saluting the crowd with Nehru

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Quaid-e-Azam with Gandhi - 1945

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Quaid-e-Azam with Ayub Khan, Dhaka 1948

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