Daily Times

Post the battle of 1857, popularly known as “War of Independence,” the Union Jack was raised on New Delhi and the British became the legitimate potentates of the subcontinent.

The East India Company, which was introduced on December 31, 1600, was incipiently intended to trade goods between Britain and the subcontinent.

Later, it started to take an interest in politics. Considering the wrecked situation of Muslim rulers during the era, it could be said blatantly that they were responsible for the Mughal Empire surcease. Different battles were fought, but of no otiose and at last, the British took control over the subcontinent, which they used to call “Golden Sparrow.”

The eighteenth and the early nineteenth century is tantamount to “Dark ages” for the subcontinent. The most lethal blow went to Muslims after the British palm, as the latter considered the former amenable for rebellion against them. The Hindus went close to White, were already in majority and now they wanted to put all the onus on Muslims. There was no one disposed to marshal Muslims at that time.

After some 50 years, in 1906, Muslims gathered at Dhaka to discuss the rotten and flotsam condition of Muslims under the command of Viqar ul Mulk. It was emphasised that the Muslims needed a political party to represent themselves on a national level. Muslim League was founded and Sir Agha Khan was honoured its first President though he didn’t attend the inaugural session.

The eighteenth and the early nineteenth centuries are tantamount to Dark Ages for the subcontinent

The primary impetus of the Muslim League was to annihilate feelings of animosity for the government among Muslims, to forfend Muslims’ rights and demand a respectable representation of Muslims in Parliament. The Minto Morley Reforms and later, the Simla Conference further paved the way for Muslims representation, where it was decided to give electoral representation to Muslims.

The partition of Bengal and later its unification, again on the pressure of Hindus, made clear to Muslims that this Hindu-Muslim consortium would no longer outlive in the upcoming years owing to vast differences between Muslims and Hindus and due to unjust and prejudiced behaviour of English government. This was despite Quaid’s effort to bridge the gulf between Hindus and Muslims after he took leadership of Muslim league in 1916.

WW1 started in 1914 and Turkey decided to stand with the axis. As events unfolded, the Allies started to squelch the axis more and more. Britain deprived Turkey of many areas at the Eastern coast. Turkey was a proud Ottoman Empire at that time and Turkish Caliph used to call themselves caliphs of Muslim Ummah. The Khilafat movement was launched by Johar brothers which aimed to preserve the remaining prestige of Turkey and clamoured that no harm should be done to Holy places of Muslims.

The Nehru report was given by Nehru in 1928. The report demanded a Dominion state that could live like a federation under the crown of British. M. Ali Jinnah nixed the report in a hard tone and gave a felicitous response by presenting his 14 points in 1929. The main points were that Muslims representation should not be less in the legislative body, Sindh should be separated from Mumbai and reforms should be introduced in NWFP.

In 1930, Allama Iqbal gave a historical harangue at Illah Abad and demanded a separate state for Muslims consisting of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Northern Western territory. Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah—a leader born after centuries and a man of nerves—took charge of Muslims and started to struggle for it. A dream seen by the Great Iqbal must be brought to reality and none could do it better than M. Ali Jinnah. In 1933, Chaudhry Rahmat Ali suggested the name ‘Pakistan’ for the new homeland which was accepted widely.

M Ali Jinnah returned to India in 1934, but this time, he was a completely different person. He inhumed his motto of Hindu-Muslim coherence somewhere deep in deserts of Europe and came back to work for the betterment of Muslims. He ascertained the gravity of an autonomous state for Muslims, but it was too early to make it public before doing mandatory homework. This led to an epoch of struggle for the Pakistan movement. To draw public engrossment and galvanise them join Muslim League he abated the joining fee of the party from four rupees to two anas.

The three round table conferences in 1929/30/31 respectively yielded no fructuous aftermath so British ordered to frame new legal act for India. The “House of commons” discussed the bill for 43 days and ‘House of Lords’ for 13 days and after being passed by the King, it was enforced as Government India Act 1935. Though both the Muslims and Hindus glaringly outcasted the act but took part in 1936-37 elections where Congress came out triumph in the majority of seats and left Muslims with no option rather think for a separate homeland.

On a crispy spring day in March 1940, a group of Muslim leaders gathered to pass historical Pakistan Resolution in Minto Park–nowadays, Greater Iqbal Park.

Maulvi A K Fazul Haq presided over the meeting where it was unanimously agreed that the new homeland for Muslims is imperative. The Lahore resolution term was later supplanted by Pakistan resolution as the country celebrates it annually on March 23.

The 1945-6 general elections were a huge success for All India Muslim League as Muslims won all of their seats in National Assembly. The elections were by far the most substantial in the history of British controlled India for Muslims. The aftermath of elections made obvious that the establishment of Pakistan would not be a fantasy for too long.

An official strategy was promulgated to mark boundary lines for the new sovereign states–to be declared on August 15– on June 3 by Lord Mountbatten and Sir RedCliff was summoned to do the task.

Sir Redcliff had served as information minister for British during WW2 and had not much information about India’s geography. Punjab and Bengal were to be partitioned between India and Pakistan. Radcliffe boundary line gave India a way to Kashmir–a disputed territory claimed by both countries–and thus, resulted in three major wars between the two nuclear sides.

The Indian Independence Act was passed on July 18,according to which two self-ruling states would spring-up on the map of the world on 15th August 1947.

As it would be impossible for Lord Mountbatten to be present at both ceremonies on 15th of August, he came to Karachi and transferred the power to Quaid e Azam on 14th August which resulted in the creation of Pakistan.

“Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”Stanley Wolpert.

“You will have to make up for the smallness of your size by your courage and selfless devotion to duty, for it is not life that matters, but the courage, fortitude and determination you bring to it,” said M Ali Jinnah. Jinnah’s devotion, fortitude, determination finally brought people of subcontinent their sweetest fruit in the shape of Pakistan.

As we celebrate the 73rd Independence Day, it’s upon us to look into ourselves and decide whether Jinnah’s Pakistan went the way he wanted or not. Perhaps Jinnah would have been disappointed if he were alive today.

The writer is a social and political analyst and works as a doctor at KEMU