Jinnah - Jaswant - Pakistan
Tapan Ghosh
What is the real truth regarding the partition of India or creation of Pakistan? Who was responsible for it? Is Jinnah responsible for the partition or not? Gandhi, Nehru, Patel -- are they all responsible for the partition of the country? Or is it the fact that they all are partially responsible! Only British imperialism is responsible? Was Jinnah really secular? In 1920, during Non- Cooperation & Khilafat movement, Gandhi sided fully with obscurantist Maulana Mohammed Ali and Saukat Ali and sidelined modern Jinnah. Was Gandhi’s neglect coupled with Nehru-Patel’s lust for power responsible for transforming the modern, progressive Jinnah to a separatist and Islamic fundamentalist? All these questions have cropped up from Jaswant Singh’s much published book “Jinnah, Partition and Independence”. It is a healthy sign and Jaswant deserves thanks for that.
Let us find the answers of these - one by one. The famous Pakistani historian Ayesha Jalal who currently teaches history in an American university has raised the question that whether it is possible for a single individual to divide and partition such a vast country! This question in all it’s perspective assumes significance. One single individual can’t partition such a vast country. Then, did British partition the country? Yes, of course. British did partition the country. But how could they succeed? Herein lies the answer as to how modern Barrister Jinnah got transformed into an ‘India baiter’ Jinnah. Whether Jinnah was secular or not is debatable, but definitely Jinnah was not an obscurantist. Advani and Jaswant have described Jinnah as secular. This is a half baked truth. Half-baked truth is more dangerous, more harmful than lies. Then, what is the real truth? As I am apolitical, I would like to bring forth the real truth to my readers.
The real truth is - Jinnah did not create Pakistan; Pakistan did create Jinnah. Jinnah did not divide India. Islam did. In Jinnah’s own words- “ The seed for Pakistan had been planted the very day when the first Indian man got converted to Islam.’’ When Congress refused the demand for Pakistan, Jinnah retorted, “A cab can be snatched away from forest, but the memory of forest is deeply inculcated/imprinted/implanted in it and can never be wiped out. You (Congress or Hindus) are refusing the demand of Pakistan today, but you can never wipe out the idea of Pakistan that is deeply implanted into every Muslim psyche in India.’’[source : Meaning of Pakistan - by F.A.Khan Durani].
That clearly vindicates the stand that each and every Muslim in India had a burning desire for Pakistan. This dream, this burning desire, this longing for Pakistan - Jinnah did not create it. Islam did. From early childhood each Muslim was sold the dream of ‘Dar-ul-Islam’. Islam has taught the creation of ‘Dar-ul-Islam’ in the whole world to be the only mission in life. This establishment of Shariat Rule has been ingrained to be a pious religious duty. This main teaching of Islam has been further bolstered by Indian history. This country has been ruled by the Muslim Nawabs and Sultans for around five and a half centuries (1192-1757). Thereafter, the British captured this country. So, India is deemed to be as ancestral property by the Muslim. They are the rightful owners of this country. The word ‘Pakistan’ is not very old. This phrase was coined by Rahamat Ali in London in 1930s. Immediately it struck the chord in every Muslim psyche. How come?
Pakistan is an Urdu word meaning ‘sacred place’.
Then is it the truth that India is not sacred to them? The very soil - where their forefathers were born, the very soil that has nurtured them - is that soil not dear to them? Is that very soil not sacred to them? Is that non-sacrosanct? So they need a separate sacred land! This is the very truth. This is what they long. That is the sole reason why the word ‘Pakistan’ struck to their mind and the moment this was word ‘Pakistan’ was coined - it had such ready acceptability among the Muslims of India.
This disrespect for one’s country, this disloyalty for one’s motherland - who has taught them? Jinnah? No, it is not Jinnah. This education has been imparted to them by Islam. It is not an isolated case for India. All over the World - Islam is teaching Muslims the same lesson. That is why Chechnya is a nightmare in Russia, Xin-Ziyang is a major conflict zone in China. There is no Jinnah in those places.
This is thus crystal clear that there was a fertile land for Pakistan in Muslim psyche. In that fertile land Gandhi, Surendranath, Chittaranjan tried to cultivate patriotism. They were sincere in their effort. But, they failed and they failed miserably. Their whole-hearted effort went down the chain. During the entire freedom movement, be it violent or non-violent, there was not a single Martyr amongst Bengali Muslims although they constituted 54% of population in Bengal. Hundreds of Martyrs cropped up from 46% of minority Hindus in United Bengal.
Jinnah started his political career in Congress. He was modern and progressive. He observed that he can not rise in Congress as long as Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are present in Congress. He also realized that being modern, patriotic, nationalist won’t help him at all in getting a foothold amongst Muslims. Muslims won’t be his followers. He was very much aware that nationalism and patriotism won’t pay him any dividend in his political career as they won’t bear any fruit as far as Muslim support is concerned. Then, for what Muslim psyche is fertile that would reap him a good dividend. He realized that Muslim psyche is very much fertile for communalism and separatism. That would simply yield golden crop. So Jinnah got tempted towards cultivation of that golden crop. That means, Jinnah did not create the fertile land for Pakistan. This fertile land was very much existent. I do repeat : this fertile land for Pakistan was very much existent that tempted Jinnah to drift. It was sheer greed for this fertile land that turned modern Jinnah into communal Jinnah and thus Jinnah became the notorious leader for this Pakistan movement.
So, Jinnah alone did not partition India. Islam did and Islam only did it. Every believer of Islam in India i.e. every Muslim did partition India.
This very truth is systematically and methodically distorted by few vested interest groups. The petro-dollar fed historians and media sing the same chorus. More vociferous are the vote hungry politicians.
They skip two undeniable facts: (a) In undivided India in 1946 before partition, an election was held. In that election there was only one issue. Congress wanted undivided India. Muslim league demanded Pakistan after division of the country. In that election 92% Muslims throughout the India supported Muslim League. So, partition of the country was not Jinnah’s dream alone - it was backed by overwhelming majority of Muslims of our country. So, the entire Muslim community of India is responsible for the partition of India.
(b) Those parts of India where Hindus were in vast majority and stood no chance of being included in Pakistan like Delhi, Mumbai, Madras, Bihar, UP, MP, Maharashtra etc- even Muslims from those parts also voted for Muslim League favouring Pakistan. They echoed the same view like their brethren in Bengal, Punjab and Sindh. So, the demand for Pakistan was the demand of all Muslims across the entire length and breadth of the country.
This demand for Pakistan was that of Islam. Jinnah, Salimullah, Surahwardy, Mujibar Rahman are as much responsible as a Muslim commoner from such distant places like Tamilnadu and Kerala. After that election, Jinnah confidently and logically retorted, ‘We have democratically proved to the whole world that demand for Pakistan is not backed by just a handful of Muslims but is a genuine demand of all Muslims of this land. We have further proved that Gandhi and Congress do not represent Indian Muslims. Muslim League is the true representative of all Muslims.’
National integration of India can’t be strong unless and until we recognize this very fact. If we refuse to accept this truth and take lesson from it, then hundreds of Kashmir will crop up throughout the country. Mother India will bleed white and we can’t come out of the clutch of dreaded scourge of communalism and separatism.
The Muslims of Kerala, TN, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal must be asked -- why did you vote for Pakistan that day? If Pakistan were your dreamland - why did you not migrate? Do you feel - you made a mistake that day? Then why do not you mention a bit of that? Why your political and religious leadership keep a mum over that? Why do you hesitate to sing ‘Vande Mataram’ even today? Why do you elate over Pakistan victory in a Cricket match? Why Pakistani flags are hosted in Kashmir, Assam and many other places in India?
They must be asked, if your decision for Pakistan was right, you should have migrated. If it were wrong, you should have apologized - an apology for slaughter of millions of Hindus, for rape of lakhs of Hindu women, for turning crores of Hindus into destitute, refugees. You should have apologized --unconditionally. Otherwise every Indian will believe that you will again divide India and create a new Pakistan, once the opportunity arises.
The established historic fact is - Jinnah did not create Pakistan, it was Islam that did it. 92% of Muslims catalyzed that process, not Jinnah alone. Jinnah just utilized that opportunity. Advani and Jaswant just eulogized Jinnah and did not speak the truth but only spoke half baked truth. Half baked truth is opportunist by nature and very misleading and dangerous. However, truth cannot be expected of Indian politicians. Had our politicians had integrity and honesty, our country would not have been in such a state of dire distress.
