The nation is celebrating the Independence Day of their hard-earned country, today to pay due tributes to its Founder and those who worked and rendered valuable sacrifices for the just cause of Muslims of South Asia amid the deplorable environment of lawlessness, acts of terrorism, and agony of loss of hundreds of lives as well as extensive devastation caused by widespread rains and floods.
However, these unfortunate serious national crises, including internal and external dangers to its sovereignty as well as recent tragic plane crash in Islamabad have not been able to remove people's love, enthusiasm and spirit to celebrate the national day.
British rule in India came to an end on the stroke of midnight of 14th August, 1947 (27th Ramazan, 1366), spelling the birth of two independent dominions of Pakistan and India, as well as ending nearly 350 years of British presence in India. Freedom from colonial rule, which is a most outstanding achievement of the Muslims of South Asia, also marked the successful culmination of the historic struggle of the Muslims for Pakistan, led by dynamic, charismatic, gigantic and exemplary leadership of their beloved and undisputed leader Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Quaid-i-Azam, who remained Indian Legislative Member since 1924 to 1947 and AIML President from 1934 to 1947, advocated the cause of the Muslims strongly and eloquently and gathered them under one flag of Muslim League. It was entirely due to his commitment as well as unflinching and determined efforts, supplemented by wide support and valuable sacrifices of the Muslims that within seven years of the adoption of Lahore Resolution, Pakistan emerged as an independent and sovereign State in the comity of nations.
Created to meet the demands of Indian Muslims for their own homeland, Pakistan was originally in two parts, the East Wing - now Bangladesh - is on the Bay of Bengal bordering India and Burma and the West Wing - present-day Pakistan - stretches from the Himalayas down to the Arabian Sea. However, due to both domestic political upheavals and regional confrontations, and wrong policies, corruption and misrule of those who ruled the country could not maintain its integrity, and their actions resulted into the unfortunate break-up of the two wings in 1971, when the mainly Bengali-speaking East Wing seceded with help from India.
Kashmir issue has been the flashpoint for two of the three India-Pakistan wars - those of 1947-8 and 1965. There was a further brief but bitter armed conflict on Kargil in 1999. Regrettably, the sound principles of governance, keeping national interest uppermost than provincial, regional interests and the traditions of selflessness, honesty and integrity, left behind by the Great Muslim leader, have not been followed by the vested interests and self-seeking ruling elite to the detriment of the country. One is saddened to observe that we have been ignoring the unity, faith and discipline motto of the Father of the nation who had gifted us a complete Pakistan. We, therefore, must make a promise to work determinedly for the national betterment and build a strong vigorous Pakistan as envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam.
M.A. Jinnah, who was gifted with the ability to foresee and analyse problems and offer solutions in the most effective manner, had stressed in a statement on the 24th of August, 1947 that Pakistan should be kept absolutely free from disorder because the outbreak of lawlessness is bound to shake its foundations and cause irreparable damage to its future.. He believed in one Pakistan and one people wedded to a great cause.
The Quaid, who firmly believed that the Muslims of South Asia as a nation had their distinctive culture, traditions, way of life, and moral as well as social values, struggled for the foundation of a separate homeland for the Muslims.
Quaid-i-Azam was not only led the Muslims of India but throughout his life he stood for the independence and freedom of the Muslim countries Due to his calibre, he emerged as a leader whose opinion Muslims respected and towards whom they looked for help, support and guidance.
He warned the countrymen to be aware of their enemies, who do not wish well to Pakistan, and would not like it to grow strong and powerful. In fact, they would like to see it destroyed and will welcome nothing better than that widespread disorders should break out within its borders, thereby causing administrative dislocation.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was not only a great leader and founder of Pakistan, but he was also a great man. The Quaid who was endowed with a character free from blemish, personally followed a highly disciplined regime of life.
Quaid-i-Azam could foresee the undesirable political upshot and he foreseeing the evil of ethnic prejudices had warned 'if we begin to think as Bengalis, Punjabis, Sindhis, etc first and Pakistanis only incidentally, then Pakistan is bound to disintegrate.
In an interview with a representative of the Associated Press of America, on November 8, 1945, he said politically, Pakistan would be a democracy and its component states or provinces would have autonomy. He did not expect that Pakistan would have a one-party government and that he would oppose one-party rule. "An opposition party or parties are good correctives for any party which is in power," he said.
On the occasion of the inauguration of the Pakistan Broadcasting Service: on August 15, 1947, the Quaid said 'if we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous, we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and the poor'.
The Quaid, who was a peace- loving man said "we want to live peacefully and maintain cordial and friendly relations with our immediate neighbours and the world at large. We have no aggressive designs against any one. We stand by the United Nations Charter and will gladly make our full contribution to the peace and prosperity of the world'.
The conception of Pakistan, ie separate homeland for the Muslims, has been traced back by the historians to the entry of Islam in the Sub-Continent and attributed to Muhammad bin Qasim, the first Muslim conqueror of Sindh in 711 a.d. to Sheikh Ahmad Sirhand (d.1624), to Shah Waliullah (d.1762) and later to Jamaluddin Afghani (d.1897).
The events of 1857 had a two-fold significance in the history of modern Muslim India. The British believed that the Muslims were responsible for the anti-British uprising of 1857 and therefore, they were subjected to ruthless vengeance.
By the end of the 19th century, several nationalistic movements had started in India. Indian nationalism had grown largely since British policies and their complete insensitivity to and distance from the peoples of India and their customs, created such disillusionment with them that the end of British rule became necessary and inevitable. The British had followed a divide-and-rule policy in India. The British were also still fearful of the potential threat from the Muslims, who were the former rulers of the sub-continent, ruling India for over 300 years under the Mughal Empire. There was also an ideological divide between the Muslims and the Hindus of India. While there were strong feelings of nationalism in India, by the late 19th century there were also communal conflicts and movements in the country that were based on religious communities rather than class or regional ones.
The social reformer and educator, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (d.1897), was the first to conceive a separate Muslim homeland and emphasise the fact that India was a continent rather than a country. He had pointed out that India was inhabited by peoples belonging to different races and were following different creeds. In fact as early as 1867, he had clearly foretold the separation of the two nations- Hindus and Muslims
Sir Syed taught the Muslims that education and co-operation with the British was vital for their survival in the society. He wished that Muslims` political awakening was imperative, and that the British must be cultivated as friends, and that it was not in the interest of the Muslims to join the Congress and develop its strength.
The compelling urge of the Muslims to organise themselves politically led to the founding of All-India Muslim League at Dacca in 1906 with the Aga Khan as its permanent President with the objective of safeguarding the Muslim interests, rights, articulating their demands and countering Hindu propaganda. Having defined the political goal for the Muslims of India, the Muslim League remained engaged in infusing objective awareness among the Muslim community about their future destiny and it strived with sustained vigour to organise them by fostering complete harmony and unity in their ranks.
The Nehru Report made the cleavage between the Hindus and Muslims wider than ever. This led to the formulation of the famous 14 points by Quaid-i-Azam in March, 1929, as the minimum points of Muslim demands, which sought to set up five stable Muslim provinces to balance the seven Hindu ones under a federal constitution with adequate checks and balances.
The ideological exposition of a state, based on nationalism, was provided by great poet- philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his presidential address to the 21st session of All India Muslim League at Allahabad in December 1930. Defining India as a "continent of human groups belonging to different races, speaking different languages and professing different religions, he believed the Muslims' demand for creation of a Muslim India within India" to be perfectly justified. He called for the Punjab, the North West Frontier province, Sindh and Balochistan to be amalgamated into a single state. To him the formation of a consolidated north-west Indian Muslim state, within or without the British Empire appeared to be the first destiny of the Muslims, at least of north-west India.
It is fortunate that the Muslims had a leader of the calibre of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who for years worked untiringly for Hindu-Muslim rapprochement in South Asia he was completely dismayed when at the Round Table Conferences, called by the British Government in London in 1930 and 1931, the Hindu delegates, including Mr Gandhi, broke up all chances of Hindu-Muslim agreement over a few seats for the Muslims in Bengal and Punjab. He was so despondent that he left India and settled down in England for some time. With the passing of the Government of India Act 1935, he returned to India fully determined to organise the Muslims to secure their rightful place in the body politic of India.
The elections of 1937 proved to be a turning point. The Congress obtained an absolute majority in six provinces, and the Muslim League did not do particularly well. A most dangerous situation was created for the Muslims by coming into office of Congress Ministries in the Hindu minority, which was hostile to the Muslims in spirit and action, and had launched a campaign of persecution, demoralisation as well as economic and cultural suppression against the Muslims.
The Quaid had skilfully exploited the congress mistakes and miscalculations and turned its every error of judgement into a political victory for the League, which was growing apace in popularity and power. He used that opportunity for improving the League's organization as well as raising its prestige. Party branches were opened in the Districts, tehsils and even in some villages. Besides, new Muslim student organisations were established and the old strengthened and streamlined.
In 1938, the first Sindh Provincial Muslim League, conference with M.A. Jinnah in the chair, demanded through a resolution, an independent federation of Muslim majority provinces and princely states, and recommended to the All India Muslim League to devise a scheme of constitution under which Muslims may attain full independence.
On the 18th October, 1939, the Viceroy Lord Linlithgow issued a statement after holding a series of talks with political leaders, including M.A. Jinnah, Gandhi and Nehru, defining the attainment of dominion status as the constitutional goal for India, indicating the British Government's preparedness to modify the Government of India Act in the light of the Indian leaders` views. The Quaid reaffirmed Muslim League`s demand for reconsideration of the Government of India Act of 1935 as a whole and insisted on the approval and consent of the two major communities, viz, Muslims and Hindus, before enactment of any constitution by the British Parliament or any declaration by the British Government in that regard.
In March 1940, after laborious attempts at Hindu-Muslim unity failed, addressing the delegates to the 27th annual session of the Muslim League on 23rd March, 1940 Quaid-i-Azam reaffirmed that the Muslims were a nation according to any definition of a nation and they must have their homeland, territory and state. He was then given the title of Quaid-i-Azam (supreme leader) by the Muslims of India.
At its historic session, the Muslim League unanimously adopted a Resolution, moved by Premier Fazlul Haq of Bengal, declaring that the areas of Muslim majority in north-western and eastern India should be grouped together to constitute independent states - autonomous and sovereign - and that any independence plan without this provision was unacceptable to Muslims. A Federation was rejected. The Lahore Resolution was often referred to as the "Pakistan Resolution".
The greatest and deadliest World War II in the annals of armed conflict between nations ended in August 1945 having lasted for about six years and claiming millions of human lives. Britain had emerged from the World War considerably weaker than the imperial power of the pre-War era. Therefore, it was apparent now more than ever before, that Britain was going to have to terminate before long its colonial rule in India, which had lasted in excess of 150 years already.
A special three- member Cabinet Mission, headed by Secretary of State Lord Pethick Lawrence, and Sir Stafford Cripps and Mr A.V. Alexander as members, which arrived on 24th March, 1946, published a statement on 16 May after talks with Indian leaders. The plan recommended that there should be a union of India, consisting of the British India and the Indian states, dealing with the subjects of foreign affairs, defence and communications while all other subjects and all residuary powers shall rest in the provinces. The plan recommended that constitution-making machinery be set up to frame the constitution.
On the 9th April, 1946, a convention of the newly-elected Muslim League Legislators of the central and Provincial Assemblies in Delhi passed a resolution, demanding that the Provinces of Bengal and Assam in the Nort-East and the Punjab, north-west Frontier Province, Sind and Balochistan in the north-West be constituted into an independent and sovereign state of Pakistan.
The interim Government was formed by the Congress members on 2nd September, 1946 as invited by the viceroy, and the Muslim League decided to join the 14-member Executive Council feeling that political power should not be left entirely into the hands of the Hindus as it would be fatal for the Muslims. The League Councillors were sworn in on 26 October, 1946.
The British Government made the famous statement on the 3rd June, prepared by the last viceroy of India Lord Louis Mountbatten regarding the mechanics of the division of the sub-Continent. On the 10th June, All India Muslim League Council adopted a resolution, stating although the council could not agree to the partition of Bengal and the Punjab, it accepts the fundamental principles of 3rd June Plan for the partition of India.
The Indian Independence Act was passed by the House of Commons on 15 July, 1947, and the House of Lords, the next day, to set up the dominions of Pakistan and India. It received the Royal assent on 18th July, 1947, and Pakistan emerged as an independent sovereign state on August 14, 1947.
Chronology of salient developments during British presence in India:
British East India Company is established (1600), First War of Independence (1857), The India Act (1858) under which power transferred to British Government. Indian National Congress founded in 1885. First Partition of Bengal (1905), Revocation of Partition of Bengal (1909), Lucknow Pact (1916), under which the Congress and the League unite to demand greater self-government. Rowlatt Acts (1919), passed over opposition by Indian members of the Supreme Legislative Council. Their passage causes further disaffection with the British and leads to protests.
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms announced in 1919 (implemented in 1921). These were a step to self-government in India within the Empire with greater provincialisation, based on a diarchic principle in provincial government as well as administrative responsibility. Communal representation, institutionalised for the first time as reserved legislative seats, were allocated for significant minorities. Gandhi launches a non-violent, non-cooperation movement, or Satyagraha, (1920) the Simon Commission set up in 1928 to investigate the Indian political environment for future policy-making fails as all parties boycott it.
The Round Table Conferences (1930-31), set up to consider Dominion status for India fail because of non-attendance by the Congress. The Third Round Table Conference (1932) boycotted by the Muslim League. Gandhi re-starts the civil disobedience Government of India Act (1935) proposes a federal India of political provinces with elected local governments with British control over foreign policy and defence. Cripps Mission to India, (1942) to conduct negotiations between all political parties and set up a cabinet government. Congress adopts Quit India Resolution to rid India of British rule. In 1942-43-Muslim League forms ministries in Sindh, Bengal and North-West Frontier Province and gains greater influence in the Punjab.
Unsuccessful Gandhi-Jinnah talks (1944). In the 2nd general elections on December 2, 1945, Muslim League win all 30 Muslim seats in the central Legislative Assembly and 440 out of 495 Muslim seats in the Provincial Assemblies in the provincial polls, held on 22nd February 1946. The new British Labour Government (1945) decides that India is strategically indefensible and begins to prepare for Indian independence. The Partition of India and Pakistan, (15 August, 1947), Radcliff Award of boundaries of the nations, (16 August).