Independence of Pakistan: The Political Struggle
The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed great political awakening in South Asia. In 1885, an Englishman Mr. Hume had already laid the foundation of The All Indian National Congress. This party provided a platform to those people who wanted to end foreign rule, but due to its Hindu majority, the Congress neglected the Muslims. The Muslims felt that in the present situation, there must a separate political representation for the Muslims. For this reason, they founded All India Muslim League in 1906. The main objective of the Muslim League was to present before the government the needs of the Muslims and to protect there political rights. The Muslims were the largest minority in the sub-continent and wanted to create a suitable environment where the minorities of India could live peacefully after the departure of the British because the democratic system introduced by the British will always favor the majority. For this reason, a demand of separate electorate was put forward by the Muslim league. This demand laid the foundation of Pakistan.
Initially, partition was not a considered as a solution. Everyone wanted to see India united. The League and the Congress took measures to have a unified stand on the independence of India. The first milestone in this effort was The Lucknow Pact, signed between the two parties in 1916, in which both the parties agreed for a combined struggle for independence. The important thing in this pact was that the Congress accepted the demand of separate electorate from the Muslim League and agreed to one-third representation of Muslims in the central legislature. This increased the importance of Muslims in the politics of the sub-continent. But this unity proved to be short-lived. In 1929, Motilal Nehru, an important Congress politician, drafted the Nehru Report in which the Congress backed out of all the points on which it agreed in the Lucknow Pact. This showed the Muslims that the Congress were only interested in the welfare of Hindu majority and wanted to be the only rulers of India.
In reply to Nehru Report, Quaid-e-Azam presented his famous 14 points in which he declared that unless these fourteen points are included in the constitution, any future government will not be accepted by the Muslims and the Muslim League. His fourteen points included the demands of provincial autonomy, one-third Muslim representation in central legislature, separate electorate, protection of rights of minorities and reforms to be introduced in the provinces of Baluchistan and frontier province. These points developed a new sense of political awareness in the Muslims of the sub-continent. Even the British realized that there rule over India was weakening and if they don't do any thing soon, the Indians will themselves throw them out of India.
In December 1930, Allama Iqbal presided over the annual session of All India Muslim League in Allahabad. He had, by that time, assumed the role of a leader and a great thinker of the Muslims. In his address, he explained that the Muslims and Hindus were two distinct nations and they could not live together in a single state. He proposed a separate nation for the Muslims in the North West of India, where the Muslim majority provinces could be constituted in an independent state. This proved to be a turning point in the struggle of the Muslim league. The Muslims of India realized that only a separate Muslim nation can properly safeguard there rights.
Meanwhile, the British arranged three round table conferences from 1930 to 1932 at London to reach on a common ground with the political parties of India. All three failed miserably. The future of the Britons in South Asia was getting darker by the day. They introduced the Government Act of India 1935 and formed a government comprising of members of both parties. But the Congress, which was in majority, refused the Muslim League any role in the new government and demanded the League to end its separate identity and merge itself in the Congress. This led to a conflict between the two parties and the League boycotted the government.
On the other hand, the demand for the separate nation became the voice of Indian Muslims. In March 1940, in the annual session of Muslim League at Lahore, the Muslim leadership passed a resolution called Lahore Resolution, later renamed as Pakistan Resolution. This resolution stated:
"Resolved that it is the considered view of this session of All India Muslim League that no constitutional plan will be workable in this country or acceptable to the Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principles viz. that geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary, that the areas, in which the Muslims are numerically in majority as in the North-Western and eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute independent state in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign."
This resolution revealed the goal of the Muslims of India; a separate homeland where they could protect there rights. The Congress criticized this resolution. They started the propaganda of 'Akhand Bharat' or united India, but it was too late. The struggle for Pakistan had already begun and the Muslims were enthusiastic about this struggle more than ever.
The British, on the other hand, send various diplomats with different proposals to save themselves from humiliation. They had paid a dear price in the two World Wars and there global empire was crumbling. It was getting hard for them to keep there grasp specially over India. Taking advantage of the situation the Congress started 'Quit India Movement' to force the Britons to leave India and hand the power over to Congress. The Muslim League changed the slogan and said 'Divide and Quit India'. The leader of the Hindus, Mr. Gandhi held talks with Mr. Jinnah but without success; Mr. Jinnah was firm on his demands.
In 1945-46, the British government held general elections in India in which the League won all the 30 seats in the central legislative and 90% seats in the reserved seats for Muslim representatives. The Muslims of India had elected the Muslim league as there only representative party. In 1946, Muslim League presented another resolution in which they again demanded a state named 'Pakistan'.
In another effort to save themselves, the British government, lead by the newly elected Labour Party sent three of its cabinet members to India in 1946. They held talks with Congress and Muslim League and but could not reach a common agreement. Therefore, the ministers set forth there own plan and established an interim government comprising both League and Congress, but due to differences between the members of the government, the Interim government failed to deliver any progress.
In 1947, Lord Mountbatten got appointed as the viceroy of India. Despite of his pro-Congress and anti-Muslim views, he reached on the conclusion, after talks with Indian leaders, that partition was the only solution of this problem. On 3rd June, 1947, Lord Mountbatten announced a plan for the partition of India. It was decided that the sub-continent will be partitioned into two separate states which shall have dominion status in the beginning. The Punjab and Bengal will be partitioned into two provinces each and for this purpose a boundary commission will be formed. The provinces will be free to join any dominion depending on there religious composition.
This plan was reluctantly accepted by both Congress and Muslim League। Thus, after an enduring political struggle and with the unflinching faith and unabated hard work, Pakistan emerged on the world map as a great Muslim state on the fateful day of August 14, 1947.
The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed great political awakening in South Asia. In 1885, an Englishman Mr. Hume had already laid the foundation of The All Indian National Congress. This party provided a platform to those people who wanted to end foreign rule, but due to its Hindu majority, the Congress neglected the Muslims. The Muslims felt that in the present situation, there must a separate political representation for the Muslims. For this reason, they founded All India Muslim League in 1906. The main objective of the Muslim League was to present before the government the needs of the Muslims and to protect there political rights. The Muslims were the largest minority in the sub-continent and wanted to create a suitable environment where the minorities of India could live peacefully after the departure of the British because the democratic system introduced by the British will always favor the majority. For this reason, a demand of separate electorate was put forward by the Muslim league. This demand laid the foundation of Pakistan.
Initially, partition was not a considered as a solution. Everyone wanted to see India united. The League and the Congress took measures to have a unified stand on the independence of India. The first milestone in this effort was The Lucknow Pact, signed between the two parties in 1916, in which both the parties agreed for a combined struggle for independence. The important thing in this pact was that the Congress accepted the demand of separate electorate from the Muslim League and agreed to one-third representation of Muslims in the central legislature. This increased the importance of Muslims in the politics of the sub-continent. But this unity proved to be short-lived. In 1929, Motilal Nehru, an important Congress politician, drafted the Nehru Report in which the Congress backed out of all the points on which it agreed in the Lucknow Pact. This showed the Muslims that the Congress were only interested in the welfare of Hindu majority and wanted to be the only rulers of India.
In reply to Nehru Report, Quaid-e-Azam presented his famous 14 points in which he declared that unless these fourteen points are included in the constitution, any future government will not be accepted by the Muslims and the Muslim League. His fourteen points included the demands of provincial autonomy, one-third Muslim representation in central legislature, separate electorate, protection of rights of minorities and reforms to be introduced in the provinces of Baluchistan and frontier province. These points developed a new sense of political awareness in the Muslims of the sub-continent. Even the British realized that there rule over India was weakening and if they don't do any thing soon, the Indians will themselves throw them out of India.
In December 1930, Allama Iqbal presided over the annual session of All India Muslim League in Allahabad. He had, by that time, assumed the role of a leader and a great thinker of the Muslims. In his address, he explained that the Muslims and Hindus were two distinct nations and they could not live together in a single state. He proposed a separate nation for the Muslims in the North West of India, where the Muslim majority provinces could be constituted in an independent state. This proved to be a turning point in the struggle of the Muslim league. The Muslims of India realized that only a separate Muslim nation can properly safeguard there rights.
Meanwhile, the British arranged three round table conferences from 1930 to 1932 at London to reach on a common ground with the political parties of India. All three failed miserably. The future of the Britons in South Asia was getting darker by the day. They introduced the Government Act of India 1935 and formed a government comprising of members of both parties. But the Congress, which was in majority, refused the Muslim League any role in the new government and demanded the League to end its separate identity and merge itself in the Congress. This led to a conflict between the two parties and the League boycotted the government.
On the other hand, the demand for the separate nation became the voice of Indian Muslims. In March 1940, in the annual session of Muslim League at Lahore, the Muslim leadership passed a resolution called Lahore Resolution, later renamed as Pakistan Resolution. This resolution stated:
"Resolved that it is the considered view of this session of All India Muslim League that no constitutional plan will be workable in this country or acceptable to the Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principles viz. that geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary, that the areas, in which the Muslims are numerically in majority as in the North-Western and eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute independent state in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign."
This resolution revealed the goal of the Muslims of India; a separate homeland where they could protect there rights. The Congress criticized this resolution. They started the propaganda of 'Akhand Bharat' or united India, but it was too late. The struggle for Pakistan had already begun and the Muslims were enthusiastic about this struggle more than ever.
The British, on the other hand, send various diplomats with different proposals to save themselves from humiliation. They had paid a dear price in the two World Wars and there global empire was crumbling. It was getting hard for them to keep there grasp specially over India. Taking advantage of the situation the Congress started 'Quit India Movement' to force the Britons to leave India and hand the power over to Congress. The Muslim League changed the slogan and said 'Divide and Quit India'. The leader of the Hindus, Mr. Gandhi held talks with Mr. Jinnah but without success; Mr. Jinnah was firm on his demands.
In 1945-46, the British government held general elections in India in which the League won all the 30 seats in the central legislative and 90% seats in the reserved seats for Muslim representatives. The Muslims of India had elected the Muslim league as there only representative party. In 1946, Muslim League presented another resolution in which they again demanded a state named 'Pakistan'.
In another effort to save themselves, the British government, lead by the newly elected Labour Party sent three of its cabinet members to India in 1946. They held talks with Congress and Muslim League and but could not reach a common agreement. Therefore, the ministers set forth there own plan and established an interim government comprising both League and Congress, but due to differences between the members of the government, the Interim government failed to deliver any progress.
In 1947, Lord Mountbatten got appointed as the viceroy of India. Despite of his pro-Congress and anti-Muslim views, he reached on the conclusion, after talks with Indian leaders, that partition was the only solution of this problem. On 3rd June, 1947, Lord Mountbatten announced a plan for the partition of India. It was decided that the sub-continent will be partitioned into two separate states which shall have dominion status in the beginning. The Punjab and Bengal will be partitioned into two provinces each and for this purpose a boundary commission will be formed. The provinces will be free to join any dominion depending on there religious composition.
This plan was reluctantly accepted by both Congress and Muslim League। Thus, after an enduring political struggle and with the unflinching faith and unabated hard work, Pakistan emerged on the world map as a great Muslim state on the fateful day of August 14, 1947.
Pakistan, Birth of a Free Nation
On the morning of June 3, Mountbatten concluded the conference by announcing that an official announcement of the acceptance of the plan would be made by him and by the two leaders, Jinnah and Nehru, that evening in a radio broadcast.
The Delhi Station of All India Radio was agog with excitement. Mounbatten was there to announce, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, what Churchill in his inimitable style had termed, a few years back as the impending liquidation of the Bristish Empire in India. Mountbatten spoke with poise and dignity, and
Quaid-i-Azam announcing on the All-India Radio Delhi at Pakistan would come into being August, 1947
millions that heard him all over India, realized that the end of a long drawn-out struggle for independence was in sight, as he declared in unequivocal terms that power would be definitely transferred by the British to two successive sovereign States. The Viceroy concluded his broadcast with the words, "I have faith in the future of India and I am proud to be with you all at this momentous time. May your decisions be wisely guided and may they be carried out in the peaceful and friendly spirit of the Gandhi-Jinnah appeal."
Then Nehru, in a solemn voice announced that the Congress had accepted the plan for India's independence, as set out in His Majesty's Plan announced by the Viceroy.
Then it was the Quaid-i-Azam, who was to address the Muslim Nation. His first sentence on that historic occasion was, "I am glad that I am offered an opportunity to speak to you directly through this Radio from Delhi." Regarding the Plan for the transfer of power to the peoples of India, he said: had to take momentous decisions and handle grave issues, "Therefore we must galvanize and concentrate all our energy to see that the transfer of power is affected in a peaceful and orderly manner." In this, his finest hour, he was meek and humble, "I pray to God that at this critical moment that He may guide us and enable us to discharge our responsibilities in a wise and statesmanlike manner." He did not forget to pay his tribute to those that had suffered and sacrificed in the struggle for Pakistan. "I cannot help but express my appreciation of the sufferings and sacrifices made by all classes of Muslims". He gave wholehearted credit for "the great part the women of the Frontier played in the fight for our civil liberties." He did not forget those who had died or suffered in the struggle for Pakistan, "I deeply sympathize with all those who have suffered and those who died or whose properties were subjected to destruction". Quaid-i-Azam ended his memorable speech by saying, extemporaneously, "Pakistan Zindabad".
On the morning of June 3, Mountbatten concluded the conference by announcing that an official announcement of the acceptance of the plan would be made by him and by the two leaders, Jinnah and Nehru, that evening in a radio broadcast.
The Delhi Station of All India Radio was agog with excitement. Mounbatten was there to announce, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, what Churchill in his inimitable style had termed, a few years back as the impending liquidation of the Bristish Empire in India. Mountbatten spoke with poise and dignity, and
Quaid-i-Azam announcing on the All-India Radio Delhi at Pakistan would come into being August, 1947
millions that heard him all over India, realized that the end of a long drawn-out struggle for independence was in sight, as he declared in unequivocal terms that power would be definitely transferred by the British to two successive sovereign States. The Viceroy concluded his broadcast with the words, "I have faith in the future of India and I am proud to be with you all at this momentous time. May your decisions be wisely guided and may they be carried out in the peaceful and friendly spirit of the Gandhi-Jinnah appeal."
Then Nehru, in a solemn voice announced that the Congress had accepted the plan for India's independence, as set out in His Majesty's Plan announced by the Viceroy.
Then it was the Quaid-i-Azam, who was to address the Muslim Nation. His first sentence on that historic occasion was, "I am glad that I am offered an opportunity to speak to you directly through this Radio from Delhi." Regarding the Plan for the transfer of power to the peoples of India, he said: had to take momentous decisions and handle grave issues, "Therefore we must galvanize and concentrate all our energy to see that the transfer of power is affected in a peaceful and orderly manner." In this, his finest hour, he was meek and humble, "I pray to God that at this critical moment that He may guide us and enable us to discharge our responsibilities in a wise and statesmanlike manner." He did not forget to pay his tribute to those that had suffered and sacrificed in the struggle for Pakistan. "I cannot help but express my appreciation of the sufferings and sacrifices made by all classes of Muslims". He gave wholehearted credit for "the great part the women of the Frontier played in the fight for our civil liberties." He did not forget those who had died or suffered in the struggle for Pakistan, "I deeply sympathize with all those who have suffered and those who died or whose properties were subjected to destruction". Quaid-i-Azam ended his memorable speech by saying, extemporaneously, "Pakistan Zindabad".
The Quaid-i-Azam and his sister Fatima Jinnah flew from New Delhi to Karachi on August 7, 1947. The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan elected Jinnah as its president at its inaugural session on August 11, 1947. In his presidential address to the Assembly, the Quaid said that the first duty of a government was to maintain law and order so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected. If Pakistanis wanted to make their country happy and prosperous they should "wholly and solely concentrate on the well being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor." In that historical address he remarked further:
"You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan…You may belong to any religion or caste or creed -- that has nothing to do with the business of the State…We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination between one caste or creed or another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.…My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to Pakistan becoming one of the greatest Nations of the world."
Muslim women of Delhi congratulating the Quaid on the creation of Pakistan after the announcement of June 3 Plan
On the afternoon of August 13, Lord and Lady Mountbatten flew from Delhi to Karachi. The state procession on August 14 was staged in open cars with Jinnah and Mountbatten in the leading car and Miss Fatima Jinnah and Lady Mountbattten in the next car. Mountbatten addressed the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan followed by Jinnah.
Pakistan became constitutionally independent at midnight between the 14th and 15th August 1947. The Quaid assumed charge as Governor General on August 15 and the Cabinet of Pakistan, with Liaquat Ali Khan as Prime Minister, was sworn in on the same day.
"You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan…You may belong to any religion or caste or creed -- that has nothing to do with the business of the State…We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination between one caste or creed or another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.…My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to Pakistan becoming one of the greatest Nations of the world."
Muslim women of Delhi congratulating the Quaid on the creation of Pakistan after the announcement of June 3 Plan
On the afternoon of August 13, Lord and Lady Mountbatten flew from Delhi to Karachi. The state procession on August 14 was staged in open cars with Jinnah and Mountbatten in the leading car and Miss Fatima Jinnah and Lady Mountbattten in the next car. Mountbatten addressed the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan followed by Jinnah.
Pakistan became constitutionally independent at midnight between the 14th and 15th August 1947. The Quaid assumed charge as Governor General on August 15 and the Cabinet of Pakistan, with Liaquat Ali Khan as Prime Minister, was sworn in on the same day.
