[🇵🇰] Quaid-e-Azam, a great leader

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Muhammad Ali Jinnah
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The New York Times listed Mr. Jinnah as 1946's best-dressed man in the British Empire.
Jinnah dressed himself perfectly, his elegant and magnificent personality gave him respect wherever he went. It is narrated that on visit to London for political meeting he stayed in hotel. In the morning, he descended from his hotel suite into the breakfast hall, using stairs. When the people present in the restaurant noticed him they all rose involuntary and stood up as a gesture of respect to him.

Jinnah was one of the New York Times best dressed men of 1946. Expressing his thoughts on Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Lord Wavell (Viceroy of India, 1943-1947) said, "Mr. Jinnah was one of the handsomest men I have ever seen; he combined the clear cut, almost Grecian features of the West with oriental grace and movement."

A research states that one of the main reasons why Muhammad Ali Jinnah is considered one of the most well dressed men in history has to do with the fact that he was a huge supporter and wearer of the well-tailored suit. Never one to sit back and wear whatever came through the door. It is said that before independence, Jinnah came to own over 200 suits, which he wore with heavily starched shirts with detachable collars. As a barrister, he never wore same silk tie twice. Even on his deathbed, he insisted to be formally dressed saying: "I will not travel in my pajamas."

Jinnah's outfits were always unique; he rarely appeared wearing the same thing more than once. In a time when poverty ran rampant, Jinnah was one of the few who was able to partake in the wondrous ways of fashion. Congratulations to Muhammad Ali Jinnah for being voted the Fifth Best-Dressed World Leader of all-time.

After meeting Jinnah at the Viceroy's dinner in Simla, a British general's wife wrote to her mother in England: "After dinner, I had Mr. Jinnah to talk to. He has a great personality. He talks the most beautiful English. He models his clothes and his manners on Du Maurier..., and his English on Burke's speeches. I have always wanted to meet him and now I had my wish."

His monocle, his double-breasted jackets, and his Craven "A" cigarettes gave his personality a unique style. He was fond of smoking expensive and finest 'Craven A cigarettes. He also smoked a special kind of 'Havana' cigars, and sometimes a pipe.

When Allama Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi, the founder of the Khaksar Movement, was released from a U.P. jail, the Quaid-i-Azam, on the advice of some of his friends, went to see him along with his colleagues. He was accompanied by Liaquat Ali Khan, Sir Abdullah Haroon and Pir Ali Mohammad Rashidi. In Qarul Bagh, Allama Mashriqi was staying in a huge tent in the middle of the Khaksar Camp. An ordinary dari had been spread on the floor inside the camp. There was no chair.

The Quaid-i-Azam was wearing a white suit of China silk. He was not in the habit of sitting on the ground. However, as there was no alternative, he sat down on the floor after shaking hands with Allama Mashriqi. The Quaid then took out his cigarette case and offered a cigarette to him. Allama took the cigarette and tried to give two paisas to the Quaid. The Quaid-i-Azam asked: What is this? Allama said: A Khaksar does not accept any thing without paying its price. On hearing this, the Quaid took back his cigarette from Allama and said: The price of my cigarette is much more than two paisas and I don't think you can afford it.

His monocle was a part of his majestic personality. In a court of law while making arguments, monocle, which Jinnah was using, for reading from his notes slipped from his eye and dropped on the floor. The magistrate mischievously grinned and felt delighted, anticipating that Jinnah would have to bend in his court to pick up the monocle. He was disappointed when Jinnah put his hand in his pocket, brought out another monocle, and applied it to his eye while continuing the arguments.

By the late 1930s, He was mostly seen wearing a 'Karakul' hat, also known as 'Jinnah Cap,' over his western clothing. The moment he became a leader of a Muslim country, he chose to wear a sherwani. He stopped wearing the UP and Delhi style chooridar or tight pyjamas, and preferred a loose fitting 'Shalwar' the Jinnah cap and white or cream colored sherwani become the trend of that time. Meanwhile, he wore suits for his day-to-day office work and on informal occasions.

The Quaid's magnificent personality traits left deep impact to everyone. Patrick Spens, the last Chief Justice of undivided India, paid the following tribute to Jinnah: "The tallness of the man, the immaculate manner in which he turned out, the beauty of his features and the extreme courtesy with which he treated all; no one could have made a more favorable impression than he did. There is no man or woman living who imputes anything against his honor or his honesty. He was the most outright person that I know."

The Quaid usually travelled by train during the pre-independence time. Journalist once confronted Jinnah with a question as to how Congress leadership travelled in third class like the working class while he enjoys the first class journey. Quaid's reply was sharp. He said that he travelled in first class but pays from his own pocket to buy the ticket, while the congress leaders travel in third class without ticket. It made headlines. Dear father of the nation you will be in our memories forever.

P. S: Please bear with me for making you read such a long write up on a person par excellence I have admired the most and adulated & emulated as my leader .. Mr Muhammad Ali Jinnah our Father of the Nation. I assure you his personality couldn't be described in fewer words than these. May his soul rest in peace, Ameen.

 

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Mohammed Ali Jinnah, also called Qaid-i-Azam (Arabic: “Great Leader”),
Born December 25, 1876?, Karachi and died September 11, 1948, Karachi.

Early years

Jinnah was the eldest of seven children of Jinnahbhai Poonja, a prosperous merchant, and his wife, Mithibai. His family was a member of the Khoja caste, Hindus who had converted to Islam centuries earlier and who were followers of the Aga Khan. There is some question about Jinnah’s date of birth: although he maintained that it was December 25, 1876, school records from Karachi (Pakistan) give a date of October 20, 1875.

After being taught at home, Jinnah was sent in 1887 to the Sind Madrasat al-Islam (now Sindh Madressatul Islam University) in Karachi. Later he attended the Christian Missionary Society High School (also in Karachi), where at the age of 16 he passed the matriculation examination of the University of Bombay (now University of Mumbai, in Mumbai, India). On the advice of an English friend, his father decided to send him to England to acquire business experience. Jinnah, however, had made up his mind to become a barrister. In keeping with the custom of the time, his parents arranged for an early marriage for him before he left for England.

In London he joined Lincoln’s Inn, one of the legal societies that prepared students for the bar. In 1895, at the age of 19, he was called to the bar. While in London Jinnah suffered two severe bereavements—the deaths of his wife and his mother. Nevertheless, he completed his formal studies and also made a study of the British political system, frequently visiting the House of Commons. He was greatly influenced by the liberalism of William E. Gladstone, who had become prime minister for the fourth time in 1892, the year of Jinnah’s arrival in London. Jinnah also took a keen interest in the affairs of India and in Indian students.

When the Parsi leader Dadabhai Naoroji, a leading Indian nationalist, ran for the British Parliament, Jinnah and other Indian students worked day and night for him. Their efforts were crowned with success: Naoroji became the first Indian to sit in the House of Commons.When Jinnah returned to Karachi in 1896, he found that his father’s business had suffered losses and that he now had to depend on himself. He decided to start his legal practice in Bombay (now Mumbai), but it took him years of work to establish himself as a lawyer.


It was nearly 10 years later that he turned actively toward politics. A man without hobbies, he divided his interest between law and politics. Nor was he a religious zealot: he was a Muslim in a broad sense and had little to do with sects. His interest in women was also limited, to Rattenbai (Rutti)—the daughter of Sir Dinshaw Petit, a Bombay Parsi millionaire—whom he married in 1918 over tremendous opposition from her parents and others. The couple had one daughter, Dina, but the marriage proved an unhappy one, and Jinnah and Rutti soon separated. It was his sister Fatima who gave him solace and company.

Entry into politics

Jinnah first entered politics by participating in the 1906 session of the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) held at Calcutta (now Kolkata), in which the party began to split between those calling for dominion status and those advocating independence for India. Four years later he was elected to the Imperial Legislative Council—the beginning of a long and distinguished parliamentary career. In Bombay he came to know, among other important Congress Party personalities, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the eminent Maratha leader. Greatly influenced by those nationalist politicians, Jinnah aspired during the early part of his political life to become “a Muslim Gokhale.” Admiration for British political institutions and an eagerness to raise the status of India in the international community and to develop a sense of Indian nationhood among the peoples of India were the chief elements of his politics. At that time, he still looked upon Muslim interests in the context of Indian nationalism.

But, by the beginning of the 20th century, the conviction had been growing among the Muslims that their interests demanded the preservation of their separate identity rather than amalgamation in the Indian nation that would for all practical purposes be Hindu. Largely to safeguard Muslim interests, the All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906. But Jinnah remained aloof from it. Only in 1913, when authoritatively assured that the league was as devoted as the Congress Party to the political emancipation of India, did Jinnah join the league. When the Indian Home Rule League was formed, he became its chief organizer in Bombay and was elected president of the Bombay branch.

Political unity

Jinnah’s endeavours to bring about the political union of Hindus and Muslims earned him the title of “the best ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity,” an epithet coined by Gokhale. It was largely through his efforts that the Congress Party and the Muslim League began to hold their annual sessions jointly, to facilitate mutual consultation and participation. In 1915 the two organizations held their meetings in Bombay and in 1916 in Lucknow, where the Lucknow Pact was concluded. Under the terms of the pact, the two organizations put their seal to a scheme of constitutional reform that became their joint demand vis-à-vis the British government. There was a good deal of give and take, but the Muslims obtained one important concession in the shape of separate electorates, already conceded to them by the government in 1909 but hitherto resisted by Congress.

Meanwhile, a new force in Indian politics had appeared in the person of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi. Both the Home Rule League and the Congress Party had come under his sway. Opposed to Gandhi’s noncooperation movement and his essentially Hindu approach to politics, Jinnah left both the league and the Congress Party in 1920. For a few years he kept himself aloof from the main political movements. He continued to be a firm believer in Hindu-Muslim unity and constitutional methods for the achievement of political ends. After his withdrawal from Congress, he used the Muslim League platform for the propagation of his views. But during the 1920s the Muslim League, and with it Jinnah, had been overshadowed by Congress and the religiously oriented Muslim Khilafat movement.

When the failure of the noncooperation movement and the emergence of Hindu revivalist movements led to antagonism and riots between Hindus and Muslims, the Muslim League began to lose strength and cohesion, and provincial Muslim leaders formed their own parties to serve their needs. Thus, Jinnah’s problem during the following years was to convert the Muslim League into an enlightened, unified political body prepared to cooperate with other organizations working for the good of India. In addition, he had to convince the Congress Party, as a prerequisite for political progress, of the necessity of settling the Hindu-Muslim conflict.

To bring about such a rapprochement was Jinnah’s chief purpose during the late 1920s and early 1930s. He worked toward this end within the legislative assembly, at the Round Table Conference in London (1930–32), and through his “14 points,” which included proposals for a federal form of government, greater rights for minorities, one-third representation for Muslims in the central legislature, separation of the predominantly Muslim Sindh region from the rest of the Bombay province, and introduction of reforms in the North-West Frontier Province.

His failure to bring about even minor amendments in the Nehru Committee proposals (1928) over the question of separate electorates and reservation of seats for Muslims in the legislatures frustrated him. He found himself in a peculiar position at that time: many Muslims thought that he was too nationalistic in his policy and that Muslim interests were not safe in his hands, while the Congress Party would not even meet the moderate Muslim demands halfway. Indeed, the Muslim League was a house divided against itself.

The Punjab Muslim League repudiated Jinnah’s leadership and organized itself separately. In disgust, Jinnah decided to settle in England. From 1930 to 1935 he remained in London, devoting himself to practice before the Privy Council. But when constitutional changes were in the offing, he was persuaded to return home to head a reconstituted Muslim League.

Soon preparations started for the elections under the Government of India Act of 1935. Jinnah was still thinking in terms of cooperation between the Muslim League and the Hindu-controlled Congress Party and with coalition governments in the provinces. But the elections of 1937 proved to be a turning point in the relations between the two organizations. Congress obtained an absolute majority in six provinces, and the league did not do particularly well.

The Congress Party decided not to include the league in the formation of provincial governments, and exclusive all-Congress governments were the result. Relations between Hindus and Muslims started to deteriorate, and soon Muslim discontent became boundless.

 

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Creator of Pakistan

Jinnah had originally been dubious about the practicability of Pakistan, an idea that the poet and philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal had propounded to the Muslim League conference of 1930, but before long he became convinced that a Muslim homeland on the Indian subcontinent was the only way of safeguarding Muslim interests and the Muslim way of life. It was not religious persecution that he feared so much as the future exclusion of Muslims from all prospects of advancement within India, as soon as power became vested in the close-knit structure of Hindu social organization. To guard against that danger, he carried out a nationwide campaign to warn his coreligionists of the perils of their position, and he converted the Muslim League into a powerful instrument for unifying the Muslims into a nation.





At that point, Jinnah emerged as the leader of a renascent Muslim nation. Events began to move fast. On March 22–23, 1940, in Lahore, the league adopted a resolution to form a separate Muslim state, Pakistan. The Pakistan idea was at first ridiculed and then tenaciously opposed by the Congress Party. But it captured the imagination of the Muslims. Pitted against Jinnah were many influential Hindus, including Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. And the British government seemed to be intent on maintaining the political unity of the Indian subcontinent. But Jinnah led his movement with such skill and tenacity that ultimately both the Congress Party and the British government had no option but to agree to the partitioning of India. Pakistan thus emerged as an independent state in 1947.


Jinnah became the first head of the new state. Faced with the serious problems of a young country, he tackled Pakistan’s problems with authority. He was not regarded as merely the governor-general. He was revered as the father of the nation. He worked hard until overpowered by age and disease in Karachi, the place of his birth, in 1948.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah | Biography, Accomplishments, Religion, Significance, & Facts​

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Indian Muslim politician, who was the founder and first governor-general (1947–48) of Pakistan.

www.britannica.com

 

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Fatima Jinnah (31 July 1893– 9 July 1967) widely known “Mather-e-Millat” was the youngest among the seven brothers and sisters.

In appearance, Fatima resembled her eldest brother, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. In 1902, she was sent to Bandra Convent in Bombay where she remained in the hostels as her parents had died. In 1919, she enrolled in Dr Ahmed’s Dental College at Calcutta. On graduating in 1923, she became the first female dentist of undivided India. She opened her dental clinic in Bombay but with the passage of time, she became a close associate and an adviser to her older brother. She was a strong critic of the British Raj and emerged as a strong advocate of the two-nation theory and a leading member of the All-India Muslim League.

Fatima Jinnah died in Karachi on 9 July 1967. The official cause of death was heart failure, but rumours persist that she was murdered at her house by the same group who killed Liaquat Ali Khan. She is buried next to other national dignitaries, at Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi.

 

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Personality is defined as a person’s characteristic features and qualities. It is a combination of one’s body, mind, character and conduct. Quality of each of these defines your personality.

Time tested traits like integrity, honesty, courage, loyalty and fortitude defines good character which is exhibited through words and actions.

Leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could have.

Selfless, dedicated, charismatic, competent, honest, professional and unimpeachable in his integrity; these are just some of the words that have been used to describe the personality of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

 

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Learning from Jinnah​

Ambreen Arshad
December 23, 2023

Illustration by Ziauddin

In a world where many nations and people long for peace, human rights, freedom and good governance, we, as Pakistanis, are fortunate enough to enjoy most of these most of the time. And while we cannot claim to be the reason for the freedom we have as a nation, it is unfortunate that we are behind all that we lack today.

A free nation was handed over to us by the struggles of our freedom fighters, especially Mohammad Ali Jinnah, but all that was done to turn that promising free country into a state that is still struggling is our fault. We have not been able to bring prosperity and progress to our country because we could not follow the examples of the leaders who made this nation. We had such lofty personalities, possessing great integrity, discipline and selfless dedication, whose teachings and footsteps we simply had to follow to prosper. But we failed them. We failed ourselves and our country.

I know it sounds very pessimistic, but this is the reality, and one can only progress through accepting the reality, owning one’s mistakes and learning from failures. We need to look into what we are doing wrong today. This can be best done by looking at what our great leaders did right and what personality traits they possessed that made them follow the right path and do the right things. And who better do we have than our great Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who was admired and respected by both his friends and rivals for the great personality traits that he possessed. Even those who did not agree with him politically, did admire him as a person and vouched for his character.

Let us look into some of the personality traits that made him such a charismatic and influential leader who left a great mark in history. While we are doing so, let us also ask ourselves if we possess any of these noble qualities, and do our leaders today reflect any of the admirable character traits of Jinnah?

A selfless leader

As a statesman, leader and the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a selfless visionary who always acted for the greater good rather than for personal gains. He, like most of the leaders with him and others who supported the newly-created nation of Pakistan, gave up and contributed so much personally and financially.

Not caring for his health, wealth, or personal life, Jinnah worked tirelessly till the end to make sure the Muslims of the Subcontinent had a free country of their own and the people of the nascent nation enjoyed liberty, justice and peace.

Alas, today we first think of what we can gain from any act before taking even a single step. And if we have little to gain but others will benefit more from it, we step back because we have stopped caring for our fellow countrymen, for the greater good. We have become selfish and self-engrossed — unconcerned about what is happening around us until it starts to affect us.

We need to realise that until everyone around us progresses, until our nation as a whole progresses, our progress is meaningless. Until everyone gets their rights, we cannot hope to get our rights too.

A man of character

One of the first impressions that come to mind on hearing the name Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is that of a man of integrity, principles, incorruptibility and honour, among many other such noble characteristics.

He maintained a high standard of personal and political ethics that earned him admirers not just among his friends, supporters and fellow leaders, but his integrity too was never questioned by even his opponents.

British economist and editor, H.V. Hudson writes about Quaid’s character in his book The Great Divide: “Not even his political enemies ever accused Jinnah of corruption or self-seeking. He could be bought by no one, and for no price. Nor was he in the least degree weathercock, swinging in the wind of popularity or changing the times. He was a steadfast idealist as well as a man of scrupulous honour.”

Today, there are few, if not none, among us who is free from corruption or self-seeking acts that undermine the progress of our nation.

A pillar of courage and resilience

Like all nations who gained independence, Pakistan too faced many challenges in its creation. It was Jinnah’s courage, determination and resilience that made him face all opposition during the struggle for Pakistan’s creation.

When his political journey witnessed many ups and downs, when his values and principles were a target of criticism and opposition from different communities, it was his courage and resilience that made him face it all without deviating from his goal.

I believe we do have resilience as a nation, since we manage to rise and survive despite the many problems we face, both from internal and external forces. If we combine our reliance with the courage to stand up for our rights and what is right, we too can rise above our circumstances and prosper.

Commitment to equality

Equality and social justice were the cornerstones of all that Jinnah worked for. He envisioned not just a free land for the Muslims of the Subcontinent to live, but a nation where all citizens, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds, would have equal rights and opportunities.

It is a pity that this vision of our dear Quaid remains unfulfilled. But by realising that until each one of us gets all the rights they deserve, we too will not be able to get all the rights we should have. So we must ensure to raise our voice for the rights of others, so that our rights too are ensured.

A visionary and steadfast leader

Jinnah’s clear vision for the creation of a separate nation for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent was what led him to be undeterred in the pursuit for the establishment of Pakistan in 1947.

As a visionary leader with lofty aims he was able to inspire others to give their best and stand strong in the face of opposition, since he remained steadfast in his mission. He led by example, but slowly, with the passage of time, we are losing sight of the examples he set for us to follow. Individually, we do have the characteristics that are needed in the citizens of any great country, but we fail to come together as a nation due to the absence of a leader who can unite and lead us out of the mess we are in.

But the good part is that our condition today, as citizens of an independent country, is not as bad as of the oppressed Muslims under colonial rule who followed Jinnah. What is missing is a leader who can inspire and unite us, make us think beyond our personal interests to work for the betterment of Pakistan.

Our leaders today are simply a reflection of our own selves, they rise from us and so they represent us. What they lack is what we lack. So what they need to possess is what we need to possess too. So let us cultivate the qualities that our Quaid embodied, let us follow his footsteps and take our nation out of the problems we are in today.

Learning from Jinnah​

In a world where many nations and people long for peace, human rights, freedom and good governance, we, as...
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Relevance of Jinnah​

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with the students of Aligarh Muslim University on March 12, 1941.

Photo: Dawn/White Star Archives

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not just a place of learning. It was in the forefront of a movement for the demand of Pakistan and still leans towards what is considered beneficial to the millat. A photo of Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the wall of Kenney Hall, the most prestigious place in AMU campus, is no surprise. It was there even before partition and it continues to be there all these years. But what amazes me is its disappearance on May 1 and reappearance on May 3!

True, it was the handiwork of a fanatic BJP member. But he should retract his steps within two days and put back the photo where it had hung since the time before partition looks extraordinary. Perhaps the person concerned was admonished by the BJP high command which is trying its best to woo Muslim voters at the Karnataka state election.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also kept the polls in mind when he addresses different rallies in the country. Once in a while he tends to make remarks like there should be electricity at cremation grounds as is the case at burial grounds. But this is to assure the Hindu audience that the BJP has not strayed from the party's philosophy of Hindu Rashtra.

No doubt, the majority of Hindus—they are 80 percent in India—tilt towards what is known as Hindutva. But I do not think that this is something long lasting. Hindus and Muslims have lived together for centuries. They would continue to do so despite the hot winds of Hindutva blowing at present. By temperament, India is a pluralistic society. It would stay that way although at times it would look like going the Hindu way. However, there is always a spoil-play group which opposes everything worthwhile for the sake of opposition.

Take the case of India-Pakistan relations. There are elements which are bent on negating every effort towards conciliation and rebuff steps that help promote good relations between the two countries. Some years ago, the Pakistanis themselves took the initiative to rename the Shadman Chowk in Lahore and the gesture was very much appreciated in India. In fact, the renaming of the chowk gave birth to the idea of honouring heroes of the pre-partition days.

I recall that after celebrating Bhagat Singh's birthday in March some years ago, a delegation of Pakistanis participated in a gathering at Amritsar in April to recall the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy which had Hindus and Muslims as martyrs. So much enthusiasm was created that preparations were afoot to hail the sacrifices of those who were part of the Indian National Army and the naval uprising in 1946. The two challenges to the British, even when the Hindus and Muslims were divided, indicated that when it came to a third party, both sides were willing to join hands to thwart it.

This is, more or less, what Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, had said when he came to the Law College at Lahore in 1945 when I was a student. To my question, what would be the stand of Pakistan if a third power attacked India, he said straightaway that the Pakistani soldiers would fight by the side of Indian soldiers to defeat the enemy. It is another matter that military dictator General Mohammad Ayub Khan did not send any help to India when it was attacked by China in 1962.

Bhagat Singh was only 23 when he went to the gallows fighting against the British rulers. He had no politics other than the politics of sacrificing one's life and freeing India from bondage. I was surprised to know that there were as many as 14 applications against renaming the Shadman Chowk. This was the same roundabout where a scaffold was erected to hang Bhagat Singh and his two colleagues, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Jinnah's name is associated with partition. Was he alone to blame? When I talked to Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy, at his place in London in the early 90s, he said that then Prime Minister Clement Richard Atlee was keen that India and Pakistan should have something in common. Mountbatten tried for that but Jinnah said that he did not trust the Indian leaders. He had accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan which envisaged a weak centre. But India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said that all would depend on the decision of the Constituent Assembly which was already meeting in New Delhi.

Differences between the two sides only accentuated with the passage of time. In the 1940s when the Muslim League had adopted a resolution for the establishment of Pakistan, partition looked inevitable. Both sides were not facing the fact when they rejected the idea of transfer of population. People themselves did it, Hindus and Sikhs coming to this side and Muslims going to the other side. The rest is history.

Jinnah is as much respected in Pakistan as Mahatma Gandhi is in India. It's time for the Hindus to recognise that partition was deliverance for Muslims. That was in 1947. Today, the Muslims in India, approximately 17 crore, do not matter in the affairs of India. True, they have the voting rights and the country is ruled by the constitution which gives one vote to one person.

They have lost their say in decision making. What Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had said before partition has come true. He warned the Muslims that they may feel insecure in the country because their number was small but they can proudly say that India belonged as much to them as it did to the Hindus. Once Pakistan was established, the Hindus would tell the Muslims that they had their share and should go to Pakistan.

Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel were able to keep India pluralistic after partition. But the line drawn on the basis of religion is what haunts everybody today. The growing importance of BJP is because pluralism has weakened. Secularism needs to be strengthened so that every community and every part of the country feels that it is equal in the affairs of the country.



Kuldip Nayar is an eminent Indian columnist.

 

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Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah With M Furqan Ahmed Ansari Alig ,Safdar Yar Jang Bahadur in 1941 in Aligarh Muslim University India to motivate the students for Pakistan Movement.