Sheet for Pakistan Movement

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Introduction:

We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we

could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of Islamicsocial justice could find free play.

-Muhammad Ali Jinnah

The British ruled the Indian subcontinent for nearly 200 years-from 1756 to

1947. After the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the British government took on

direct powers of governance instead of East India Company. Political

reforms were initiated, allowing the formation of political parties. The

Indian National Congress, representing the overwhelming majority of

Hindus, was created in 1885. The Muslim League was formed in 1906 to

represent and protect the position of the Muslim minority. When the British

introduced constitutional reforms in 1909, the Muslims demanded andacquired separate electoral rolls. This guaranteed Muslims representation in

the provincial as well as national legislatures until the dawn of independence

in 1947.

The dominion of India officially transitioned from the Mughal to the British

India in 1757. Nearly two hundred years later, in 1947 the British colonial

rule ended, but the new India built and influenced by both the Mughals and

the British became partitioned into India and Pakistan. While the post-1947

India continues undivided, albeit over the occasional flurries of internecine

resistance from some citizens, Pakistan became further divided in 1971. The

people of Bangladesh earned their independence by powering through a civil

war and suffering genocide master-minded by the ruling elite and meted out

by the Pakistani Army.Early History:

The Partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into two

postcolonial states of India and Pakistan was a cataclysmic event,

accompanied by unprecedented genocidal violence and one of the largest

displacements of people in the twentieth century. The Partition was a climax

within a pattern of recurrent violence in the name of Hindus and Muslims forseveral generations before 1947. And at last in 1947 Pakistan was created

based on Muslim religion. But a crucial question is arises that-

*Muslim-India Demanded Separation as the consequences of 1857 rebellion

which creates the seeds of Muslim nationalism.


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* formation of Indian National Congress in 1885 which in fact was a Hindu-

dominated political organization represented only the non-Muslim interest

be it political, economic or cultural throughout its history from 1885 down

to 1947.

* the demand of Muslims by The Simla Deputation in 1906 for separate

representation in all local and provincial elections and to preserve Muslims

interest.

* Founding of the All-India Muslim League in 1906 to protect and advance

the political rights and interests of the Musalmans of India.

* Beginning of Self Government by The Government of India Act of 1909 -

also know as the Morley-Minto Reforms - gave Indians limited role in the

central and provincial legislatures, known as legislative councils.

* Khilafat Movement (1919-1923) which produced a broad-based leadership

and taught the techniques of organizing a mass movement to the Muslims.

* The Two Nations Theory of Muhammad Ali Jinnah which demand

separate state for Muslims.

* Jinnahs Fourteen Points in 1929 demanding muslim rights.

* Provisions of 1935-Government of India Act; and

* Muslim Leagues success in 1937 provincial election.

After above discussion, most probably it is clear that why Muslim demand

separate state for them and certainly for this reason during 1940 Pakistan

reached in a climax situation. Important events were-

* 1940-The Pakistan Resolution

* 1942-Cripps Mission

* Quit India Movement (1942)

* 1944- Gandhi - Jinnah Talks

* 1945-The Simla Conference


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* General Elections (1945-1946)

* 1946-The Cabinet Mission

* 1946-June 3 Partition Plan

* Indian Independent Act

* 1947-Pakistan Achieved

Figure: Main Events of Pakistan Movement

Source: Story of Pakistan website

http://www.storyofpakistan.com/timeline06.htm

1940-The Pakistan Resolution:

Pakistan was not born suddenly. Its genesis goes back at least to

the 1857 War of Independence. Several Zonal or Partition Schemes and

Pakistan Plans were being aired from time to time. The Muslim League was

LahoreResolution

CrippsMission

Gandhi-

Jinnah Talk

Wavell plan &

Simla Conference

Cabinet

MissionPlan

Provincia

l &General

Election

June 3rd

Plan

The Birth

of Pakistan

1942 1944 1945 1946 19471940
http://www.storyofpakistan.com/timeline06.htmhttp://www.storyofpakistan.com/timeline06.htm


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critically examining them all, as is evident from its relevant resolutions

down the decades. The Lahore Resolution was though a land-mark and

turning point in this direction; it was neither the last word on it, nor the first.

In fact, the first formal step taken by Muslim League towards Pakistan was

Allama Iqbals Presidential Address at Allahabad Session on 29 December,

1930, but it was only after the Lahore Resolution had been passed that

Pakistan began to be openly discussed and debated bipartisanly in the media

and by other means.

It was on 23 March, 1940 that A.K.Fazal-ul-Haq moved the historic Lahore

Resolution, in the history making annual session of the All-India Muslim

League held at Lahore. The resolution stated that:

"It is the considered view of this session of the All India Muslim League that

no constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable toMuslims 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 a majority, as in the

North-Western and Eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute

Independent States in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and

sovereign."

"This session further authorizes the Working Committee to frame a scheme

of constitution in accordance with these basic principles, providing for theassumption finally by the respective regions of all powers such as defence,

external affairs, communications, customs and such other matters as may be

necessary."

The Resolution was unanimously accepted by the participants who had

assembled at the meeting place in a large number. The Resolution was

seconded by a number of prominent Muslim leaders from all over the

country. Those who seconded the Resolution were Maulana Zafar Ali Khan

and Dr. Muhammad Alam (Punjab), Begum Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar,

Abdul Hamid Badayuni, Chaudri Khaliq-uz-Zaman and Syed Zakir Ali

(U.P.), Sir Abdullah Haroon (Sindh), Sardar Aurangzeb Khan (N.W.F.P),

Qazi Muhammad Issa (Balochistan), Nawab Muhammad Ismail (Bihar),

Syed Abdur Rauf Shah (C.P.); Abdul Hamid Khan (Madras), and I.I.

Chundrigar (Bombay).


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The Muslims responded to the Resolution with amazement and hope for a

better future. They gathered under the dynamic leadership of the Jinnah who

gave new meaning and shape to their quest for Independence. The

acceptance of Pakistan/Lahore Resolution strengthened the Two-Nation

Theory which was the basis of Muslims struggle for Independence.

The actual importance of the Resolution was unmistakable and it

categorically asserted the right of the Muslims to self-determination. The

Hindu-Congress reaction against the Resolution came as a two-fold blessing

in disguise.

1942-Cripps Mission:

While the World War was at its peak, Sir Stafford Cripps arrived

in Delhi for talks with the Indian leaders on the future constitution of India.He discussed the draft proposals for framing the future constitution of India.

The proposal said that immediately upon cessation of hostilities, steps shall

be taken to set up in India in manner described hereafter an elected body

charged with the task of framing a new constitution for India;

Provision shall be made, as set out below, for participation of Indian States

(the native states) in the constitution making body; His majestys

Government undertakes to accept and implement forthwith the constitution

so framed subject only to:-

1. "The right of any province of British India that is not prepared toaccept the new constitution to retain its present constitutional position,

provisions being made for this subsequent accession if it so decides;

2. With such non-acceding provinces, should they so desire, His

Majestys Government will be prepared to agree upon a new

constitution giving them the same full status as the Indian Union and

arrived at by a procedure analogous to that here laid down".

The Proposals of the Cripps Mission were rejected by the Congress on the

advice of Gandhi, who regarded it as a post dated cheque on a failing bank.

The All India Muslim League stood for separate independent states and

demanded the formation of two constituent assemblies instead of one.

Quit India Movement (1942)

The Congress in order to thwart the demand for Pakistan launched

Quit India Movement in 1942 against the British Government. The Quaid-


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i-Azam(Jinnah) considered Quit India Movement as anti-Muslim action of

the Congress and declared it as political black mailing. The Muslim

League, in reply to Quit India slogan by the Congress, demanded Divide

India and Quit.

The Quaid-i-Azam said; The Quit India Movement, in fact, is a conspiracy

to establish Hindu Raj and to finish Muslim demands. The Muslims

remained disconnected with the Congress movement in response to the

Jinnahs call.

1944- Gandhi - Jinnah Talks:

In September, 1944 M.K. Gandhi and Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad

Ali Jinnah met in the Quaid's house in Bombay for a series of talks on the

basis of C. Raja Gopalacharia formula. Gandhi-Jinnah talks were held toresolve the differences between the Congress and the All-India Muslim

League on the issue of Pakistan. M.K. Gandhi was opposed to the Two-

Nation Theory which formed the basis of the Pakistan demand and he

refused to grant the Muslims the right of self-determination.

Gandhis proposal deferred separation until after India was free, whereas the

Muslim League wanted a complete and immediate settlement between the

two parties, which would then work together to secure the independence of

India on the basis of Pakistan and Hindustan.

On this occasion, the Jinnahs prestige was greatly enhanced. The opponents

of partition were Mr. V.D. Savar kar of the Hindu Mahasabha who protested

that the Indian provinces were not the private property of Gandhiji and

Rajaji who could make a gift of them to any one they liked. Amidst this

scene the talks between the Quaid and Gandhi ended in fiasco.

1945-The Simla Conference:

The then Viceroy Lord Wavell, called a conference of Indian

leaders at Simla, which later on came to be known as Simla Conference.This conference was held with a view to finding a way to the Hindu-Muslim

settlement, and to discuss the composition of an Executive Council. The

Congress claimed that it represented all the communities in India and as

such it could nominate Muslims also as the members of the new Council.

The All-India Muslim League did not accept this claim of the Congress and


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stated that only the All-India Muslim League had the right to nominate

Muslim members in the Executive Council.

The All-India Muslim League was pledged to the formation of separate

homeland for the Indian Muslims, whereas Wavell Plan envisaged a united

India. The Simla Conference failed on account of the refusal of the British

Government as well as the Congress party to recognize the Muslim League

as the only representative organization of the Muslims while it had become

crystal clear that under the dynamic leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam, the

League alone reflected the aspirations of the Muslim masses.

On this occasion, Lord Wavell requested the two parties to send him a list

giving the names of the members of their parties who could be included in

the proposed Executive Council. The Congress immediately submitted a list

of its members, which also included the names of two Muslims. The All-India Muslim League did not submit the list. On 14 July, 1945 Viceroy Lord

Wavell announced that the Simla Conference had failed and that the efforts

to bring Hindus and Muslims together had proved fruitless. The Congress

had all along claimed to represent both Hindus and Muslims and to speak on

behalf of all sections of the population. It employed all sorts of arguments

for a united India. The Muslim League, on the other hand, claimed to

represent the entire Muslim community, which solidly supported the demand

for Pakistan. At the failure of the Conference, the Quaid-i-Azam demanded

elections.

Soon after, Lord Wavell announced that the General Elections in India will

be held during winter (1945-46).

General Elections (1945-1946):

In the general elections, the Muslim League fought on the issue of

Pakistan. The results showed a decisive victory for Pakistan. The Muslim

League won all the Muslim seats in the Central Legislative Assembly, and

the Congressite and the Nationalist Muslims, who opposed it, had to forfeit

their deposits in many cases. The Muslim League won 446 out of a total 495

Muslim seats in the Provincial Assemblies. The Muslims had thus given a

clear verdict in favour of Pakistan and, as such, the verdict of the Quaid-i-

Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah proved true that the All-India Muslim League

was the only representative body of the entire Muslim India.

1946-The Cabinet Mission:


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In order to find out solution to the problem, the British

Government sent in March 1946, three Cabinet Ministers, namely Lord

Pethic Lawrence, Secretary of State for India, Sir Stafford Cripps, President

of the Board of Trade and Mr. A.V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty,

for negotiations with Indian leaders. The most active member of the Cabinet

Mission was Sir Stafford Cripps, and he was in pronounced sympathy with

the Congress. The Mission conducted individual negotiations with the top

leaders Gandhi, Quaid-i-Azam and others and early in May, 1946, arranged

a Joint Conference in Simla.

The Cabinet Mission 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, defense and communications. All subjects other

than the union subjects and all residuary powers shall rest in Provinces.

Provinces shall be free to form groups with Executives and Legislatures andeach group could determine the Provincial subjects to be taken in common.

It was also recommended that the Union and the groups should contain a

provision whereby any Province could, by a majority vote of its Legislative

Assembly, call for a reconsideration of the terms of the constitution, after an

initial period of ten years.

On April 9, 1946 a convention of Muslim League Legislators Central and

Provincial - in Delhi had passed resolution demanding that the six Provinces

of Bengal and Assam in the northeast, and the Punjab, North-West Frontier

Province, Sind and Baluchistan in the northwest be constituted into a

sovereign independent state of Pakistan, and that two separate constitution

making bodies be set up by the peoples of Pakistan and Hindustan for the

purpose of framing their respective constitution. In keeping with this

resolution, the Muslim League, in its negotiations with the Cabinet Mission,

proposed two constitution - making bodies, one for the six Provinces in the

Pakistan group and the other for the group of six Hindu Provinces.

On May 16, the Cabinet Mission and the Viceroy Published a statement

containing their own solution of the constitutional problem. The focal pointof their plan was the preservation of the Single State, which the British had

labored to build up. The Mission could see no justification for including

with a sovereign Pakistan, those districts of the Punjab, Bengal and Assam

in which the population was predominantly non-Muslim. Then the Mission

discussed the Muslim apprehensions and solution offered by the Congress

and expressed the opinion that such a scheme would present considerable


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constitutional disadvantages and anomalies. After that it presented its own

formula given as under:-

i. The All-India Union to control Defence, Communications and

Foreign Affairs only;

ii. Each province to have autonomy more or less on the same basis as

under the Government of India Act, 1935;

iii. Three groups of provinces to be made in the following manner:

a. Six Hindu majority provinces

b. Punjab, Sind, N.W.F.P. and Baluchistan

c. Bengal and Assasm

iv. After ten years, any province or group of provinces could re-consider

her association with the All India Union;

v. The actual distribution of powers between the authorities of the three

tiers to be determined by a Constituent Assembly to be elected by theElectoral College comprising members of the provincial assemblies in

accordance with the proportional representation;

vi. First the Whole Constituent Assembly shall meet. After that it will

meet in 3 groups separately;

vii. The second part of the Mission plan related to the setting up of a

representative government at the centre to tide over the period of

transition;

viii. The whole plan was to be accepted or rejected in toto".1

1946-June 3 Partition Plan:

Lord Mountbatten, the last Governor-General and Viceroy of

India, arrived in Delhi on March 22, 1947. He came charged with the

mission to make a peaceful transfer of power from British to Indian hands by

June, 1948. It is a mission, Prime Minister Attlee said in the Parliament,

not as has been suggested of betrayal on our part, it is a mission of

fulfillment.

When Mountbatten arrived in India, there was wide spread communal

tension all over the country. Fights were breaking out sporadically, and

Bombay and other places had fairly heavy casualties several times. The

Punjab, in particular, was seething with communal passions.

1 www.wikipedia.org
http://www.wikipedia.org/http://www.wikipedia.org/


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Lord Mountbattens first task was to make the acquaintance of the great

political antagonists the leaders of the Congress and of the Muslim League

and he succeeded in a short time in winning their confidence and

admiration.

By the middle of April 1947, Mountbatten worked out a Partition Plan, the

principles of which were that if partition came, it should be the

responsibility of the Indians; Provinces should have the right to determine

their own future; Bengal and the Punjab should be partitioned; Sylhet district

in Assam should have the option to join East Bengal; and there should be

general elections in North-West Frontier Province. The Plan was discussed

at a conference of Provincial governors on April 15 and 16. The governors

all agreed on two points. First, that a quick decision was a great

importance; and secondly, that a united India was now out of the question.

No one liked the idea of Partition, but no one could suggest how it could beavoided.

On April 26, Mountbatten decided to send Ismay and George Abell back to

London with the first draft of the Plan, to hammer it out clause by clause

with the (British) Government and officials concerned.

The text of the draft plan which Ismay took to London, under this Plan, The

Indian Peninsula was to be partitioned into two independent sovereign

states, one predominantly Hindu, to be called India, and the other

predominantly Muslim, to be called Pakistan. The Congress WorkingCommittee that met on May 1, formally accepted Partition.

On 3 June, 1947 Mountbatten was able to inform the peoples of India that

their leaders had accepted his Plan. The main characteristics of the Plan are

as follows:

1. "The Legislatures of the Punjab and Bengal shall decide whether the

Provinces should be divided or not;

2. The Indian people shall make the Constitution of India. This

Constitution shall not be applicable to those areas whose people reject

it;

3. Referendum shall be held in N.W.F.P;

4. Province of Baluchitan shall adopt appropriate way to decide its

future;


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5. Princely States shall be free and independent to join one or the other

country;

6. A Boundary Commission shall be set up which will demarcate the

boundaries of Punjab and Bengal provinces;

7. Both countries shall have their own Governor Generals who will be

Executive Heads of their respective countries;

8. Military assets shall be divided amongst two countries after Partition".

In addition to the vote taken in the legislatures, there were plebiscites to

decide for or against Pakistan in Sylhet District of Assam and in N.W.F.P.

Baluchistan made its choice by a process of consultation. In every case the

Muslim majority areas opted for Pakistan.

On 3rd June 1947, in New Delhi studio of All India Radio, the four key

leaders formally announced their agreement to divide the sub-continent intotwo separate, sovereign nations. Lord Mountbatten spoke first. His words

were confident, his speech brief, and he perhaps deliberately adopted a tone

of understatement. Nehru followed, and spoke in a rather sad tone, saying

the great destiny of India was taking shape with travail and sufferings. He

urged the nation to accept the plan, and concluded, It is with no joy in my

heart that I commend these proposals to you. Jinnah spoke next, and

concluded by saying a momentous decision has been taken to create an

Islamic State on the sub-continent.

Indian Independent Act 1947:

The British Government introduced the Indian Inde-pendence Bill

in Parliament on July 4, 1947 and the Indian Independence Act was enacted

after a fortnight on July 18. The Act made no reference to any new

Constitution for India.

The Act enabled the representatives of India and Pakistan to frame their own

Constitutions and to provide for the "exceedingly difficult period of

transition". In another sense, the Act was a mere formal reflection of the

promises made under the Mountbatten Plan. Under the Act:

Salient features of the act:

-Two Independent dominions (India and Pakistan) were to be set up on

15 August, 1947.


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-Pakistan will comprise of Sindh, Baluchistan, N.W.F.P., West Punjab

and East Bengal.

-The legislatures of each dominion shall have full power to make laws

for that dominion (legislative supremacy).

-Pending the adoption of a new constitution for each dominion, the

existing Constituent Assembly would be Dominion Legislature, and both

Dominion and every Province would be governed by the provisions of the

Government of India Act, 1935.

-Each Dominion was empowered to modify this Act, through its

Governor-General up to March 31, 1948 and thereafter by its Constituent

Assembly.

-The King's Power to veto laws or to reserve them for His Majesty's

pleasure was given up and each new Governor-General was given the right

to assent in His Majesty's name to any Bill passed by the Dominion

Legislature of his country.

-Suzerainty and paramountcy of the British Crown over the Indian

States was terminated through the Act with all treaties, agreements, etc.,

between the two to lapse on August 15.

-The existing arrangements between the States and the Government ofIndia were to continue pending detailed negotiations between these states

and the new Dominions.

-The office of the Secretary of State for India was abolished. The

Secretary for Commonwealth Affairs was to take on his work.

-The words "Emperor of India" and "India Imperator" were to be

dropped from the Royal-style and titles.

Both the dominions had the right to go out of the British Commonwealth asand when they desire. Thus, the Act converted India from a dependency of

the crown into two separate dominions. India was free from the control of

the British Parliament and Whitehall. The Act according to Mr. Attlee was

"a culminating point" in a long course of events- the Act of 1935, the Cripps


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Mission, etc. The Act was acclaimed as "the noblest and the greatest law

ever enacted by the British Parliament."2

1947-Pakistan Achieved:

Lord Mountbatten announced that the transfer of power would

take place on August 15, 1947.On June 9, the Council of the All-India

Muslim League met in Delhi and passed a resolution in favor of the Plan.

The Council gave the Quaid full authority to accept the fundamental

principles of the Plan as a compromise " and to take all-necessary steps and

decisions in connection with it.

On June 14, the All-India Congress Committee passed a resolution accepting

the Plan, although it regretted the secession of some parts of the country."

The time from June 3, 1947, when the partition plan was announced, toAugust 15, 1947 the date of the transfer of power to the two new Dominions

the Union of India and Pakistan was seventy-two days in all. The Indian

Independence Act was passed to set up the Dominions of India and Pakistan.

So on August 14, 1947,within seven years after the adoption of Lahore

Resolution, Pakistan emerged as an independent sovereign State under the

relentless, able and dynamic leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad

Ali Jinnah.

2 www.wikipedia.org
http://www.wikipedia.org/http://www.wikipedia.org/

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