Jinnah Revisited

Written by Dr. Omar Farooq Khan • May 2010

Books written by Indian and Pakistani authors on the partition of the sub-continent are usually viewed with caution for the fact that, in most instances, there is an element of bias in them. Each side seems to blame the political leadership of the other for the partition and for the violent aftermath. Despite this literary chaos, the fundamental questions still persist. What actually happened, what led to the division, what caused the inception of a separate national identity for the Muslims of the subcontinent and was there any other alternative?

Jaswant Singh, a prominent Indian political figure, has tried to unravel these questions in his book, especially with regard to the political forces/leadership responsible for the partition, especially highlighting Mohammed Ali Jinnah's role. He has acknowledged in the book that there has not been any biography of Jinnah's written by a political figure from India so far.

Title: India-Partition Independence
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa. Co, New Delhi
Pages: 669
Price: Indian Rs. 695
ISBN 13: 978-81-291-1378-8

Mr. Singh has tried to cater to a wider international audience and approaches the topic of partition with regard to Mr. Jinnah's role and his transformation from Mr. Jinnah the ambassador of unity, to the Quaid-e-Azam and his stance that the Muslims of South Asia were a different nation altogether, with a different identity and the only way their interests would be safeguarded was by the inception of a separate homeland for them.

In his quest to answer the foundation of a separate national identity in the Muslims of the subcontinent, Singh has initiated his narration from the time of dawn of Islam in Arabia. He moves forward to the history of the sub-continent, especially the Muslim invasions. After giving a brief description of the different Muslim groups (ranging from Arabs, Persians, Afghans and Mughals) he wonders that despite the multiple ethnic origins of these Muslim dynasties, they are commonly referred to as a collective group and their period is referred to as "The Muslim rule" in India, while the European colonies are commonly referred to as the British, French or Dutch rule. This, in his view, has played a major role in shaping the notion of an independent identity for the Muslims of the sub-continent.

The book also sheds light on Jinnah's humble beginnings, his birth in the small town of Paneli (Khatiawar) and his family's migration to Bombay, from where he was sent to England and his clearing the Bar. His time in London is also documented with reference to his political influences, like Dadabhai Nauroji, followed by such details as his return to India and his rise as a lawyer par excellence despite the prevailing racial prejudice of the British. He talks about Jinnah joining the Congress, which was at that time the only major political platform for the Indians.

Singh writes that Jinnah was initially a nationalist and a strong believer in Hindu-Muslim unity and quotes Gokhale's reference. His depiction of Jinnah definitely provides a fresh and unbiased description of the man. Instead of treating him as the proverbial punching bag/villain of the peace, like other Indian authors, he tries to explain the causes which led to the change in Jinnah's stance as well as his political methodology in comparison to other leaders of the Congress.

Jaswant Singh's comparison of the political philosophy of Jinnah, Gandhi and Nehru provide some of the most interesting aspects of the book. His analysis of Gandhi's approach brings him out as being intertwined with religious philosophies as compared to Jinnah, who strongly believed in logic and reasoning and had a staunch belief in safeguarding the rights of all Indians irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Jinnah even warned Gandhi that dabbling in religious doctrine would only fuel further religious fanaticism.

The book covers the major events that took place during the Indian freedom struggle such as the Khilafat movement, Sir Syed's movement of Muslim renaissance, and the formation of the Muslim league.

Such historical events as the Lucknow Pact (1916) are also detailed in the book. This was a joint draft between the Muslim League and Congress, consisting of a series of reforms in safeguarding Muslim representation through a separate electorate. Singh describes the Lucknow pact as the ultimate service that Jinnah performed for Hindu-Muslim unity.

Despite his best efforts to bridge the gap between the two communities, future events only made Jinnah realize that the rights of the Muslim community would never be secure once the British left. The failure of the round table conferences, Nehru's disregard for the Lucknow pact and for the fourteen points (presented by Jinnah to ensure Muslim representation in the power centers) further strengthened his suspicions that the British Raj would only be replaced by Ram Raj. This finally resulted in his parting of ways with the Congress and joining the Muslim league.

Mr. Singh gives credit to Jinnah for reviving the Muslim League, which according to him, was initially a party of Muslim elite with very little or no following in the masses.

He clearly points out that it was Jinnah's untiring efforts that eventually transformed the All India Muslim League into a force to be reckoned with. The League under his leadership reached out to the Muslim masses and convinced them that the only way for them to attain a fair share in power in the Indian subcontinent was to join the party which advocated their right for a separate state for themselves on the basis of the Two Nation Theory.

Jaswant Singh also comments on the aftermath of the partition, the lack of infra-structure in the newly found republic, Jinnah's untimely death (while Pakistan was still in its infancy) and the further compounding of numerous problems by India's uncooperative behavior towards Pakistan. He presents the opinion that it was an amalgam of all these events which resulted in further cementing the suspicions of both nations and resulted in a never-ending atmosphere of dissention which still plagues the people of both countries. According to the author, the major sufferers happen to be the Muslims left behind in India. These people suffered greatly and even in this day and age they are neglected and uncared for in matters of education, employment and social uplift, which has made them "aliens" in their own country.
Although internationally well received, Jaswant Singh's book has earned him the wrath of the fanatical elements of his own country and has even led to his expulsion from the BJP. The book is well-researched and narrates facts in an interesting manner. It brings to light all the major events of the partition and highlights Jinnah for what he really was - a modern, secular and dynamic leader, whose major concern was safeguarding the rights of the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent.