-MS. SALEENA KARIM, ENGLAND-
The Holy Book of Islam teaches that there are three forces of tyranny at work in this world: religious, economic, and political. Whereas the ideals for humanity are unity, justice and liberty, these elitist forces are based on counter-ideals of division, inequity and oppression. Naturally, therefore, all conflicts in human history invariably involve a struggle against one or more of these forces. India pre-1947 is no exception. In fact, in the early 20th century India’s people were subjected not to one form of tyranny, but to all the three. On the political side, ignoring the British (whose presence only served to complicate, rather than directly cause, India’s ‘national’ problem), was the Congress Party, which imposed its dominance via majoritarian politics.
HINDU IMPERIALISM
Economically, India’s poorest were the victims of vicious money-lending and landlord systems – mostly (though not wholly) controlled by Hindus. Whilst the Congress formally adopted a socialist policy, most of its top leaders were also capitalists. The driving influence of both the economy and the politics was Brahminist idealism, as manifested in the caste system permeating the Indian societal fabric from the top downward.
The thinker, Dr. Allama Iqbal foresaw the consequences of allowing these forces to persist and he called for a complete overhauling’ of India’s ‘social structure’ to bring it into conformity with the democratic ideal, and to forge it into a truly united nation. [1] To his mind, political freedom and a just economy would come about only if the Brahminist ideal itself was the primary focus of the overhaul.
PAKISTAN’S INTERNAL BATTLE
After 1937, when it became absolutely clear that non- Brahmins would never get a fair deal in India, the largest non- Hindu minority, the Muslims, gradually moved towards the demand for partition.
Pakistan’s founders hoped that their new homeland would offer not only Muslims, but all who lived within its borders the opportunity to live and develop an egalitarian society without interference from the forces that had all but completely strangled the Indian body politic. That it has not happened to date is proof only that the mere removal of physical shackles does not free a people from the shackles on the mind. This is why Pakistan remains in an internal battle between bureaucrats, landlords, and religious extremists.
NOTHING CHANGED IN INDIA
The socio-political problems are a collective symptom of an old psychological problem. Pakistan is working through it; but the process is slow and painful.
Similar is true of India. From an international perspective, today it is economically and politically strong, and it is officially the world’s largest democracy; but according to those millions still living at the bottom strata of its society, hardly anything has changed at all since independence. They have not benefited from India’s material successes, and the reason is rooted in history.
We need not ask whether the Pakistan demand was a serious one or not. The divisive nature of Brahminism made some sort of Hindu-Muslim separation inevitable. But if Pakistan was a bid for freedom, then what of the Muslims and other religious and ethnic groups who remained in India?
JINNAH’S ADVICE TO MUSLIMS
M.A. Jinnah was the Quaid-i-Azam of the Muslims of India long before he was the founder of Pakistan. In his last interview addressed to Muslims staying on in India, Jinnah gave them some important words of advice which are still applicable today.
It is well-known that Muslims who were to remain in India – i.e. those of the Hindu-majority provinces – had been the first and most dedicated supporters of the Pakistan movement in its early phase. They were anxious to know what to do now that their leader was leaving for Pakistan. In his interview to the deputation leader of the Coorg Muslims in July 1947, he advised them as follows:
KEEP YOUR IDENTITY
The Musselman’s in India have yet to go through a number of ordeals, sufferings and sacrifices. Their future will remain dark for some years to come and thick clouds will be hanging over them. The only way out for them will be to become much more active, much more courageous and work harder than ever before.
What you have to do is to maintain your identity and individuality in the first instance. You can adapt yourselves to the changing environment, without sacrificing your identity and individuality. If you sacrifice these two ideals then you will have lost everything, and your survival without this distinction will hardly do any good to you. You can maintain your identity and at the same time serve the best interests of your country. …
CHAOS IN INDIA
As regards your loyalty, you cannot be but loyal to your country. … You can be useful citizens of your country in two ways by being (1) educationally forward and (2) economically sound and thereby make yourselves indispensable to the country. …
Disintegration is bound to set in at some point or other because of lack of homogeneity in the ruling junta. If you are well equipped educationally, you will catch the opportunity by the forelock and hit bargain politically. Just the time when you will be awakened to your potentialities and aspirations you will appear again on the scene as a balancing factor in the power politics. You will then have nothing to lose but everything to gain. You will be a power to be reckoned with and the majority community or the powers that be will find it impossible to run the administration of the country without your help and cooperation and you will have a larger slice of the share in the authority and power which were denied to you so long. … It is at this psychological moment that all the major problems with which you were confronted will be solved in a friendly atmosphere. However big or great your problem, don’t run to solve them with a hammer in your hand. You must have the sagacity and wisdom to solve them at an opportune time when circumstances are more favorable. [2]
In short, whilst Jinnah had succeeded in attaining Pakistan, he expected the remaining Muslims of India to retain their identity, and to become educationally and economically strong so as to act as an agent of social reform. Just as he expected Pakistan to develop as a state aiming at the ideals of liberty, justice, and unity, Jinnah expected Indian Muslims to continue the struggle against that ‘mad idealism’ [3] against which he himself had fought since the 1930s – gradually, peacefully, and for the good of their own country.
Yet Muslims throughout the subcontinent seem to have forgotten the message of their Quaid-i-Azam, their history, and their duty to each other, not to mention their duty to those who suffer with them. As long as we do not remember, none of us will move forward.
[Saleena Karim is the author of Secular Jinnah & Pakistan: What the Nation Doesn’t Know, photocopy available with Dalit Voice, Rs. 250]
References:
[1] Iqbal’s Allahabad address, December 1930 (Sherwani, L.A. (ed.) (2008 reprint) Speeches, Writings & Statements of Iqbal New Delhi: Adam Publishers, p.26
[2] Jinnah’s interview to the deputation leader of the Coorg Muslims, New Delhi, 25 July 1947 (Ahmad, W. (ed.) (2002) Quaid-i- Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah: The Nation’s Voice Karachi: Quaid-i-Azam Academy.
