Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born on December 25, 1876, in Wazir Mansion, New Naham Road, Khara-Dar, Karachi. He took his early education in Sindh Madrassatul- Islam, Karachi. Muhammad Ali was 16 years old and student of Fifth Standard English (under matriculation) when in 1883 he left for England or studies and apprenticeship in business administration in the head office of Graham Trading Co. He joined Lincoln’s Inn and graduated from there in two years with distinction.
Mr. Jinnah once confided that “he was the youngest student ever to be called to the Bar”. He grew up to be tall, handsome, erect, graceful with chiseled features like a Greek God. He was always elegantly and tastefully dressed. He wore Savil-Row tailored suits and the silk cord of his monocle matching the colour of the suit that he wore. This appendix of his dress became known all over as was the ‘Windsor knot’ of then Prince of Wales. British Viceroys like Harding, Chelmsford, Reading and Halifax all thought that Mr. Jinnah was “the best dressed gentleman they ever met in India”.
Mr. Jinnah was always self confident, indomitable and full of pride and as a matter of principle he would never entertain favours from anyone, or accept any giveaway as gesture of benevolence. Early in his professional career, at the expiry of six months temporary assignment of the vacant post of Presidency Magistrate, when Sir Charles Ollivant, member for the Bombay Executive Council offered him a permanent job at a higher salary, he spurned the offer saying, “Soon, I will be daily earning that much amount, that you have offered me”. Such was his confidence and faith in his ability and the world saw that within a couple of years he was one of the highest paid lawyer in the
country.
Lord Reading, the Viceroy of India offered him Knighthood, which Mr. Jinnah declined saying that he prefers to be called plain Mr. Jinnah than Sir Muhammad
Ali Jinnah. It is interesting to know that after Mr. Jinnah’s refusal to be Knighted, when Lord Reading at an informal reception, turned to Mrs. Maryam (Ratti) Jinnah and asked her to request her husband to agree to be Knighted,she promptly retorted, “If my husband accepts Knighthood, I will ask separation from him”.
Years later, Mr. Ramzay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, said to Mr. Jinnah, “You know that we are hoping to grant self-government to India and I shall need men like you to be Governors of Provinces”. Mr. Jinnah promptly replied back, “Mr. MacDonald, are you trying to bribe me?” It was against Mr. Jinnah’s grain to accept favours.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Bar-at-Law, made his debut in politics as a staunch nationalist. Within a short period of his joining the Congress in 1905 he made his
mark and was soon counted as one of its front rank leaders. With his true nationalistic approach to politics he came to be known as ‘Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity’.
The question then intrigued; what was it that changed Mr. Jinnah’s thinking so radically? There must have been some thing very fundamental that disillusioned
this “Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity and idol of young Indian nationalists of 1920s” and turned him into an avid champion of the interest of his community. Mr. H.V. Hodson, an eminent British historian sums up Mr.Jinnah’s character thus, “One thing is certain he did notchange for any venal motive. Not even his political enemies ever accused Jinnah of corruption or self-seeking.
He could be bought by no one, and for no price…… He was a steadfast idealist as well as a man of scrupulous honour.”
He could not be bought, he could not be lured, then what was it that brought this radical change in Mr. Jinnah?
The answer to this question of change of his ideals lie in the deeds, rather ‘misdeeds’ and behaviour of the Congress leaders. He became thoroughly disenchanted
with the two-faced policies and distinct contradictions in the lofty ideals professed in public and actual deeds of the so called “nationalist” Hindu leaders. The History of the Congress is replete with instances of deliberate efforts to undermine Muslim interests with a view to amalgamating
their separate identity in the bigger whole.
Mr. Jinnah once confided that “he was the youngest student ever to be called to the Bar”. He grew up to be tall, handsome, erect, graceful with chiseled features like a Greek God. He was always elegantly and tastefully dressed. He wore Savil-Row tailored suits and the silk cord of his monocle matching the colour of the suit that he wore. This appendix of his dress became known all over as was the ‘Windsor knot’ of then Prince of Wales. British Viceroys like Harding, Chelmsford, Reading and Halifax all thought that Mr. Jinnah was “the best dressed gentleman they ever met in India”.
Mr. Jinnah was always self confident, indomitable and full of pride and as a matter of principle he would never entertain favours from anyone, or accept any giveaway as gesture of benevolence. Early in his professional career, at the expiry of six months temporary assignment of the vacant post of Presidency Magistrate, when Sir Charles Ollivant, member for the Bombay Executive Council offered him a permanent job at a higher salary, he spurned the offer saying, “Soon, I will be daily earning that much amount, that you have offered me”. Such was his confidence and faith in his ability and the world saw that within a couple of years he was one of the highest paid lawyer in the
country.
Lord Reading, the Viceroy of India offered him Knighthood, which Mr. Jinnah declined saying that he prefers to be called plain Mr. Jinnah than Sir Muhammad
Ali Jinnah. It is interesting to know that after Mr. Jinnah’s refusal to be Knighted, when Lord Reading at an informal reception, turned to Mrs. Maryam (Ratti) Jinnah and asked her to request her husband to agree to be Knighted,she promptly retorted, “If my husband accepts Knighthood, I will ask separation from him”.
Years later, Mr. Ramzay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, said to Mr. Jinnah, “You know that we are hoping to grant self-government to India and I shall need men like you to be Governors of Provinces”. Mr. Jinnah promptly replied back, “Mr. MacDonald, are you trying to bribe me?” It was against Mr. Jinnah’s grain to accept favours.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Bar-at-Law, made his debut in politics as a staunch nationalist. Within a short period of his joining the Congress in 1905 he made his
mark and was soon counted as one of its front rank leaders. With his true nationalistic approach to politics he came to be known as ‘Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity’.
The question then intrigued; what was it that changed Mr. Jinnah’s thinking so radically? There must have been some thing very fundamental that disillusioned
this “Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity and idol of young Indian nationalists of 1920s” and turned him into an avid champion of the interest of his community. Mr. H.V. Hodson, an eminent British historian sums up Mr.Jinnah’s character thus, “One thing is certain he did notchange for any venal motive. Not even his political enemies ever accused Jinnah of corruption or self-seeking.
He could be bought by no one, and for no price…… He was a steadfast idealist as well as a man of scrupulous honour.”
He could not be bought, he could not be lured, then what was it that brought this radical change in Mr. Jinnah?
The answer to this question of change of his ideals lie in the deeds, rather ‘misdeeds’ and behaviour of the Congress leaders. He became thoroughly disenchanted
with the two-faced policies and distinct contradictions in the lofty ideals professed in public and actual deeds of the so called “nationalist” Hindu leaders. The History of the Congress is replete with instances of deliberate efforts to undermine Muslim interests with a view to amalgamating
their separate identity in the bigger whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment