JINNAH: A POLITICAL SAINT
Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a remarkable person, an extra ordinary statesman and unique or his political sagacity. He was no Wali or Saint in terms of religious terminology but he was certainly a political saint for the muslims of the subcontinent. Whereas the walis and saints did a great service to Islam by converting countless infidels to the true faith and spiritually guiding faithfuls to follow the right path, Mr. Jinnah as a political saint turned the muslim minority of the Indian Sub-Continent into a nation and emancipated them from the evil axis of Ango-Hindu tyranny and domination by guiding and leading them to the eventual goal of Pakistan, a safe heaven for them and established the largest muslim state. The services of Mr. Jinnah as political saint are no less momentous to the muslims of South Asia as those of the spiritual walis and saints to Islam. The clerics and the orthodox may not agree with me but in the present day and age, facts of history cannot be ignored. Let us not forget that Islam is a progressive religion and we must interpret it in the context of present day thinking. M.A. Jinnah was a known name the world over even in the early twentieth century. He was respected as steadfast, resolute and an impeccable leader with the highest integrity. He was considered as one of the top most legal brains of South Asia. The true standing of an individual is always reflected in what his contemporaries think of him. Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America said of him, “Mr. Jinnah was the recipient of a devotion of loyalty seldom accorded to any man”. His Highness The Agha Khan III ranked him very high amongst the contemporary world figures. He said, “Of all the statesmen that I have known in my life, (believe me, he know very many) – Clemenceau, Lloyd George, Churchill, Curzon, Mussolini, Mahatma Gandhi – Jinnah is the most remarkable. None of these men, in myview out shown him in strength of character and thatalmost uncanny combination of precision and resolution as Mr. Jinnah.” Similarly, Lord Listowel, senior memberof Clement Attlee’s cabinet said, “I would rate Mr. Jinnah as a bigger political giant of the twentieth century than even General de Gaulle.”
Even those in the opposite political camp praisedhis qualities of head and heart. Mr. M. K. Gandhi, his political rival in South Asia, in one of his letters to Mr. Louis Fisher wrote, “Mr. Jinnah is incorruptible and courageous”. Another Indian National Congress ex-President, a former Governor and Federal Minister and arenowned poetess Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, named Mr. Jinnah “ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity and one of sub-continent’s tried and impeccable leaders.”
The media is a reflection of public opinion.International and local newspapers wrote highly of Mr. M.A Jinnah. The World’s renowned newspaper, THE TIMES wrote, “Few statesmen have shaped events to their policy more surely than Mr. Jinnah. He was a legend even in his life time”. Two of the leading newspapers of sub-continent, THE DAILY STATESMAN OF INDIA referred to him” seemingly as hard as a diamond, he had all the diamond’s brilliance.” another renowned newspaper, AMRIT BAZAR PATRIKA from Calcutta wrote on August 8, 1947, “Jinnah outweights Truman,Stalin and Attlee put together”. A great tribute from a well-known taunch pro-Akhand Bharat newspaper of volatile Bengal.
Well, ladies and gentleman, that was Mr. M. A. Jinnah of the early twentieth century!
Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah started his political career in 1905 as a staunch liberal from the platform of the Indian National Congress. The same year along withGopal Krishna Gokhale, a foremost Hindu nationalist, herepresented the Congress in England to plead the Indiancase for self-government. Mr. Gokhale was impressed with him and remarked, “He has the true stuff in him and that freedom from all secretarian prejudice which will make him the best ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity.”
A year later in 1906 he served as secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji, the then Congress President, a position that was considered a great honor for any budding politician. The same year, in the Calcutta session of the Congress in December 1906, he made his first political speech in support of self-government. In January 1910, he was elected from Bombay with a thumping majority to the Imperial Legislative Council of India.
Mr. M.A. Jinnah forcefully advocated the need ofHindu-Muslim unity and passionately expounded the cause of Indian freedom in and outside the Indian Legislative Council. He raised his voice against every system that discriminated between human beings and against every institution violating the dignity of man. He opposed colonialism. In his home constituency of Bombay, he was the President of the Bombay branch of the Home Rule League. Bombaites recognized his services to the cause of Indian freedom, towards Hindu-Muslim unity and to the people of Bombay and constructed a Public Hall in his name. Jinnah Hall still stands in Bombay as a monument of his sterling services to the people of that city.
Muslim League was formed in 1906 in Dacca but inspite of great persuasion including that of his friend H.H. The Agha Khan III he did not join the Muslim League. It was only when the Muslim League at hisinstance in 1912 adopted self-government for India as its goal that Mr. Jinnah in 1913 joined the All India Muslim League. Three years later he became its President. Now he was member of both the All India Congress and All IndiaMuslim League and in this unique position he tried to bring the two organizations closer and as a result of hisefforts, the Congress-League Lucknow pact of 1916 was signed, detailing a joint scheme for post-war reforms and conceding Muslims the right to separate electorates.
......continue
Read next part in next post
No comments:
Post a Comment