Pakistan Movement ( Eng. Pakistan Movement ; Urdu تحریک پاکستان ) is a historical movement of Muslims in British India , whose main goal was to create an independent Islamic state of Pakistan in the north-western lands of the Indian subcontinent .
Content
1940 Lahore Resolution
The Lahore Resolution is a resolution on the disengagement of Hindus from Muslims, which was adopted during the annual session of the All-India Muslim League in Lahore , held from March 22 to March 24, 1940 . This session turned out to be historical. On the first day of the session, Muhammad Ali Djinn spoke about the events of the past few months: in an improvised speech, he presented his own ways of solving a Muslim problem in British India . He said that the differences between Hindus and Muslims are so great that their unification within a single central government would be full of serious risks.
1942 Cripps Mission
The British government wanted the help of the Indian people in World War II . The divergence of views between the two main religious communities of the country were disadvantageous to the British. However, the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League rejected proposals from the British. Muhammad Jinn was against this plan, since it did not provide for the creation of Pakistan. Thus, the Cripps Mission failed.
Gandhi and Jinna Negotiations (1944)
Mahatma Gandhi and Djinn held important negotiations in 1944. Negotiations between the two great leaders of the subcontinent began in response to the desire of the population to settle the Indo-Muslim question.
On July 17, 1944, Gandhi wrote a letter to Jinne expressing a desire to meet with him. Negotiations between them began in Bombay on September 19, 1944 and continued until the 24th. Mahatma Gandhi considered the idea of creating Pakistan absurd. Muhammad Jinn was a staunch supporter of the partition of British India . Thus, the negotiations ended in nothing, each of the leaders remained with his opinion.
Simla Conference (1945)
In May 1945, Lord Waywell , Viceroy of India, went to London , where he presented his vision of the future of India with the British administration at the head. The negotiations led to the development of a plan of action, which was made public in June 1945. This plan is known as the Wavewell Plan.
To discuss his proposals with the leadership of the main Indian parties, Wavell convened a conference in Simla on June 25, 1945. The leaders of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League took part in the conference, which was called the Simla Conference. Disagreements arose between the leaders of the two parties on the future of the Muslim community. Representatives of the Muslim League stated that they were the only legal representative of the Muslims in India and, therefore, all Muslim representatives in the Executive Council of the Viceroy. The congress, which sent Maulana Azad the leader of his delegation , tried to prove that their party represents all the communities of India, including the Muslim one. Congress also opposed the idea of equality of Hindus and Muslims. All this led to a dead end. Thus, the Simla conference was at an impasse and the Wavewell Plan failed.
Provincial and Central Elections (1945–46)
After the failure of the Simla conference, Sir Wavell announced that the central and provincial elections of the Legislative Council would be held in the winter of 1945. He also said that after the election, the viceroy will create an Executive Council, which the main Indian political parties will have to support. The Muslim League and Congress opposed this proposal.
Muhammad Jinna stated that Muslims should receive their own independent state, and the Indian National Congress was categorically against it. Despite this, both sides began to participate in the election campaign. They knew that elections would be crucial for the future of India, and the results should play an important role in determining their status. The League wanted to win in all districts of India with a Muslim majority and thus prove that they are the only representative of the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, while Congress set its main goal to unite all Indians, regardless of religious affiliation.
Both the Muslim League and Congress promulgated opposing slogans during their election campaign. The Muslim League presented a manifesto: “If you want an independent Pakistan, then vote for the Muslim League.”
Congress insisted on United India. To oppose the Muslim League, Congress representatives used extremely negative epithets about Jinna.
Elections to the Legislative Council were held in December 1945. Turnout was a record. Representatives of non-Muslim places voted for the Congress, while the Muslim League scored about 95 percent in Muslim districts. Given that there were more Hindus in British India than Muslims, the final results demonstrated a convincing victory of the Congress with more than 80% of the vote. But, on the other hand, the Muslim League marked this election as its triumph , since in fact it became the only representative of the Muslims of the whole country.
Government Mission to India (1946)
All attempts by the British government to establish peace between Congress and the Muslim League failed. The results of the general elections held in 1945-46 emphasized the urgent need to find a solution to this political impasse. To end this, the British government sent a special government mission to India.
The mission consisted of Lord Lawrence (Secretary of Indian Affairs), Sir Stafford Cripps (President of the Chamber of Commerce), Lord Alexander ( First Lord of the Admiralty ).
Plan for the 3rd of June (1947)
When Mountbatten’s efforts to keep India united failed, he outlined a plan for the transfer of power to the Indians and the division of the country. It was decided that none of the Indian parties will participate in the discussion.
This plan was completed in April 1947, and then sent to the UK, where the British government approved it.
However, Nehru (who lived with Mountbatten in Simla) rejected the plan. He made changes to it and London approved a new version of the plan. All Muslim League leaders also approved the plan, Mountbatten was able to convince Mahatma Gandhi . This plan was made public on June 3 and thus became known as the Plan for June 3rd.
The main provisions of the plan
- Provincial legislatures of Punjab and Bengal are divided into two groups, that is, into Muslim and non-Muslim areas. If either of the two provinces decides in favor of division of the region, then the governor-general will appoint commissions to demarcate the province’s borders and separate Muslims and non-Muslims.
- The Sindh Provincial Assembly (with the exception of European residents) will decide to join the existing Constituent Assembly or the New Constituent Assembly.
- In order to decide the future of the North-West Frontier Province , a referendum will be proposed. The electoral college for the referendum should be the same as the electoral college in the provincial legislature in 1946.
- Balochistan is also given the opportunity to express its opinion on this issue.
- If Bengal decides in favor of a section, the referendum should be held in Sylhet County . Assam was asked to remain a part of India or to become part of East Bengal .
Establishment of Pakistan
The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on July 18, 1947. Two public entities have been created: the Indian Union and Pakistan. Also provided for the complete cessation of British control over India on August 15, 1947. The Muslims of the subcontinent finally achieved their goal and gained an independent state, but only after a long and merciless struggle under the purposeful leadership of Muhammad Jinn.
Muhammad Ali Jinna was appointed the first governor-general of Pakistan , and Liaqat Ali Khan became the first prime minister of the state . Pakistan became part of the British Commonwealth of Nations .
Pakistan appeared on the world map in 1947. This is based on the Theory of Two Nations . This theory relied on the division into two countries, for Hindus and Muslims. Sir Said Ahmad Khan is the first to formulate the Theory of Two Nations in the modern era. He believed that India is a continent, not a country, but among a large population of different races and different religions, Hindus and Muslims are too different to live in one state.
Thus, these historical, cultural, religious, and social differences between two peoples of the same country accelerated the pace of political events, and ultimately led to the division of British India into two separate, independent states. Pakistan and India gained independence on August 14 and 15, 1947.
Key figures
- Muhammad Ali Jinn
- Fatima Jinna
- Liaqat Ali Khan
- Fazlul Haq
- Shaista Suhravardi Ikramulla
- National Symbols of Pakistan