The socio-political upheaval in Pakistan has its genesis in the flawed policy of two-nation theory stoked by its separatist Father of the Nation
On the 68th anniversary of the Great Calcutta Killings — caused by the Jinnah’s Direct Action call for a separate nation for Indian Muslims — while the “secular” India celebrated her 68th Independence Day, the “Islamic” nation of Pakistan is still struggling for its identity. As violence in the name of State, religion and sect is going on unabated in Pakistan, it is high time to revisit the legacy of Jinnah, who blew hot and cold on making his state — carved out of the united India in the name of Islam — secular. The socio-political upheaval in Pakistan has its genesis in the flawed policy of two-nation theory stoked by the separatist Jinnah.
Jinnah’s call for Direct Action had left 8,000 Hindus butchered in the week-long Great Calcutta Killings started on August 16. Though pretentiously secular in his outlook as well as in food habits — Jinnah didn’t believe in haram food — he remained unrepentant about his prime role in the tragedy. In fact, he justified the killings as reprisals against the high-handedness of the Hindu-dominated Congress party.
In his earlier days, Jinnah was sacrilegious. After saying goodbye to his reel life as a Shakespearean actor during his london days, he returned to India with a wish to gain recognition as the most prominent freedom fighter. However, he soon realized that he could not compete with Hindu-nationalists in the Congress.
In the early 1940s, when the freedom struggle gained momentum, the then British Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, sent Cabinet Mission to India to discuss and finalise the mechanism for transfer of power to the Indian leadership. Under pressure from Jinnah, the Cabinet Mission proposed granting of freedom to India as well as the creation of Muslim-dominated Pakistan. The Congress rejected this proposal. To force the Congress to accept the demand for the Islamic nation of Pakistan, Jinnah declared the execution of Direct Action Day. Jinnah was adamant on his plan for either “divided” India or a “destroyed” India. This exposed the vile and violent idea of Jinnah against India. The declaration of Direct Action during the holy month of Ramadan stoked communal tension. The genocide of innocent Hindus and Sikhs is extensively covered by Yasmin Khan in her book, The Great Partition: The making of India and Pakistan. Around 8,000 people were butchered, shops were looted, and even children were burnt alive in their homes. A year after the bloodbath of the Great Calcutta Killings, Pakistan took birth.
Jinnah accomplished his mission to create a nation for Muslims, but soon after its creation, he tried to show his secular side to the world. In his famous August 11, 1947 address, he envisioned the idea of a “secular” Pakistan, where Hindus were supposed to cease being Hindus and Muslims were to stop being Muslims.
However going the history of Pakistan’s enmity towards India, it seems it was too late for Jinnah to indulge in course correction.
His idea of a unified Muslim nation proved flawed with the need for the creation of Bangladesh. The whole idea of a Islamic State of Pakistan to focus on the development of Muslims, which Jinnah claimed was not possible in the secular India.
The condition of Muslims in Islamic State of Pakistan is worse than those in secular India. While Ahamdis have been declared non-Muslims, killing of Hazara Shias is rampant. Blasphemy law is being perversely applied to persecute Christians. Minority Hindus are migrating to India and refusing to go back to Pakistan. Churches, temples, non-Islamic monuments are regularly burnt. Moderate Muslims, like Salmaan Taseer, who dare speak against the atrocities face death. And if the guilty is punished he is hailed a martyr.
The radical Islamisation started by Zia-ul-Haq has engulfed innocent Muslims as well. Various jehadi groups viz, lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan are trying to convert Pakistan into a nation for religious fanatics.
As per an estimate, approximately 8,00000 Shias have been murdered by the Pakistani Government. This is the best gift a failed State can give its Father of the Nation who himself was a Shia!
On the contrary in India, though minorities have faced communal outrage, the State machinery has played its part in bring the guilty to book. Whether it is 1984, 1991, Godhra, and Muzaffarnagar, perpetrators have been taken into custody, cases filed and punishment given by the court of law. Besides Constitutional provisions, there is progressive positive-discrimination mechanism to safeguard and promote the interest of religious minorities in India.
On the other hand, 68 years after its creation, Pakistan is still marred by sectarian tensions, religious fanaticism, and political intolerance. The famous proverb ‘Old sins cast longer shadows’ aptly signifies the current malaise in Pakistan. It birth signified destruction of brotherhood, cooperation and unity and diversity.
The “divisive” Jinnah failed Pakistan and Pakistan has failed the “secular” Jinnah.
(The writer is a research scholar)