Pakistan - The Problem Of India The Problem of India

PAKISTAN THE PROBLEM OF INDIA by DR. SHAUKATULLAH ANSARI 1 9,4 5 MINERVA BOOK SHOP ANARKALI - LAHORE First published in 1944 Second Edition 1946 Printed by Mirza Muhammad Sadiq at the Rip on Printing Press, Bull Road, Lahore and published by Mr. Pratap Krishna for Minerva Book Shop Lahore To Those Indian Muslims who have fought and suffered and are now fighting for the unity and freedom of India. CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION II. GENESIS OF PAKISTAN III. THE TWO NATION THEORY IV. THE CASE FOR PAKISTAN V. THE CASE AGAINST PAKISTAN VI. CONCLUSION PAGES 1 2-13 14-28 29-52 53-121 122-127 POSTSCRIPT APPENDIX I APPENDIX II APPENDIX III APPENDIX IV APPENDIX V BIBLIOGRAPHY 128-138 139-144 145-147 148-151 152-159 160 161-163 I INTRODUCTION For the last four years a great deal of controversy has raged over the Pakistan issue. Conferences KaveTkeen held in all parts of the country both in favour of arid against the partition of India, and the people on both sides have been fully worked up. Several persons have written for and against Pakistan, but unhappily more as partisans than otherwise. Arguments on both sides have been more in the nature of afl ertions than logical reasons. In this atmosphere of strife and increasing bitterness it is of the utmost importance that the Muslims of InJia should dispassionately consider j ne merits and demerifs bt the Pakistan 8cheme and, arrive at a well considered decision and abide by it Just as some Muslims ha veT come to passionately advocate Pakistan, and have made it an article of faith which cannot be questioned or criticised in che same way some non-Muslims, as a matter of sentiment, have recoiled at the very suggestion of the partition of India, and refusedto discuss the Pakistan Scheme as a possible solution of the minority problem in India. What is required is a full and free discussion, and a comprehensive statement of the case from both points of views. This pamphlet is an attempt to encourage discussion, dispassionately to examine the proposal for the partition of India and to place the issue before the Muslims of India in clear and cpmprehensive terms. It is proposed to examine first the reasons of tne present state of antagonism between the Hindus and the Muslims, and then to describe the genesis of the Pakistan Scheme before analysing the two nation theory on which it is based. Thereafter, both the case for and against Pakistan would be stated as completely as possible within the scope of this pamphlet. H GENESIS OF PAKISTAN The generally accepted view is that the theory of two nations and the demand for separate and independent Muslim States took birth in the philosophical speculations of Dr. Iqbal. It is said that he started with the premise that on account of their religion and culture Muslims were radically different from Hindus and they could not possibly co operate with each other either politically or economically, and in view of this the only solution was the creation of a Muslim State as distinct from a Hindu State. Therefore, in 1930, Dr. Iqbal, while presiding over the Annual Session of the All-India Muslim League, said I would like to see the Punjab, N.-W. F. P, Sind and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single State. Self-Government within the British Empire, or without the British Empire, the formation of a consoli dated North-West Indian Muslim State appear to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims at lease of theNorth-West India 1 The truth of the matter is that it is not correct to say that Dr. Iqbal either sponsored the idea of two nations or evolved what is now known as the Pakistan Scheme. It is clear from the rest of his speech that he was not contemplating a separate sovereign Muslim State, but was only referring to the consolidation of the Muslim North-West in one political unit of an all-India federation. With reference to the Con solidated North-West Indian Muslim State, 1 he added that the proposal was put forward before the Nehru Committee...