Articles
As Bharat Aspires to Become a Vikasit State by 2047…..
Dt: 12/6/26
As Bharat Aspires to Become a Vikasit State by 2047…..
Dr T H Chowdary*
Scene at the AICC meeting held on Jun 14& 15, 1947 approving the partition of India and creation of Pakistan . The resolution to ratify partition was moved by Govind Vallabh Pant and seconded by Abul Kalam Azad. Several stalwarts opposed it. Purushottam Das Tandon declared that he would not have minded suffering British rule a little longer rather than be made to pay such a heavy price for freedom. Ghaffar Khan ( North West Frontier -NWFP) wept bitterly. He asked the members why this sturdy Pathans Appeal who had fought solidly for united India were being punished…. He thundered, “ you have thrown us to the wolves; with Muslims, who joined you , will ever trust you?” Gandhi went to him while he was speaking , put his arms round him and gently took him away . There was opposition also from the socialists ….,.” I do not find that strength in us today. …If I felt strong enough myself I would alone take up the flag of revolt. He declared he was helpless and hence advised the Congress to accept partition and the creation of Pakistan. A resolution approving partition and creation of Pakistan was passed by the AICC with an overwhelming majority of 153 in favour and only 29 against.
2. Ravi Shankar Shukla the Congress Chief Minister of the Central Provinces made the statement, “it was Mr. Jinnah’s claim that the Muslims had a separate culture and a different religion and that in Pakistan only Islamic law would prevail ….” He mentioned that , “ there were 1,85,00,000 Hindus in the Muslim areas of British India . There were 3,00,00,000 Muslims in the Hindu areas ….these Muslims would be treated as aliens . They will have no citizenship rights. The grants that are being given today for their education will be withdrawn and they will have to depend on their own resources. Pointing to his Muslim Minister Dr Hassan sitting next to
him Shukla observed that he would have to quit his cabinet and might not be allowed to live in Vardha. He would have to seek shelter in Pakistan . He elaborated it by saying that while religious and cultural freedom might be conceded to Muslims living in Hindustan , they would have no representation in the legislatures or in the services. Their institutions would also not be given any government grant.” The Mahatma admonished Shukla…. (Pages 230 , 231 232 of the book, “Gandhi and the Breakup of India” by Dr Rafiq Zakaria published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1999)
3. Dr Ram Mnohan Lohia ( b. 23-3-1910 d. 12-10-1967) backed by the Congress socialist contingent in the AICC reminded Gandhiji of his promise that India would be divided only on his dead body . Lohia ji asked Gandhiji why he is not fasting for preventing the partition of India, ”do it now” . Gandhiji replied, that Muslims would not heed his plea for keeping India united and give up the demand for partition . Lohia ji said do you think that Hindus are the only sheep to be sacrificed . There is no answer, Gandhiji raised his hands, said namaskar and walked away to the Bhangi colony in North Delhi from where he was brought to persuade the AICC to pass the resolution accepting the partition.
4. Gandhiji did not stay in Delhi at the time of transfer of power . He had left for Calcutta where, in retaliation to the massacre of Hindus on the 15 of Aug 1946. The Direct Action Day , under the Muslim League Ministry Hindus were massacred. And now under the Congress ministry Muslims were being done to death. When Mahatma Gandhi went to Noakhali in East Bengal (East PK later) not a single nationalist Muslim including the tallest among them, Abul Kalam Azad did visit Noakhali to persuade their co-religionists not to set up on Hindus, molest abduct their women, ravish them and forcibly convert to Islam ; demolished their temples, burned their homes and occupied their properties. While Gandhiji alone was appealing to the Muslims not to torment and destroy the Hindus, a little latter Hindus went in retaliation to what the Muslims were doing in Noakhali Hindus in Bihar were having their revenge on Muslims in Bihar. Nehru the interim Prime Minister threatened the Hindus that they would be bombed from air if they did not stop their atrocities on Muslims. As Dr Lohia averred , it was becoming in clear that, “India is for everybody accepting Hindus”.
5. These events around 15 Aug 1947 are being recalled and narrated to realise that Hindu Muslim unity so passionately but futilely pursued by Mahatma Gandhi and continued to be pursued by Jawaharlal Nehru (Dr Ambedkar described Nehru’s love of Muslims as “Mania”) and even now being talked about by “secularists” and Nehruvian socialists , the Indo-Italian MSD ( Mother -Son -Daughter) owned and led Congress, it would be proper to recall even now what Khaled Abu El Fadl wrote :
“Author Khaled Abou El Fadl in one of the definitive passages in the book wrote, “ puritans i.e Islamists) believe that for Islam to be victorious , Muslims need to conquer and subjugate others. Only then will God’s sovereignty be established, and only then can The Word of God stand supreme. The gap between Muslims and non-Muslims is so vast because in puritan thinking one side possesses the incontrovertible and incorruptible truth and the other side is lost in absolute darkness…. Therefore, there is nothing that Muslims and non-Muslims can co-operate on or collaborate on achieving. The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims may be nonbelligerent yet times, the hostility should always be there, and it can be expected to flareup into war whenever there is a chance to dominate , defeat or inflict damage upon the other .” (Page 245 from the book, “The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam” from the extremists By Khaled Abou El Fadl written in 2005.)
6. It is therefore appropriate to forget about the mirage of Hindu Muslim unity and common nation hood and build up Bharat as an impregnable, unsubvertible, dharmic republic , a Vikasit (developed) civilizational state.
(Further reading: “Guilty Men of India’s Partition” by Ram Manohar Lohia published B R Publishing Corporation, Delhi in 1960 ) ( 1,047 words)
END