'Indian Partition' was the most important event of last century after Second World War. More than a million people were killed, more than hundred thousands women were abducted and raped and more than 10 million people were violently uprooted from their homelands. Even now the baggage of partition influences the relations of India and Pakistan, and these countries have fought 4 full fledged wars and numerous skirmishes. The conflict of Kashmir is also a product of that violent upheaval of 1947.
Numerous books have been written on this subject, some blame Muslim League and Jinnah for partition while others blame Congress and Britishers for partition. 'Creating a New Medina' by Venkat Dhulipala is a brilliantly researched book that counters Pakistani historian Ayesha Jalal contention that Jinnah did not want an independent Pakistan, he was simply using it as a counter for bargaining some concessions for Muslim community from the Congress. This book exposes this very assertion of Jalal and proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the concept of Pakistan was not vague or not without any foundation. It was debated, evaluated, discussed, refuted and defended vigorously by the elite as well as the other classes of Muslims. The Urdu press was one such effective medium for popularizing the notion of Pakistan and spreading the slogan of 'Lekar rahenge Pakistan' (We will take Pakistan). Muslim League was not a major player in Indian politics before 1940, not even in Muslim majority provinces of India. After 1937 elections, Krishak Praja Party ruled Bengal while Unionist Party ruled Punjab. The failure of Congress and Muslim League to share power in United Provinces led Jinnah to gradually adopt the slogan of an Independent Muslim Country (Pakistan). And he did not look back even once since the failure of 1937, first celebrated Deliverance Day in Dec 1939 (he claimed that Muslims were delivered from the tyrannical rule of Congress governments after their resignations in the wake of the beginning of World War II) and he sealed the direction of Muslim politics by adopting Lahore Declaration on 23rd March 1940.
The book also underscored the role played by leading Ulemas of United Provinces, most of the Ulemas from 'Darul Uloom Deoband' led by Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani sided with Congress but a powerful faction led by Maulana Usmani (who later became Shaikhul Islam of Pakistan) supported Muslim League wholeheartedly. Jamiatul Ulema Hind (JUH) supported Congress while Jamiatul Ulema Islam (JUI) supported League; JUH endorsed composite nationalism of Nehru wile JUI supported two nation theory of Muslim League. The book also provides prescient insight of Dr, B. R. Ambedkar on the Pakistan subject. His seminal work - Pakistan or Partition of India influenced the likes of both Jinnah as well as Gandhiji.
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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