The spirit of 23 March Pakistan Resolution was an anomaly in its content and spirit as it was arrived at by a diversity of people inhabiting the length and breadth of the vast subcontinent whose only common strand of existence was that they believed in and professed a specific faith. Pakistan Resolution was the most significant and singular milestone in the evolution of Muslim nationalism in the subcontinent as it brought about a precise, tangible framework within which the national aspirations of the Muslims could be peacefully strengthened and productively developed. There was hardly any doubt that the experience of Congress Rule between 1937 and 1939 compelled the Muslims to launch the movement for separate homeland. The Hindus made them realise that Hindu government would mean an anti-Muslim rule in India and this realisation put paid to any possibility of mutual coexistence. Quaid-e-Azam (QA) very succinctly described this Muslim national consensus in his article Time and Tide of 13 March 1940 concluding that Muslims are a nation and no Constitution can be enforced by ignoring Muslims. His comments were very emphatic as he mentioned that if some satisfactory settlement cannot be found for Muslims in united India, the Muslims will have to demand for division of the country.
Eighty three years ago in the erstwhile Minto Park, named after the viceroy who received a Muslim delegation in Simla in 1906 with this meeting ultimately resulting in grant of separate electorates for the Muslims of India, Muslims residing in all parts of the subcontinent gathered laying the foundation stone of a constitutionally attained homeland. Ironically the Minto Park meeting and the resolution thereof was dubbed Pakistan Resolution by the vernacular press run by the Hindu operators and the caption soon caught up and proved precisely prophetic. For quite some time the resolution was dismissed and almost ridiculed as a bargaining chip employed by the Muslim League but it proved an extremely incorrect assessment. Till the advent of Pakistan the contours of 23 March 1940 were roundly debated constraining the Muslim leaders to keep the actual content of their ambitions and aspirations deliberately vague and this policy proved aptly successful.
Despite the apparent vagueness of their projected plan of a separate country, the All-India Muslim League (AIML) highlighted the issues and mobilised the Muslims to counter them adequately by reorganising the Muslim community to cope with the situation. These efforts spearheaded by Quaid-e-Azam converted the once drawing room-oriented AIML into a vibrant mass movement and it was soon able to challenge the hegemony of Indian National Congress (INC) much to the chagrin of its leadership that became bitter enemies of the AIML carrying their animosity to the extreme limits. Very soon the party got the support of many prominent leaders like Fazlul Haq, Sikander Hayat and Saadullah who sharply criticised the reduction of status of Urdu and other Muslim related issues. They expressed their enthusiasm that no constitution to be enforced without the consent of the Muslims and gradually removed their organisational weaknesses and refined their objectives.
Both the ruling British and INC were surprised when they witnessed Muslims enthusiastically responding to the Resolution with amazement and hope for better future. With the passage of Pakistan Resolution the Muslims began to acquire new hope and confidence in their destiny as it infused high spirits among the Muslims who were now determined to fight to the last end for the accomplishment of Pakistan. By this time, the Muslims were convinced that there was no other solution of the Indian problems except the creation of two separate and sovereign states. It was very clear to them that they demanded Pakistan because they were not accepted by the majority community to live with them with amity and harmony in spite of their efforts and wishes. Viewed in the backdrop of centuries-old experience, the demand for Pakistan was based on the concerns about safeguarding Islamic civilisation and culture as befitted a nation.
Throughout the struggle for Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam kept emphasising upon the need for a constitutional compact. This emphasis makes it more than obvious that the very genesis of Pakistan was rooted in a constitutional governance practice that enabled the people of the country to live a satisfied and worthy life. It is universally acclaimed reality that Pakistan movement was a legal, peaceful struggle, led by the leading constitutionalist of the day who never conceded to anything less than that. One thing was also clear that despite intense efforts to deny and denigrate it the new state was premised on a parliamentary system and this point was duly highlighted by Jinnah when at independence he stated that the Constituent Assembly was functioning as a full and complete sovereign body as the federal legislature of Pakistan and its existence reflected the writ of governance by the people. The adherence to this practice was further vouched by the emphasis of Liaqat Ali Khan placed on the powers of the Constituent Assembly and this sentiment was loudly expressed by all the founding fathers hailing from all parts of the subcontinent.
It was purely a quirk of history that the founding Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was compelled to trudge on for seven years without fresh elections being held allowing the ambitious characters to start playing with parliamentary democratic governance and this aberration that began in 1954 extended its duration depriving the country of a genuine representative rule. This aberration was virtually going against the very promise of Pakistan but the weak institutional hold of political parties made it possible for wayward elements to take advantage and govern arbitrarily. The most horrible outcome of this tussle was that the arbitrary elements were successful in driving a deep wedge amongst the polity that has created unprecedented difficulties for the country. This state of affairs appears to continue indefinitely as the arbitrary elements have gained enough space for themselves and they are simply unwilling to give that space back.
The founding fathers tried establishing the exclusive identity pattern of the future the country was expected to pursue by laying down a preamble to the constitutional shape of the country when through the Constituent Assembly they passed the Objectives Resolution that has remained the essential part of all constitutions of the country whether formulated by democratic or arbitrary regimes. The preamble expressly emphasised federalism, fundamental rights and equity-based progress. Nevertheless Pakistan was put on the treacherous road of instability that witnessed it going the way the founding fathers never intended.
The successive generations failed the visionary path enumerated during the Pakistan movement and their wayward actions witnessed the country facing tremendous problems. Despite all setbacks suffered by Pakistan in its existence one thing that has remained consistent is the resilience bequeathed to the nation by the Pakistan movement. The country is currently going through the rigours of the contest between constitutional rule and arbitrary control with one side trying its level best to retain its unconstitutional dominance over the state of affairs while the democratic forces are stretched to the limits to resist this tendency. It is earnestly expected that this struggle comes out in favour of the rightful legatees of the Pakistan movement and put the country back on the rails so that it can be governed by representative democratic practices. TW
The spirit of 23 March
ByM Ali Siddiqi
writer who contributes to leading periodicals
Dated
March 26, 2023
M Ali Siddiqi talks about the spirit of 23 March
The spirit of 23 March Pakistan Resolution was an anomaly in its content and spirit as it was arrived at by a diversity of people inhabiting the length and breadth of the vast subcontinent whose only common strand of existence was that they believed in and professed a specific faith. Pakistan Resolution was the most significant and singular milestone in the evolution of Muslim nationalism in the subcontinent as it brought about a precise, tangible framework within which the national aspirations of the Muslims could be peacefully strengthened and productively developed. There was hardly any doubt that the experience of Congress Rule between 1937 and 1939 compelled the Muslims to launch the movement for separate homeland. The Hindus made them realise that Hindu government would mean an anti-Muslim rule in India and this realisation put paid to any possibility of mutual coexistence. Quaid-e-Azam (QA) very succinctly described this Muslim national consensus in his article Time and Tide of 13 March 1940 concluding that Muslims are a nation and no Constitution can be enforced by ignoring Muslims. His comments were very emphatic as he mentioned that if some satisfactory settlement cannot be found for Muslims in united India, the Muslims will have to demand for division of the country.
Eighty three years ago in the erstwhile Minto Park, named after the viceroy who received a Muslim delegation in Simla in 1906 with this meeting ultimately resulting in grant of separate electorates for the Muslims of India, Muslims residing in all parts of the subcontinent gathered laying the foundation stone of a constitutionally attained homeland. Ironically the Minto Park meeting and the resolution thereof was dubbed Pakistan Resolution by the vernacular press run by the Hindu operators and the caption soon caught up and proved precisely prophetic. For quite some time the resolution was dismissed and almost ridiculed as a bargaining chip employed by the Muslim League but it proved an extremely incorrect assessment. Till the advent of Pakistan the contours of 23 March 1940 were roundly debated constraining the Muslim leaders to keep the actual content of their ambitions and aspirations deliberately vague and this policy proved aptly successful.
Despite the apparent vagueness of their projected plan of a separate country, the All-India Muslim League (AIML) highlighted the issues and mobilised the Muslims to counter them adequately by reorganising the Muslim community to cope with the situation. These efforts spearheaded by Quaid-e-Azam converted the once drawing room-oriented AIML into a vibrant mass movement and it was soon able to challenge the hegemony of Indian National Congress (INC) much to the chagrin of its leadership that became bitter enemies of the AIML carrying their animosity to the extreme limits. Very soon the party got the support of many prominent leaders like Fazlul Haq, Sikander Hayat and Saadullah who sharply criticised the reduction of status of Urdu and other Muslim related issues. They expressed their enthusiasm that no constitution to be enforced without the consent of the Muslims and gradually removed their organisational weaknesses and refined their objectives.
Both the ruling British and INC were surprised when they witnessed Muslims enthusiastically responding to the Resolution with amazement and hope for better future. With the passage of Pakistan Resolution the Muslims began to acquire new hope and confidence in their destiny as it infused high spirits among the Muslims who were now determined to fight to the last end for the accomplishment of Pakistan. By this time, the Muslims were convinced that there was no other solution of the Indian problems except the creation of two separate and sovereign states. It was very clear to them that they demanded Pakistan because they were not accepted by the majority community to live with them with amity and harmony in spite of their efforts and wishes. Viewed in the backdrop of centuries-old experience, the demand for Pakistan was based on the concerns about safeguarding Islamic civilisation and culture as befitted a nation.
Throughout the struggle for Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam kept emphasising upon the need for a constitutional compact. This emphasis makes it more than obvious that the very genesis of Pakistan was rooted in a constitutional governance practice that enabled the people of the country to live a satisfied and worthy life. It is universally acclaimed reality that Pakistan movement was a legal, peaceful struggle, led by the leading constitutionalist of the day who never conceded to anything less than that. One thing was also clear that despite intense efforts to deny and denigrate it the new state was premised on a parliamentary system and this point was duly highlighted by Jinnah when at independence he stated that the Constituent Assembly was functioning as a full and complete sovereign body as the federal legislature of Pakistan and its existence reflected the writ of governance by the people. The adherence to this practice was further vouched by the emphasis of Liaqat Ali Khan placed on the powers of the Constituent Assembly and this sentiment was loudly expressed by all the founding fathers hailing from all parts of the subcontinent.
It was purely a quirk of history that the founding Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was compelled to trudge on for seven years without fresh elections being held allowing the ambitious characters to start playing with parliamentary democratic governance and this aberration that began in 1954 extended its duration depriving the country of a genuine representative rule. This aberration was virtually going against the very promise of Pakistan but the weak institutional hold of political parties made it possible for wayward elements to take advantage and govern arbitrarily. The most horrible outcome of this tussle was that the arbitrary elements were successful in driving a deep wedge amongst the polity that has created unprecedented difficulties for the country. This state of affairs appears to continue indefinitely as the arbitrary elements have gained enough space for themselves and they are simply unwilling to give that space back.
The founding fathers tried establishing the exclusive identity pattern of the future the country was expected to pursue by laying down a preamble to the constitutional shape of the country when through the Constituent Assembly they passed the Objectives Resolution that has remained the essential part of all constitutions of the country whether formulated by democratic or arbitrary regimes. The preamble expressly emphasised federalism, fundamental rights and equity-based progress. Nevertheless Pakistan was put on the treacherous road of instability that witnessed it going the way the founding fathers never intended.
The successive generations failed the visionary path enumerated during the Pakistan movement and their wayward actions witnessed the country facing tremendous problems. Despite all setbacks suffered by Pakistan in its existence one thing that has remained consistent is the resilience bequeathed to the nation by the Pakistan movement. The country is currently going through the rigours of the contest between constitutional rule and arbitrary control with one side trying its level best to retain its unconstitutional dominance over the state of affairs while the democratic forces are stretched to the limits to resist this tendency. It is earnestly expected that this struggle comes out in favour of the rightful legatees of the Pakistan movement and put the country back on the rails so that it can be governed by representative democratic practices. TW
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