Author’s Views: Commenting on the Congress Working Committee Resolution of 8th March 1947, the author concludes that it was a sad commentary on the Congress party, which just about a thirty years ago, opposed even the partition of Bengal to have proposed the partition of India.
Comments: Should we then give the credit for creating Pakistan to Congress and its leaders? I feel robbing this credit from the Muslim League headed by Jinnah is blatantly unfair.
The author, in page 420, quoting from the book ‘Last days of the Raj, informs that VP Menon, the Reforms Commissioner and Advisor to the Viceroy recapitulated a talk he had with Patel in Simla. He is reported to have told Patel that Jinnah had the support of influential British opinion in his claim for Pakistan, and also more importantly, Jinnah was supported by most of the high officers of the Army in India.Please see my last post in this blog , the part played by the British Officer Sir. Robert McGregor McDonald Lochart who took over as the Army Chief on August 15, 1947 on Pakistan's invasion of Kashmir in October.
Why should the author also rob the British and of the high British Army officers (there were not many high Commissioned Indian Officers in those days) the credit for the creation of Pakistan?
In page 449, the author asserts that only Jinnah could have mastered Fazl-ul Haq, Sir Sikandar and Khizar who were opposed to Pakistan. Jinnah united the Muslims of Bengal and the Punjab despite these leaders and made them demand Pakistan. The author asserts that there was no other Muslim leader to even attempt such a feat, much less achieve success in it. Pakistan, the author concludes, was becoming a reality as a result of Jinnah’s individual “pertinacity.” ( whatever it may mean). (Please read authors original text to appreciate his vehement narration). Why he then blames the Congress?
Also compare from what the author states in Page 489. The answer (cure?), Jinnah asserted, lay only in parting. Nehru and Patel and others of the Congress followed.
While the Congress Party was working its way to obtain freedom of the entire Nation, Mr. Jinnah was working for the creation of Pakistan alone. To that extent he even favoured a Commission of three impartial non-Indians appointed on the recommendation of the United Nations to delineate the boundaries. In effect, he did not believe in the neutrality of even the British who were all along been favourable to him and with whom he had a tacit understanding (we will keep you safe in Delhi!) only to keep the Congress at bay!
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