THE CULMINATION OF FREEDOM STRUGGLE

Posted by Faizan Shiwani / at 1:07 AM / /

Pakistan, the cherished dream of Allama Iqbal, his associates, and the millions of the Muslims of the subcontinent is celebrating today, the 58th year of freedom, after the historic partition of India on August 14, 1947, amidst great Hindu opposition. The day, which is rejoiced, is also a reminder of the services and sacrifices of the Muslim leaders and their followers. Actually, a handful Muslim and the Hindu soldiers in the 'War Of Liberation' of 1587 had already started the struggle for freedom. After its tragic failure, the mistrust of the Muslims by the British rulers coupled with the Hindu prejudices, pushed the Muslims into great socio-economic difficulties. Not only their 'jagirs' were confiscated, positions in the Civil and Military services were denied to them, opportunities of education, business and trade were also closed to them. Hindus, due to their policies, were in the good books of the Britishers, and were shown more favours. The condition of the Muslims got from bad to worse. The one time 'rulers' were reduced to the 'ruled' facing other problems. The Hindus wanted them to live as a second rate citizens. The deteriorating plight of the Muslim-India was greatly disturbing to the Muslim leaders of the day.

Such being the predicament of the Muslims, Sir Syed Ahmed was the one, who realized that the Western education was urgently required to bring the Muslims out of their morass. Hence, he started the M.A.O. High School, Aligarh in 1873, which subsequently rose to a college in 1877, and ultimately the college bloomed into a full-fledged Muslim University of Aligarh in 1921. The University in course of time started attracting the Muslim students from all over India. Thus the out-going students were not only baked in discipline but were also ready to take the national uplift. The Muslim University of Aligarh thus proved a great asset in the advancement of the Muslim struggle for freedom.

Another remarkable event that took place, was the establishment of the Muslim League in 1906, by the Muslim leaders like Sir Syed Ahmed, Nawab Mohsinul Mulk, Waqarul Mulk, Khawaja Salim Ullah, the later Sir Agha Khan and many other Muslim thinkers of the day to give a strong platform for the Muslims, as the Hindus were getting from the All India National Congress. Due to the mounting prejudices of the Hindus, Sir Syed Ahmed was the first person to declare that the Hindus and the Muslims were two different Nations, and the Muslims needed a separate homeland for their culture, identity, language and the religion. This gave rise to the famous' Two-Nation-Theory', which proved a very strong point for the Muslims in their demand for a separate homeland.

On his return from England, the young Jinnah started his legal practice in Bombay (Now Mumbai). He further joined the All India National Congress in 1906. The Indian politics was, however, not new to him, as he had already kept himself in touch with it, when he was studying in England.
He wanted 'Self Rule' for India through the constitutional means. He therefore, urged the Hindus and Muslims for unity. But the partisan attitude of the Hindu leaders greatly disappointed him and in utter disgust, he resigned from the All India National Congress in 1920. On the persuasion of the Muslim leaders he joined the All India Muslim League in 1913, the party was disorganized and the Muslims were greatly demoralized. They were on the look out of a dynamic leader who could boost and make the party more vocal. The Quaid not only gave a new leadership and direction to the Muslim League, but made it more vocal, gave courage and new hope. He fully supported the Two-Nation-Theory propound by Sir Syed Ahmed and others. By 1939, he emerged as the undisputed leader of the Muslims, who reposed their full confidence in him.

The historic 'Lahore Resolution' of the Muslim League was presided over by the Quaid on March 23, 1940 and attended by the Muslim leaders from all over the country with thousands of the Muslims from all walks of life. Thus the 'Lahore Resolution' was a great leap in the freedom movement. Not only the call for a separate homeland was fully endorsed, and it was on the lips of every Muslim and all the Muslims were thus brought under the banner of Muslim League, with the Quaid in the driving seat. Due to his increasing pressures on him, he was obliged to give up his lucrative legal practice. He undertook hectic tours within the country and abroad to explain the people the meaning of a separate homeland for the Muslims, which, he said would be free from all kinds of exploitations and Hindu domination. With the astute leadership, foresight and deep insight of the Quaid, the decades-long struggle of the Muslim League from 1913 to 1947, came to a successful culmination on August 4, 1947 in the shape of a new Muslim State of Pakistan. Quaid-e-Azam despite his health problems choose to be the first Governor General and Liaquat Ali Khan as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. Sadly, the untimely death of the Quaid did not give him the time to settle the Kashmir and other issues with India in his lifetime.

The entry of the Quaid-i-Azam in the All India Muslim League was a great blessing in disguise. Not only did he reorganised a disorganised Muslim League but pleaded the cause of Muslim freedom due to his political acumen, that no one else could have done. With his dynamic leadership, the Muslim League got its destined goal. His life is, therefore, a role model for the younger generation and the politicians of the day. In his personal life, he was a strict disciplinarian, punctual to a minute, and unshakably firm in his resolutions. That he was tough to deal with, has also been acknowledged by his Hindu and English contemporaries. He fought all his life for his principles and was never a loser.
Pakistan is today faced with many a serious internal and external problems that need our unity in all the ranks. The country during its tumultuous 58 years of life, despite several upheavals, has by the grace of God achieved nuclear capability. Kashmir still is a core issue, as the Indian Government is not showing any flexibility in its stance over it, which is the biggest hurdle in the normalization of the estranged relations between the two countries. We are showing flexibility in more than one way, but the Indian government is not reciprocating it.

Like the other third world countries, Pakistan is also plagued with poverty, hunger, disease and unemployment of the youth. Measures are underway to curb the menacing terrorism, corruption, extremism, intolerance, fundamentalism and other forms of social evils for our safe living and to keep good relations with our neighbours and the super-powers. New development projects have been launched in the various parts of the country and incentives are being offered to foreign investors to accelerate the pace of industrializations. Lately, the country has taken a bold step to privatise some of our Corporations for their better management.

On this day of the 58th independence anniversary, we have to pledge and conduct ourselves, wherever we are, in a befitting manner so that we are no more designated as the 'extremists', 'fanatics', 'fundamentalists' and 'Logue State' by the Western media. It is unfortunate that the 'civilized' West is blind to its own acts of terrorism that is being carried out is many Muslim countries.

In the words of General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, we should aim at' enlightened moderation' to keep us from all evils. In this changing world, we are required to adjust ourselves more cautiously, if we have to survive. We have to go with the political currents of the times, and not against them. If we do this, no harm will ever come to us. Pakistan Paindabad!