The creation of Pakistan, in August 1947, can be seen as the logical result of Lahore resolution of March 23, 1940. Although the demands of an independent homeland for Muslims had previously been made, this resolution made a clear call for an independent Muslim homeland, in Muslim majority areas of British India. This historical phenomenon can be better understood in its historical political context, one can choose another dimension.
During the independence movement, in an article for Time and tideA British weekly, the quaid presented the case of Pakistan in a different vein: it gave a civilization touch. In his opinion, Hindus and Muslims represented two different and separate ‘civilizations, and therefore, two different nations. The case (of separation) was based not only on religion, but also on the civilizing aspect.
While Hindu civilization in India goes back to history, according to the main empires, Muslims reached the subcontinent in the eighth century. This ‘advent’ was followed by several invasions by Muslims abroad, and culminated in many empires, starting with the Mogoles in 1526. Whether they are Afghan or Turks, the following centuries saw the growth of Muslim civilization. There was no great Hindu empire at this time, while Hindu culture and ‘civilization’ continued in India. The Mogoles and the posterior rulers were mostly tolerant, and the Hindus were part of their administration.
The basic change occurred after the war of 1857, and its consequences, which brought a decrease not only of the Mogol government, but of Muslim civilization, so to speak. This period also saw two other developments, the increase in Hindus, under British dominance and the appearance of Hindu-Muslman differences. The Hindus charged the British attitude towards Muslims, due to their role in “rebellion”, as well as the sensation of delay and inferiority to which Muslims felt resigned.
As the twentieth century dawned, and political consciousness grew in India, particularly among Hindu leaders, a neckline developed with Muslims. The Indian National Congress became the avant -garde of the political role and the aspirations of the Hindus. While the Muslims responded with the Muslim League, the two organizations represented two different Indian communities, with different aspirations and later.
It was this neckline, and British colonial policies that pushed the India Independence and Division Movement. The differences of civilization between the two communities gave fodder both to political agendas and the independence movement. Representation problems, political and economic rights stood out and increased the schism between the two communities.
The idea of a ‘nation’ and a ‘separate nation’ had already appeared in the deliberations of the Muslim League. Quaid reiterated this at the historical session of Lahore, in 1940. “The problem of India could not be solved if it were simply as an intermunal question,” he said.
He added: “Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, literature … In fact, they belong to two different civilizations that are mainly based on conflicting ideas and conceptions.”
This succinctly summarized the civilizational aspect of the Hindu-Muslman differences, and provided a reason for being of the impulse for the division of India. It was clear in the 1940s that no political formula, without separation/division, would attend the aspirations of both Muslims and Hindus.
Lahore’s resolution gave this aspiration a concrete form, by making a formal demand from Pakistan. This aspect of the Hindu-Musulman differences is synchronized with the civilizations thesis of Samuel Huntington. And, this is confirmed by history, with many, many events and incidents; In recent times, this is illustrated by the Indian refusal to play in Pakistan in the World Cup T-20; More moving is the recent theme in Nagpur, on the tomb of Emperor Mogol Aurengzeb.
While the differences in civilization remain, the conflict in the subcontinent remains an anomaly, which makes it difficult for the two neighbors to solve the problems. Lahore resolution offers a key to how this conflict can be addressed, in the interest of both communities. India and Pakistan have not yet learned to close the civilization division and accept political realities.
Discharge of responsibility: The views expressed in this piece are that of writer and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of PakGazette.TV.
The author is the former Quaid-Azam University Faculty, Islamabad, Editor, CISS, AJK. You can contact: [email protected]
Originally published in the news
