Jinnah As An Ardent Indian Nationalist | Ep. 1 | The Sole Spokesman | Dr. Ayesha Jalal

Yasser Latif Hamdani discusses the significance of Dr. Ayesha Jalal's seminal work, "The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League, and the Demand for Pakistan," published in 1985. Dr. Jalal's meticulous research on the complex political landscape of pre-partition India and the dynamics within the Muslim League under Jinnah's leadership makes the volume an indispensable resource.
Jinnah's early political career was punctuated by efforts to forge a nationalist front with the Indian National Congress and his reluctance to support separate electorates for Muslims. Jinnah joined the All-India Muslim League in 1913 with assurances that this would not compromise his commitment to the national cause. His significant role in the Lucknow Pact of 1916, which sought cooperation between the Congress and the League cannot be understated. Jinnah's distaste for the religiously charged Khilafat Movement and Gandhi's methods led to his resignation from the Congress in 1920.
Jinnah's return to India in 1934 and his revitalization of the Muslim League proved crucial to his political career. His strategic negotiations with the Congress, aimed at securing Muslim majorities in key provinces while addressing minority concerns, reflect his staunch view that communal issues should be articulated in political rather than religious terms.
#DrAyeshaJalal #Pakistan #history #ayeshajalal #pakistanhistory #Partition #AllIndiaMuslimLeague #quaideazam #MuhammadAliJinnah #jinnah #SoleSpokesman

[@AshokGupta-oq6hs]

Sir,an ardent indian nationalist,ended up as hindu hater.

[@pragasanarchary2980]

jinnah was just an islamist & if his idea of separation was so great why didn't all muslims follow him to phakistan. At least India would have had some peace.

[@thealiwarsi]

The reason why India hasn't had peace is that it has been adamant it wants to keep the Kashmiri Muslims who wanted to join Pakistan from joining Pakistan. If you're so irked by Muslim presence in India, get your effin' troops out of the valley. And even if that doesn't bring peace, look inwards.

[@lynnecromack4933]

Ali Jinnah conceived the idea of a separate state for the Moslems as early as the 1930s. The British administration and M. Gandhi did not want a partition at all, and offered a Moslem majority Government to Ali Jinnah on the upcoming independence. Nehru did not see eye to eye with Ali Jinnah and ultimately INC voted against that concession in 1947. Ali Jinnah saw his beloved Pakistan become a reality, but would be dead a year later. It is so boring to hear Indians today to blame partition solely on the British. It is such an important part of their modern history.

[@thealiwarsi]

Modern Indians also blame it on Nehru. And rightly so. But Nehru wanted complete power. He didn't want a coalition govt in 1937. He wanted a single party rule. Look where Congress stands today. He didn't want powerful autonomous units in states. He didn't want Muslims to have majority states to form a bloc to safeguard their interests at the Centre. And when he didn't get what he wanted, he decided to dismember the country instead of relenting. He didn't want to give Muslims any guarantees, maybe because he didn't know extremists like BJP will someday become so powerful in India, but he was an idiot to not see that coming. Lastly, the British rightly get blamed for the Partition. They don't deserve any better.

[@maheshbayya3092]

The Lucknow pact virtually gave absolute political rights to muslims in Muslim majority areas.The largest party forms the government; what are you blaming Congress for? If ML did not get enough seats and Congress was in a position to form by itself, why should they be accommodated?

[@thealiwarsi]

@@maheshbayya3092 I'm not even talking about the majority provinces. ML gave Congress a battering in 1937 elections in all minority provinces. WHICH EFFECTIVELY MEANS THAT MUSLIMS SIDED WITH APML AND NOT CONGRESS. Also, Congress didn't win in Muslim majority provinces either apart from NWFP where it was actually Bacha Khan who won, not Congress directly. No Congress Muslim won in Sindh, Punjab, Bengal, Orissa, United Provinces, Central Provinces, Bombay and Assam. Most of the 26 seats the Congress captured were in NWFP, Madras and Bihar. That's why Congress should've formed the alliance. Also, you don't know much about Lucknow Pact so better not comment on it. It reduced, not increased, the number of seats for Muslims in the majority provinces. Majority provinces' non APML Muslim leaders resented Jinnah for it. Read something before coming up with 'expert' opinions.

[@AshokGupta-oq6hs]

Sir,the core thesis of Prof Jalal has been debunked by Mr Jinnah himself when after 1947 he did not agree with power sharing in Pakistan. Rest is a matter of debate with no end in sight.

[@thealiwarsi]

He did not agree with what?

[@DKS_London]

If a party or a person supports the colonial power against it's own countrymen, I assume such people across the globe are called traitors or Gaddars, that was exactly the role of Jinnah and the Muslim League. Why do you think Pakistan is suffering or why it will suffer till it lasts? The reason is because it's foundation has been laid on Gaddari.

[@thealiwarsi]

Jinnah and Muslim League supported the war effort in WW-2 on the same grounds that Gandhi and Congress did in WW-1. Were they also traitors?