Pakistan Resolution of 1940: A milestone towards achieving separate homeland for Muslims
PESHAWAR (APP): After ruling the Indian subcontinent for nearly 800 years, the Muslims found themselves increasingly marginalized and oppressed by colonial powers following the failure of 1857 uprising.
Deprived of all fundamental rights and liberties, the Muslims had faced severe intellectual, political, and educational decline as the British rulers strengthened control in subcontinent where their policies were mostly favored socio-economic and educational advancements for Hindus, worsening the hardships faced by the Muslims.
During that era of persistent oppression and discrimination, the Muslims in united India were relegated to the status of rivals after the East India Company had overthrown the Mughal emperors.
In that dark time, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan emerged as a beacon of hope and direction for Muslims. As a prominent educationist, Khan reinvigorated the Muslims with renewed vigour and purpose and established a network of educational institutes for them.
“Sir Syed Ahmed Khan led an intellectual revolution among Muslims through educational, political, and social reforms. His efforts not only ensured the political rehabilitation of Muslims but also their social, economic, and educational advancement,” said Muhammad Younas Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Studies Department at Islamia College, Peshawar while talking to APP.
Sir Syed had established a modern school at Ali Gararh for Muslim students, which he later transformed into Aligarh College in 1877, appointing qualified teachers and an English Principal to bridge the gap between Muslims and the British.
He said Sir Syed countered the malicious propaganda against Muslims and fought against inequality, educational decay and oppression.
The All India Muhammadan Educational Conference (AIMEC), founded in Aligarh in 1886, continued Sir Syed’s vision for modern education, socio-economic empowerment, and political unity to restore the past glory.
This network of educational institutions and political unity enabled Muslims to compete with other communities and provided a platform for a peaceful political and democratic struggle for a separate homeland.
“Sir Syed’s reforms excelled Muslims in various fields, leading to their voices were strongly heard by British rulers,” Younas noted.
The contributions of Hazrat Shah Waliullah and Mujadad Alif Sani, combined with Sir Syed’s foundation, were advanced by leaders like Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, Abdur Rab Nishtar, Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, and Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for a separate Muslim state.
Dr Younas said the independence movement gained momentum with the establishment of the All India Muslim League (AIML) on December 30, 1906, in Dhaka, aimed at securing separate electorates for Muslims and protecting their rights and identity.
The AIML’s efforts led to the right for Muslims to elect their representatives to Legislative Councils under the 1909 Indian Legislative Act.
In 1913, the Muslims demanded “appropriate self-government” in India through a resolution supported by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who joined AIML in the same year after observing the Indian Congress’s insincerity towards Muslims.
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw Indian Muslims fight alongside the British in the hope that Turkey’s Caliphate would be preserved. However, after the war, the British backtracked of their promise, leading to the abolition of the Turkish suzerainty in the Middle East. In response, the Khalafat Movement was launched by the Muslims to restore the Caliphate.
The British government’s enforcement of the repressive Rawlett Act 1919 led Quaid-e-Azam to resign from the Imperial Legislative Council in protest.
The Congress and Khilafat Movement leaders launched a “Non-Cooperation Movement,” which, despite its non-violent stance, faced Hindu insincerity. In opposition to the Nehru Report, Quaid-e-Azam presented his famous 14 points highlighting the political identity of Muslims and the two-nation theory.
The independence movement has gained further momentum after poet philosopher Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s historic 1930 address in Allahabad, where he proposed a separate state for Muslim-majority regions in North-Western India. Dr. Younas noted that Dr Iqbal articulated the two-nation theory, stressing that Muslims were a distinct nation deserving political independence.
The Pakistan Movement progressed significantly after Chaudhary Rehmat Ali proposed the name “Pakistan” in 1933 during a high-level meeting in London. The name and Iqbal’s address set a clear direction for Muslims to achieve Pakistan.
The historic movement reached its zenith on March 23, 1940, when Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah led the passing of the historic Pakistan Resolution in Lahore.
After post-resolution, Quaid-e-Azam reorganized AIML on modern lines, visiting Muslim-majority provinces to gather support. His untiring efforts were met with overwhelming support in the 1945-46 elections, where AIML won all reserved Muslim seats in the central assembly and the majority of provincial seats.
Following AIML’s success, Quaid-e-Azam had insisted on Pakistan’s establishment before the Cabinet Mission of 1946, chaired by Lord Pethick-Lawrence, aimed at resolving Muslim-Hindu issues. The mission’s plan was eventually replaced by a partition plan proposed by Lord viceroy Lord Mountbatten, which was announced on June 3, 1947.
The partition plan divided Bengal and Punjab and allowed for referendums in Assam, Sylhet, and the North-Western Frontier Province now KP. The tribes in Balochistan also decided in favor of Pakistan. The partition led to the creation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947 on world map, marking the climax of the great freedom struggle.
Every year, March 23, 1940 is celebrated as a historic day honoring the Muslims’ heroic struggle for a separate homeland where they could live freely and with dignity.
It is a day to pay tribute to our forefathers who sacrificed for a prosperous future and to pledge hardwork with strong commitment and dedication to make Pakistan’s economically prosperous and strong among comity of nations.
