In the light of the controversy generated by Jaswant Singh’s book, 'Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence' (Rupa & Co., New Delhi, 669 pages), we reproduce The Hindu ’s editorial of September 13, 1948 titled ‘Mr. Jinnah .’ It was published two days after the death of the founder of Pakistan.
The news of the sudden death of Mr. Jinnah will be received with widespread regret in this country. Till barely a twelvemonth ago he was, next to Gandhiji, the most powerful leader in undivided India. And not only among his fellow-Muslims but among members of all communities there was great admiration for his sterling personal qualities even while the goal which he pursued with increasing fanaticism was deplored. For more than half the period of nearly forty years in which he was a towering figure in our public life he identified himself so completely with the struggle that the Indian National Congress carried on for freedom that he came to be as nearly a popular idol as it was possible for a man so aristocratic and aloof by temperament to be. During the last years of his life, as the architect of Pakistan, he achieved a unique authority in his own community by virtue of the blind allegiance which the mass, dazzled by his political triumphs, gave him though the sane and sober elements of the community became more and more doubtful of the wisdom of his policies. In an age which saw centuries-old empires crumble this Bombay lawyer began late in life to dream of founding a new Empire; in an era of rampant secularism this Muslim, who had never been known to be very austere in his religion, began to dally with the notion that that Empire should be an Islamic State. And the dream became a reality overnight, and perhaps no man was more surprised at his success than Mr. Jinnah himself.
Mr. Jinnah was an astute lawyer. And his success was largely due to the fact that he was quick to seize the tactical implications of any development. His strength lay not in any firm body of general principle, any deeply cogitated philosophy of life, but in throwing all his tremendous powers of tenacity, strategy and dialectical skill into a cause which had been nursed by others and shaped in many of its most important phases by external factors. In this he offers a marked contrast to the Mahatma with whom rested the initiative during the thirty years he dominated Indian political life and who, however much he might adapt himself to the thrusts of circumstance, was able to maintain on a long range a remarkable consistency. Pakistan began with Iqbal as a poetic fancy. Rahmat Ali and his English allies at Cambridge provided it with ideology and dogma. Britain’s Divide and Rule diplomacy over a period of half a century was driving blindly towards this goal. What Mr. Jinnah did was to build up a political organisation, out of the moribund Muslim League, which gave coherence to the inchoate longings of the mass by yoking it to the realisation of the doctrinaires’ dream. Two world wars within a generation, bringing in their train a vast proliferation of nation-States as well as the decay of established Imperialisms and the rise of the Totalitarian Idea, were as much responsible for the emergence of Pakistan as the aggressive communalism to which Mr. Jinnah gave point and direction.
We must not forget that Mr. Jinnah began his political life as a child of the Enlightenment the seeds of which were planted in India by the statesmen of Victorian England. He stood for parliamentary democracy after the British pattern and with a conscientious care practised the art of debate in which he attained a formidable proficiency. At the time of the Minto-Morley Reforms, he set his face sternly against the British attempts to entice the Muslims away from their allegiance to the Congress. For long he kept aloof from the Muslim League. And when at last he joined it his aim was to utilise it for promoting amity between the two communities and not for widening the gulf. But Mr. Jinnah was a man of ambition. He had a very high opinion of his own abilities and the success, professional and political, that had come to him early in life, seemed fully to justify it. It irked him to play second fiddle. The Congress in those early days was dominated by mighty personalities, Dadabhai Nowroji, Mehta and Gokhale, not to mention leaders of the Left like Tilak. That no doubt accounts for the fact that Mr. Jinnah gradually withdrew from the Congress organisation and cast about for materials wherewith to build a separate platform for himself. At this time the first World War broke out and the idea of self-determination was in the air. It was not a mere accident that Mr. Jinnah came to formulate the safeguards which he deemed necessary for the Muslim minority in his famous Fourteen Points so reminiscent of the Wilsonian formula.
But in those days he would have pooh-poohed the idea of the Muslim community cutting itself off from the rest of India. He was so little in sympathy with the Ali Brothers’ Khilafat campaign because it seemed to him to play with fire. He was deeply suspicious of the unrestrained passions of the mob and he was too good a student of history not to realise that once the dormant fires of fanaticism were stoked there was no knowing where it might end. He kept aloof from the Congress at the same time. Satyagraha with its jail-going and other hardships could not appeal to a hedonist like him; but the main reason for his avoiding the Gandhian Congress was the same nervousness about the consequences of rousing mass enthusiasm. The result was that he went into political hibernation for some years. But he remained keenly observant; and the dynamic energy generated by a successful policy of mass contact deeply impressed him. He came to see that a backward community like the Muslims could be roused to action only by an appeal, simplified almost to the point of crudeness, to what touched it most deeply, its religious faith. And a close study of the arts by which the European dictators, Mussolini, Hitler and a host of lesser men rose to power led him to perfect a technique of propaganda and mass instigation to which ‘atrocity’-mongering was central. But Mr. Jinnah could not have been entirely happy over the Frankenstein monster that he had invoked, especially when the stark horrors of the Punjab issued with all the inevitability of Attic tragedy from the contention and strife that he had sown. He was a prudent man to whom by nature and training anarchy was repellant. At the first Round Table Conference he took a lone stand in favour of a unitary Government for India because he felt that Federation in a country made up of such diverse elements would strengthen fissiparous tendencies. It was an irony that such a man should have become the instrument of a policy which, by imposing an unnatural division on a country meant by Nature to be one, has started a fatal course the end of which no man may foresee. Mr. Jinnah was too weak to withstand the momentum of the forces that he had helped to unleash. And the megalomania which unfortunately he came to develop would hardly allow him to admit that he was wrong.
Mr. Jinnah has passed away at the peak of his earthly career. He is sure of his place in history. But during the last months of his life he must have been visited by anxious thoughts about the future of the State which he had carved. Pakistan has many able men who may be expected to devote themselves with wholehearted zeal to its service according to their lights. And India will wish them well in a task of extraordinary difficulty. But it is no easy thing to don the mantle of the Quaid-i-Azam. No other Pakistani has anything like the international stature that Mr. Jinnah had achieved; and assuredly none else has that unquestioned authority with the masses. The freedom that Pakistan has won, largely as the result of a century of unremitting effort by India’s noblest sons, is yet to be consolidated. It is a task that calls for the highest qualities of statesmanship. Many are the teething troubles of the infant State. Apart from the refugee problem, which is Britain’s parting gift to both parts of distracted India, the Pakistan Government has by its handling of the Kashmir question and its unfortunate attitude towards the Indian Union’s difficulties with Hyderabad, raised in an acute form the future of the relations between Pakistan and India. Mr. Jinnah at his bitterest never forgot that firm friendship between the two States was not only feasible but indispensable if freedom was to be no Dead-Sea apple. It is earnestly to be hoped that the leaders of Pakistan will strive to be true to that ideal.
Keywords: Mohammad Ali Jinnah, The Hindu, Editorial
Comments:
Jinnah was a great politician. He should be applauded for making Pakistan from nowhere and from nothing.
An unbiased view, totally based on well thought-out and superbly worded prose. The last words of hope in the editorial, which have remained only as mere words till date, are testimony to what Jinnah did not expect or could imagine when he created a state on religious grounds.
Brilliant editorial!
It was good of you to have forged this link, as the present generation needs to know such perspectives. As an Archival material also, it is important and is a crucial link.
Brilliantly written !!
Beautifully written and very unbiased. Considering that this editorial was written in 1948, immediately after the dissection of the country, the ensuing riots and tragedies, and the general hostility between the two communities, and also the fact that many in India considered Jinnah a villain responsible for the partition of the country, this editorial comes across as bold and unbiased. Thanks to The Hindu for sharing this Editorial column now - especially at a time when the ghost of Jinnah still seems capable of scaring the daylights out of many Indian politicians.
'At his bitterest he never forgot that firm friendship between India and Pakistan was indispensable' - I wish his thoughts had succeeded.
A delicate and concise biography of Jinnah.
"At the first Round Table Conference he took a lone stand in favour of a unitary Government for India because he felt that Federation in a country made up of such diverse elements would strengthen fissiparous tendencies. It was an irony that such a man should have become the instrument of a policy which, by imposing an unnatural division on a country meant by Nature to be one, has started a fatal course the end of which no man may foresee."
The above lines clearly indicate the other forces and actions by others leaders of that time played heavily on Jinnah's mind to changed his stance. It would be wrong to see him as the sole villian of the agony the two country are going through even today. Nehru and other leaders of the time should be also be blamed
Really nice to read an opinion from a person who lived in that generation.
yes.
It shows the state of mind of the new-born democracies
This shows the correct study of the situation then.The name of the Editor of the "Hindu" who had contributed this marvellous study could have been also published.
Super! Not only does it prove immensely insightful about the great man, but it also provides the perspective and the style of writing over six decades ago. A vote for more such contextual editorials from the past.
An eyeopener..
A must read for everybody!!
This editorial is just fantastic . It's well balanced and has very cleverly distilled the essence of the character of a man who is largely misunderstood today in this country. He was a great mind and a text book example of a man with unshakable will power. His sister even once made the claim that he could 'will himself to sleep!'( Jinnah of Pakistan , Stanley Wolpert).I'm young and a Hindu but must say that I've looked to Jinnah for inspiration many, many a time !
Excellent editorial of the yesteryear, before I was born. The Hindu still maintains the same credibility in its editorial and views. Hats off The Hindu. Keep it up.
Excellent article. Written with great sense of proportion. While it does not demonise Mr.Jinnah, even while giving credit to his abilities, the editorial is unfliching in etching megalomaniac and rabble-rousing side of the man. All these words are true: He was "aristocratic and aloof by temperament" , "began to dally with the notion that that Empire should be an Islamic State. And the dream became a reality overnight" " Totalitarian Idea, were as much responsible for the emergence of Pakistan as the aggressive communalism to which Mr. Jinnah gave point and direction. " "arts by which the European dictators, Mussolini, Hitler and a host of lesser men rose to power led him to perfect a technique of propaganda and mass instigation to which ‘atrocity’-mongering was central" "prudent man to whom by nature and training anarchy was repellant" "too weak to withstand the momentum of the forces that he had helped to unleash. And the megalomania which unfortunately he came to develop " All these characterisations are spot on.
One of the great editorials of The Hindu.
One cannot miss the brilliant English, that The Hindu was famous for, for a long time. Religious fanaticism ruled the passions of the country in those days, and though it is today confined to a few peripheries of the country today, it still remains one of the most daunting challenges before the country. Hope that The Hindu continues this remarkable tradition of unbiasedness forever!
Excellent editorial. 'At his bitterest he never forgot that firm friendship between India and Pakistan was indispensable' - relevant words even in today's context.
A typical Hindu Editorial-totally unbiased, simple english and putting the points across very lucidly. A wonderful article which is a treasure for all generations; for the older generations (from 30s and 40s this is a great reminiscience; for the subsequent generations an eye-opener and a lesson on editorial writing.
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Keep it up, The Hindu. May you publish more such editorials.
I am very happy to see an Indian Newspaper publishing such an article. I feel honoured to have Quaid-e-Azam as leader of Pakistan. As a Pakistani, I have high respect for Gandhi, and all great politicians of India, but what Quaid-e-Azam has given to us is priceless. The article is very emotional and has ignited feelings of love and respect for our leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Mr. Jaswant Singh would have never imagined that the youth of today will be accepting his views on Jinnah,Nehru to this extent.There has definitely been a great amount of research by him. The Hindu's editorial approves most of the facts brought by him.
A contemporary view of historical events always gives insight into the many facets involved. Jinnah was a man with many virtues and many failings, as any other man. The editorial though well-balanced seems to harbour a grudge against him for partitioning India, it fawns upon Gandhi(note: Mahatma rather than Mahatma Gandhi or Gandhiji which would have been more appropriate). Partition according to Jinnah was a necessary evil and I think the countless Muslims who were butchered in Gujarat would have felt the same just before they died.
Thank you for republishing this excellent editorial. It shows him to be a modern and forward thinking man. His ambition to be THE leader seems to have driven him to use religious faith - albeit late in the game - as a tactical tool.
Absolutely balanced. A fine instance of Indian journalistic mind at a time when the sub-continent went through the worst tragedies. Good to read it now, and here.
Great piece of work. The author exhibited a commendable felicity in portraying one of best politicians.
Very well written. It came as a pleasant surprise especially because it was written soon after partition. After reading the article one cannot but think that perhaps people in general were more tolerent then than today.
It is so interesting to see the future of Pakistan unfold as this article hints at and the way we have known our neighboring state. To bring out such an article in the context of Jaswant Singh's latest book is a very nice idea. Puts a lot of things in perspective.
Excellent Article!
Thanks for publishing this article again. Jinnah would not have gone for partition if he would have foreseen the future of Indo-Pak relations. All our politicians should read this and learn from Jinnah's mistake. Never take a decision for short term benefit.
A very balanced editorial. I applaud The Hindu for putting up that editorial at 1948, when partion fires have not been fully put off.
Yes. No wonder The Hindu maintains the same kind of spirit, unbaised view and trust that it showed during the partition period. Even if there were no Jinnah, another person would have emerged for 'Pakistan' due to the colonial policies. Now, many 'illiterate and narrow-minded' politicians make use of religion, caste, region etc., for their self interest. We are gullible even now. The only difference is Jinnah has stature and vision. 'It is earnestly to be hoped that the leaders of Pakistan as well as India will strive to be true to Jinnah's and Gandhi's ideal'.
Excellent. Very unbiased.
A fantastic editorial, and a clarivoyant one, at that! Please see the line in the last paragraph:
Apart from the refugee problem, which is Britain’s parting gift to both parts of distracted India, the Pakistan Government has by its handling of the Kashmir question and its unfortunate attitude towards the Indian Union’s difficulties with Hyderabad, raised in an acute form the future of the relations between Pakistan and India.
The editor has forseen that Kashmir would be the mojor bone of contention!!!
I liked the English. Regarding the subject one sentence sums it all "Many are the teething troubles of the infant state."
Pravin Benjamin
Nice to read article. Thanks.
Amazing Piece. A reference to every individual who want an unbiased view to Jinnah's persona.
Very well written and what a concise summary of a great man. Alas the vision that this man saw for that nation lies in tatters.
Thanks for reproducing.
A well written editorial 61 years ago. I wish the current politicians do not bend the views to meet local political needs.
Well done 'The Hindu' to have publish an article for we who may have been born after independence.
Ah..To think that the leaders who stood together to fight against a common enemy fell apart while settling down after winning the fight!
Inspite of his astute leadership characters,like some peers of his times and not very unlike many of the politicians we have today, Mr.Jinnah seems to have been oblivious to the possibility of a peaceful coexistence of different faiths[a conviction which Gandhi seems to have had and rightfully so].
The editorial has to be praised for its objectiveness.
Wow! That was a brilliant unbiased article!
People of India and Pakistan must realise the real Jinnah before he is demonised or made a Hero. There is a lot propaganda being spread about Jinnah. This article sheds some light on what Jinnah stood for.
This illuminating article on the biography of M. A. Jinnah is very timely. Let's hope Pakistan realises the fact that 'firm friendship between the two states was not only feasible but indispensable'
Good editorial
Good Edit, gives good perspective. Two key issues seem to have been overlooked. First the famed rivalry between Jinnah and Nehru which grew into bitter animosity in the 1940's - both grew insecure and were egged on by their respective coteries, put their personal ambition to achieve "power" ahead of the national interest. In fact I am very surprised how this editorial doesn't even mention Nehru. It is hard to think of an article on Jinnah without mentioning Nehru. Second, Jinnah started fearing that Pakistan would be a failed state even before Independence, in fact there are well researched articles which refer to the demons in his mind. His dilemma was that even if Pakistan could be created successfully, will it be a successful nation? To that very great extent, he risked the future of Pakistan, he was willing to allow the new state & its people to pay the cost required to fulfill his personal ambition. Those demons exist even today, and while I have a lot of personal respect for the people of Pakistan, this is one ghost that Pakistan as a nation is yet to exorcise. For both India & Pakistan, the sooner Pakistan can move beyond this time wrap, the better it is for our future.
Great article, extremely well crafted. A rare insight on a controversial personality, even today
Awesome article by Hindu - representative of high quality Indian journalism. Journalists of today and intolerant and ignorant politicians should be trained in a curriculum of high quality articles like this one. Intolerant politicians would fire someone like Jaswant Singh for the mere crime of having a different opinion. How can they claim to be representing a "democratic" country? In a democratic country difference of opinion has to be encouraged, not punished.
A wonderful piece. A huge round of applause to The Hindu for republishing this one. I like the new site as well. It's just that it's a bit slow.
I am surprised that several of your readers have found this editorial unbiased. I somehow think it is a very prejudiced piece of writing. There is a wealth of material available on the subject, and a good reading will reveal all the inaccuracies and the prejudicial slant in this piece. The prose, however, is beautiful - a great exposition of English writing.
Very Prophetic editorial and gives a 360 degree perspective for the younger generation, who want to understand the past better and get a glimpse of their history unbiased.
Wonderful. Besides lamenting the sad fate of Pakistan and the horrific consequences (to this day and beyond) of the callous division of the Indian subcontinent and the endlessly complicated issues that led to it, I can't help but lament the decline in our journalistic standards over the last 60 years. May journalists all over the world take inspiration from the past, and realize that journalism needs to be a balanced combination of hard fact, subtle insight, and superior literary skill.
An excellent editorial on Mr.Jinnah written at a time when the subcontinent was passing through tragedies. The people of India tolerated such an editorial showing certain positive aspects of Mr.Jinnah's personality. It is unfortunate that even after 61 years, the BJP is unable to tolerate the contents of a book on Mr.Jinnah written by Mr. Jaswant Singh.
The BJP is heading towards it end
Great Portal and great article
Unbiased portrayal of a "Muslim" by the "Hindu". :)
Outstanding. This is great. After reading , I got goose bumps.
Could you please be courageous enough to respond to my complaint that you are arbitrary in what you publish? Could you please let me know what criteria you follow?
Please respond to tcresearch@hotmail.com.
Quite apart from the sagacity of the thoughts expressed in this editorial, I am very impressed by the language and style of the piece. What wonderful English prose! Such majesty, and such dignity!
Very nice editorial indeed that gives a nice glimpses of the life & beliefs of Jinnah.
I hope that someone else in Pakistan should write a similar book on Nehru in near future!!
Nicely written! I hope both India and Pak will work towards a bright future for this region, keeping aside unwarranted ego and misplaced pride. Above all, people want peace and stability.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah is the most misunderstood political figure in our history of freedom struggle.It is amazing to note that the secular face of Jinnah was unveiled by The Hindu through the above editorial during period were the wounds of the partition was still bleeding.The biography of Pothen Joseph was the other source,which thrown some light on the true life of Jinnah recently.
Simply wonderful the facts and the way they were presented in those difficult days of ghost of Mr.Jinna
Pathy Morkonda from Texas-USA
Hats Off to "THE HINDU" current team to bring out this at opt time and 1948 editorial team to precisely inking. we, born after independence, simply carried away by short-sighted politicians, needed this un-biased history sheet.
Excellent!. Thanks for republishing it at the right moment. Post independance generation like me got the real prespective now. Your words "Freedom that Pakistan has won, largely as a result of a century of unremitting effort by India's noblest sons is yet to be consolidated. It is the task that calls for the highest qualities of statesmanship"... is very well said and our brothers and sisters in Pakistan are yet to reap that in totall in the last 62 years. I wish the youth leaders of Pakistan ralise this and harness this in totality for our brothers and sisters there.
a classic and precious piece of writing
Excellent editorial. I wish the readers could know the name of the illustrious writer of this editorial piece.
That Jinnah was ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity is omitted in the editorial. He wanted a united India before 1940. When Congress did not give him a place in the top leadership in the 1930s, he went back to England as a disappointed politician. It was Iqbal and Muslim League politicians who encouraged him to return to India and appointed him a leader of the Muslim League.
It is amazing to read an article written more than 60 years ago and it still reflects the vision of tomorrow. I wish two countries can understand and live in harmony and prosper.
This editorial is proof of the unbiased approach of 'The Hindu' even in a time of crisis. May you continue to tread this lonely path. It is the only way to keep issues clear off fanaticism, whether national or religious.
Having witnessed the partition & its aftermath, I cannot but recollect the innumerable innocent lives lost, all for the ego of one aristocratic man, about whom the still famous The Hindu recalls in superb journalistic English! Excellent piece of non-biased journalism.
Rarely has an editorial made as compelling reading as this. One wishes that the leaders of both nations read this again and again and realize the futility of hostile attitude toward each other. Jinnah certainly doubted the Hindus but never to the extent of hurting the masses at large.
It appears that the moderators are interested in publishing laudatory comments only about this editorial. There is no issue in describing it as a beautifully written editorial, but to call it unbiased belies facts to say the least.
It appears that the moderators are interested in publishing laudatory comments only about this editorial. There is no doubt in describing it as a beautifully written editorial, but to call it unbiased belies facts to say the least.
From what I read in this article and on Jaswant Singh's book, I wish to say that Mr.Jinnah was not only a much misunderstood person, there are cruel and villainous people who distorted history so much to achieve their selfish ends.
Excellent article with the right timing. The Hindu rocks as always!
Great Article ......
It gives us a different view about Jinnah .
A very well written article.
I am a Pakistani and it is refreshing to see a balanced discussion of Mr Jinnah's role in history. In Pakistan, particularly during Zia's rule, Jinnah was converted into a saint and even a quasi-religious figure. On the other hand, he was overly demonized in the Indian narrative. Jaswant Singh has done a great service by starting a healthy discussion about the "Quaid-e-Azam".
The editorial was published sixty one years ago. The views put forward, at many places are self-contradictory. To put the record straight, Jinnah was a member of the Congress and was never for a divided India. His disillusionment with the Indian political leadership forced him to remove himself from the political scene and move back to England.
His reason for coming back to politics was the obstinacy of the members of Indian National Congress who refused to allow a separate electorate for the 30% Muslims of India. Had it not been for the stubbornness of the Congress, there would be no Pakistan and we would be living in one country.
Republishing this great editorial is timely. I hope this opens the minds of people of India and Pakistan that a lot more to be done to preserve the freedom our forefathers won for India and Pakistan.
It great to read these articles. Mr. Jinnah was not doubt among the tallest leaders of South Asia. During his initial years of strugle, he wanted a federal India with more powers given to provinces, especially to Muslim dominated provinces. However, the Congress led by Mr. Nehru didn't agree on that. After partition, M.A. Jinnah wanted better relation between the two countries.
Excellent editorial with full packed information by writer
Dear Sir,
Your article concerning Jinnah was a good one. Reading it I find again the newspaper that I used to discover like a subscriber, some years ago. Yes it's the duty of a newspaper like The Hindu to give the details about the history of India, and particularly about the period before 1947. Jinnah is described as the man who is responsible of the division of India. Your old editorial, and Singh's book, allows us to understand what happened just before the partition. I wish that you publish, in the coming weeks, what your paper had writen on August 25-26, 1959, when Indian blood was spilt for the first time at Migyitun-Longju in the Subsanri frontier (old NEFA). The duty of a free press is to keep people informed about the reality of a situation. You have taken a good step concerning the hidden history of India partition. Why not to to the same about the troubled relations between India and China?
Sougoumar Mayoura, Paris
Brillaint! Truly Great Words, unbiased and full of conscience!
Wonderfully written. Sad that a man who was regarded here as someone who is second only to Mahatma should have pushed for a weak cause like partition.
Jinnah was a far more competent person than Nehru plus Gandhi combined and was a great constitutionalist. He achieved Pakistan without going to jail for a single day... Imagine a unified India and its influence in the world!
Jaswant Singh has held the bull by the horns and has the guts to tell Indians the truth. Even the movie on Gandhi showed Jinnah as a villian and made no reference as to the Congress's mistakes. In fact Jinnah The Movie should be screened freely in India to tell the democratic India the truth.
Excellent editorial with packed information
A wonderful precis on Jinnah. Accurate and original. Sagacious and neutral. I wish to read a compilation of such editorials brought out by the great daily. Also, let us not forget to thank Mr Jaswant Singh - the 'prime mover'.
I would like to express my deepest and since gratitude towards The Hindu to put forward this article after 50-60 years for the new generation to see where we came from and who we are. There is gradually but steadily no place for fear-mongering and hate based on a person's religion and caste. I see this happening in India but this is still slow. We need some form of movement to turn the steady, slow progress into fast mode. Part of achieving such a goal is to educate people more and more about what mistakes we made in past and do not repeat them. Demonizing Jinnah should not be part of Indian Political Ideology of the political parties. We should have smart and judicious debate and arguments but not fear-hate mongering of a person or religion/caste. It's so nice to read this article also because I am a firm believer unlike some others that unless you know the reasons of failure / success of the past, you cannot make correct decisions for the future. We need such articles and journalism more in this country, which is now filled with channels that do not have depth and credibility.
Feels nice to go back and read an article written 60 years ago. Jinnah was a shrewd politician and the article captures his image well. Hope you can publish more articles from 'The Raj'. I would much appreciate it.
It is indeed an unbiased article on Jinnah. At the same time it does reiterate the fact he was an opportunist who, to satiate his ego, stoked religious fanaticism. "Mr. Jinnah was too weak to withstand the momentum of the forces that he had helped to unleash. And the megalomania which unfortunately he came to develop would hardly allow him to admit that he was wrong."
It is indeed an unbiased piece of article on Jinnah. At the same time it does reiterate the fact he was an opportunist who, to satiate his ego, stoked religious fanaticism. Mr. Jinnah was too weak to withstand the momentum of the forces that he had helped to unleash. And the megalomania which unfortunately he came to develop would hardly allow him to admit that he was wrong.
Thank you for this masterpiece, 60 years old, yet very important to all concerned.
I have been a fan of 'The Hindu' for many many years.Even when my friends and neighbours deserted the paper for cheaper and glossier news papers of today I stuck to this paper for its unbiased views and balanced editorials. Congratulations, The Hindu for re-publishing this timely editorial.
Thanks for reproducing this 1948 editorial. As a Pakistani-American I happen to differ with some of the points made about Jinnah in the editorial but there is no denying that this is a fair-minded piece. Also, what comes across rather poignantly, but has been forgotten, is Jinnah's strong desire for excellent relations between the two countries even after the riots and the upheavals of partition. This editorial is a historic document and sheds very interesting light on those times. Things have gone more and more off track in the last 62 years but there is no reason that the two countries cannot live together in peace and contribute to the region's overall prosperity.
This also reminded me of Jinnah's condolence message at Mahatma Gandhi's death:
I am shocked to learn of the most dastardly attack on the life of Mr. Gandhi, resulting in his death. There can be no controversy in the face of death.
"Whatever our political differences, he was one of the greatest men produced by the Hindu community, and a leader who commanded their universal confidence and respect.
I wish to express my deep sorrow, and sincerely sympathize with the great Hindu community and his family in their bereavement at this momentous, historical and critical juncture so soon after the birth of freedom and freedom for Hindustan and Pakistan.
The loss to the Dominion of India is irreparable, and it will be very difficult to fill the vacuum created by the passing away of such a great man at this moment."
Superb editorial. "Mr. Jinnah at his bitterest never forgot that firm friendship between the two States was not only feasible but indispensable if freedom was to be no Dead Sea apple. It is earnestly to be hoped that the leaders of Pakistan will strive to be true to that ideal." Hope this acts as an eye-opener for the present leadership of Pakistan.
I love reading Hindu, All your articles are truely unbiased.
This article is another remarkable piece of writing.
Partition was a complete farce enacted by Mohammed Ali Jinnah just to satisfy his ego. Pakistan's Muslim Population is 164 Million today as compared to India's 150 Million. And the population of Muslims in India is increasing at a higher rate thanks to the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. By partition, Jinnah has gifted a permanent migraine to India on both of her temples. The case of Pakistan and Banladesh proves that "one religion" alone is not sufficient to remain together. Kashmiris should learn a lesson from this. Muslims within Pakistan are not happy. Now Balochis want a separate country. Any country cannot succeed if they do not give proper representation to all the ethnic regions by way of democratic means. Pakistan is a failed state thanks to Jinnah who contributed to this by not laying proper foundation and not grooming a proper leadership culture in Muslim League.
This Article was awesome, I adore people who fought for autonomy from the British. Like Gandhi, there were thousands of people who fought alongside against the British.
But Gandhi’s vision on future united free British India, was weak and usually controlled by people like Nehru. I also admire Nehru’ Five year plans which brought so much progress in the post-British India.
If Nehru would have allowed Jinnah to be the first Prime Minister of the new free United India, we could have saved 50 years of bloodshed including the mass migration and slaughter in Punjab and Bengal, and we would have progressed to be a developed country by now.
Still there is time to patch the wounds and be united South Asia like the European Union, which Jinnah once dreamt about.
P.S. I personally thank The Hindu to be actual and factual like the BBC. I call it the Indian BBC 'The Hindu'.
A brilliant editorial written in 1948 with great political foresight. I wish it be published in all the newspapers of India. So true are its contents. And let Pakistan leaders learn firm lessons from it.
Gracefully written! Jinnah could not have said it better himself. Carefully worded, I am flabbergasted with the Journalistic skills of 1948.
Unbiased, brilliant article.
This is among the best articles I have ever read
A well thought-out, enduring and extremely well articulated Biography with an accurate foresight. As a starting point, it helps to understand Jaswant Singh's view point. Certainly, the Pakistan he envisaged was initially eclipsed by the speed of events and thereafter by its very own. As a Pakistani, I crave for Jinnah's Pakistan. Already dreamers hold me in awe.
Nice article.We Indians have treated history in the classical history mould where everything is written in stone. That is the way we have been taught in schools (do you know who is the greatest, when was the king born, who is bad etc) Everyone is painted in black and white. We need some injection of revisionism which makes history a dialogue between the past and the present.
This is the classic The Hindu editorial which we all know. Unbiased, to the point and reflects reality. A great article to read and summarizes what Jinnah was all about to the current generation in India - which has only known Jinnah through biased history texts!
One of the brilliant editorials in The Hindu. Excellent and unbiased, and gives short biography of Jinnah.
Reinforces my trust in The Hindu as a news paper that I draw so much from to build my personal views and perspectives.
This is a fantastic portrayal of the political situation and Jinnah's role at that time. We can see from this article that Jinnah's role was pivotal in Pakistan Independence.
Wonderfully written editorial, the language is still fresh from the classic British vocabulary. Can we know who was the editor of 'The Hindu' when this was published?
For those people romanticising Jinnah and Pakistan, please remember the following: When the ML laid out the map for Pakistan, it covered almost the entire north India (giving them a bare Muslim majority). Secondly, in the process of partition, the biggest losers have been the Sikhs - there were hounded out of Pakistan during the partition. Thirdly, Pakistan attacked India immediately after the king of Kashmir agreed to join India - not the sign of a country that wanted friendly relations with India. Fourthly, the concept of a separate electorate is absurd - it is not democratic, and does not exist in Pakistan. Minorities have a lot of privileges and are quite visible in India - we cannot say the same thing about Pakistan. Bottomline: A country founded on religious lines (like Israel) and with mistrust of its neighbors is doomed to fail.
This article gives a true account of Mr Jinnah. The article is very well-crafted.
Its quite surprising that many of your readers find this article un-biased. The difference is that as a Pakistani, i will admit that Gandhi was a great man and leader without blinking or thinking twice...but apparently Indians need a controversy or two to come to certain realizations. Thanks to Mr. Jaswant Singh for that. Jinnah, apart from brilliant political abilities, was a man of vision and passion and as history does tell us that no revolution has ever taken place without a fierce passion against oppression, not only within a single individual but millions others who relate to the cause. Pakistan is not only Mr. Jinnah's political triumph but a voice and hunger of millions of Muslims.
As always The Hindu has proven itself as to why its regarded as the best, Trusted, and the most valued paper in our country..
This article is a real eye opener. "Fabulous Editorial" is just a mild statement.
I am a Pakistani of Indian descent. Prior to partition, my family had lived in Northern India for hundreds, if not thousands of years. My granfather was slaughtered in 1946 by Hindu extremists leaving my grandmother in her late 30s with young children and at risk of being killed as well. She migrated to Jinnah's Pakistan. We found a safe haven and the family prospered. I feel a personal sense of gratitude to Mr. Jinnah. I think your article is great and makes us realize that no one is perfect, not even the leaders we like to idealize. However, I sincerely believe that the man was trying to provide the battered and bruised masses of Muslims of the Indian subcontinent a habitat and a sanctuary and was not just doing this for his own megalomaniac self interests.
Wow!! India is really changing. Looking at the comments here we are really ready to be the 'America of the 21st century' the largest melting pot democratic republic mankind has ever seen. BJP it's time to get the pulse of your country. PS: Thanks Hindu. I grew up reading your newspaper for the first 25 years of my life. I am indebted to your peerless standards and honest journalists and its editors for shaping my world view and of course my English vocabulary.
It is earnestly to be hoped that the leaders of Pakistan will strive to be true to that ideal. I feel obliged to admit that we Pakistanis & in particular the leadership failed to live up to Jinnah's vision. The mutual admiration and hope for success and prosperity shown in the article could have been harnessed had Jinnah & Ghandiji lived long enough.
Being a Pakistani I am still hopeful and believe that true leadership in Pakistan holding Jinnah's ideals sacred is looming around the corner and history shall soon provide another opportunity to these two states to rectify their mistakes and make true the vision of Jinnah.
vision of Jinnah is good but facts in later dates after and during partition are bad. Front line leaders who fought for freedom are highly educated but failed to stop partition a very sensitive issue which just did not stop with one partition in 1948 but continued to haunt every day and till today.Partition is not a solution for a visionary.Many women are raped and killed and also many others.,and this is a fact and still burning.While dealing with a large number of illiterate population,careful decisions not taken.,since illiteracy is not a crime but became dangerous during partition and after.Visionery could not stop the killings.,it is a failure.