Jinnah claimed that the Muslims would gain from partition. Even many Hindus believe in this claim. Is this really so and correct? The answer is important for the Muslims as well as for the non-Muslims in India. We can now find the truth based an objective study of the past 62 years of the post independence era. Jinnah claimed that 100 million Muslims in India in 1946 were a nation and must have a homeland of their own. After partition, only 60 million Muslims lived in Pakistan and 40 millions in partitioned India.
The agitation and riots created to justify this aim during 1946-1948 resulted in the loss of one million lives and one of the biggest migrations in world history. More than half of the people killed were Muslims. The number of migrants of both communities was about equal. Only prejudiced minds can call this a gain for the Muslims. After partition, Pakistan was independent only in name. It was too weak to be independent. It was dependent on Britain for the first four years. Then it became a part of the neo-imperialist empire of America.
The U.S. decided who ruled Pakistan and that if he obeyed the American diktat. If any Prime Minister or President disobeyed American orders, he or she was replaced by a more pliable person. A big example is popular Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was dethroned in 1977 and hanged later for disobeying Americans who ordered him not to build a reprocessing plant for the production of plutonium for atom bombs.
The U.S. has used Pakistan for advancing its own self-interests and not of the Muslims. The U.S. armed Pakistan to attack much stronger India. Instead of spending money on economic growth for the welfare of the common man, Pakistan rulers have spent disproportionate amount of money on military to create parity with much bigger India. After 62 years of so-called independence, Pakistan is a big beggar today. It begs the U.S., I.M.F. and the world to give economic aid to Pakistan to survive. Pakistan does not have any shame for asking others to give money. India and its people, which include Muslims, do not go begging. India is a big economic and industrial power today.
Though Jinnah had claimed that 100 million Muslims were one nation, he did not allow any Muslim to migrate to Pakistan after only two months of its creation in October 1947. This was a breach of promise to all the Indian Muslims. The result was 40 million Muslims had to live in India. A large number of those Muslims used to sing hymns of hate against the Hindus and even threaten the Hindus. Now they faced hostility and suspicion of their neighbours. Many Muslims in India even now think that Pakistan is their country to the annoyance of the Hindus.
What about the Muslims who were a minority in the provinces like U.P, Bihar, and Bombay and had migrated to Pakistan? A few of the migrants from India got good government jobs in Pakistan. But others were in pitiable conditions. In West Pakistan, they were called Muhajjirs or Tilyars (i.e. migratory birds). They were hated and were not allowed to settle down properly, as they were not given the properties vacated by the Hindus and Sikhs. In East Pakistan they were called Biharis. As they sided with the Pakistan army, which crushed Bengalis, they were hated and had to live in temporary shelters. They were without jobs. They had Pakistani passports but they were not allowed to go and live in West Pakistan, falsifying Jinnah’s claim that 100 million Muslims of India were a nation.
In East Pakistan, people were denied their democratic rights by Pak dictators and ambitious politicians. Mujib Rahman was not allowed to become Prime Minister in 1971, even though his party had won the election and got a majority in Parliament. Pakistan army was let loose on the unarmed people of East Bengal. It committed worst atrocities on Bengali people. It massacred 3 million Bengali people, out of which one million were Muslims. Hundreds of thousand of Bengali women were raped. Ten million Bengalis had to flee to India to save their lives. Massacre of 3 million in 8 months is probably unmatched in world history. It is a big blot on Pakistan and human history. Human rights had no meaning to Pak rulers, though they have the temerity to accuse India of violation of human rights.
According to the rules made by the British and concurred by Jinnah, the Maharaja of Kashmir acceded to India in October 1947 by an Instrument of Accession. Thus Kashmir became a part of India. This document was signed by the head of the National Conference, which was the main political party representing its people. The National Conference was an associate of the Congress Party. Pakistan has illegally occupied a large part of Kashmir and even given a part of it to China. It has refused to vacate the area occupied by fraud and illegally. This area has been mostly under military dictators.
But rest of Kashmir has lived under democratic rule and prospered. People there are much better off than those in the POK. If any Kashmiri loves Pakistan (e.g. some leaders), he is free to go and live in Pakistan. May be the Pak government may give him money to broadcast hate against India. Due to Pak-trained terrorists, people in Kashmir have suffered greatly. More than 70,000 people have lost their lives. Their properties have been damaged. Their income from tourism has suffered.
In Pakistan today, millions are refugees, caused by lovers of hate who were tutored by the U.S. and Pak dictators. The Pakistan government is even forced to order Muslims to kill other Muslims. Many devout Muslims dislike intensely this act, but the Pakistan government dare not disobey the U.S. on whose charity it lives. American drones bomb Pakistan killing innocent citizens with permission of the Pak government.
What is the position of the Muslims, who have lived in India after the partition? A few thousand have, no doubt, died in communal riots over the past 62 years. However, this is nothing compared to the Muslims killed in East Pakistan by the army, and in Kashmir by the terrorists. They have freedom of religion and of expression. Many of them have held high positions in government. Millions of Muslims from East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh) have poured into India uninvited since 1971. They had previously said that the Muslims could not live with the Hindus. All this is due to their search for better living conditions in India.
To return to the basic question posed in this article: have the Muslims in India gained from the partition? The answer is a big NO in bold letters. The Muslims have certainly not gained from partition. It is, therefore, the duty of thinking Muslims in India to explain the true position to fellow Muslims and tell them not to dream of being Pakistanis, even when there is a cricket match between India and Pakistan. The answer is equally important to non-Muslims in India. They should make the Muslims aware of the truth and how they were deceived by Jinnah. This will prevent them from becoming agents of Pakistan’s ISI and spreading terror in India.—INFA