East Forces

East Forces

Everybody loves freedom. Everybody wants it. But a lot of questions need to be answered. For example: What is freedom exactly, and can it be accurately defined? How is freedom related to liberty? Liberty conveys the idea of the right or the ability of the individual to do what he wants. Freedom on the other hand is a word which contains inbuilt restrictions. My freedom to swing my hands stops at my neighbor's nose. A free society contains individuals who are free to do what they do, whilst respecting the freedoms of others. Freedom is a wonderful thing....but to be truly free...is there ever really such a thing? Well...at least free within the limits of the law and my budget that is. 

The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on July 18, 1947. The Act created two dominions, Indian Union and Pakistan. It also provided for the complete end of British control over Indian affairs from August 15, 1947. The Muslims of the Sub-continent had finally achieved their goal to have an independent state for themselves, but only after a long and relentless struggle under the single-minded guidance of the Quaid.

The boundaries of Pakistan emerged on the map of the world in 1947. This was accomplished on the basis of the Two-Nation Theory. This theory held that there were two nations, Hindus and Muslims living in the territory of the Sub-continent. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was the first exponent of the Two-Nation Theory in the modern era. He believed that India was a continent and not a country, and that among the vast population of different races and different creeds, Hindus and Muslims were the two major nations on the basis of nationality, religion, way-of-life, customs, traditions, culture and historical conditions.

Pakistan came into existence as a dominion within the Commonwealth in August 1947, with Jinnah as governor-general and Liaquat Ali Khan as prime minister. With West and East Pakistan separated by more than 1,000 miles of Indian territory and with the major portion of the wealth and resources of the British heritage passing to India, Pakistan's survival seemed to hang in the balance. Of all the well-organized provinces of British India, only the comparatively backward areas of Sindh, Balochistan, and the North-West Frontier came to Pakistan intact. The Punjab and Bengal were divided, and Kashmir became disputed territory. Economically, the situation seemed almost hopeless; the new frontier cut off Pakistani raw materials from the Indian factories, disrupting industry, commerce, and agriculture. The partition and the movement of refugees were accompanied by terrible massacres for which both communities were responsible. India remained openly unfriendly; its economic superiority expressed itself in a virtual blockade. The dispute over Kashmir brought the two countries to the verge of war; and India's command of the headworks controlling the water supplies to Pakistan's eastern canal colonies gave it an additional economic weapon. The resulting friction, by obstructing the process of sharing the assets inherited from the British raj (according to plans previously agreed), further handicapped Pakistan. (L.F.R.W.)

"We have one God, one Quran, one Ka'aba, and one Prophet. Let's have one organization, one platform, one flag and one leader"

~ M.A Jinnah, Srinagar, 19441

Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam, gave them the earthly glory promised in the holy Quran and in the process, altered the entire course of history of the subcontinent for decades to come.

It is incredible to note that the struggle for Pakistan enjoyed the kind of mass support it did despite the very definition of it being in doubt all through the pre-partition phase. It is even more remarkable that the Pakistan arguably not "sufficiently imagined" came into existence less than a decade after its struggle was initiated. In a geopolitical scenario as complex as British India, there were bound to be a number of forces that aggregated to bring about such a momentous event in the history of Indian subcontinent. Arguably, one of the most significant architects of the whole process was the man called Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

A striking aspect of Jinnah's personality was his love for constitutional, orderly means both in his political and personal life

"His life was a model of order and discipline.

"Among his Moslems Jinnah had no friends, only followers"

" If Jinnah had died even after the announcement of partition in June 1947, there would have been no Pakistan"

The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on July 18, 1947. The Act created two dominions, Indian Union and Pakistan. It also provided for the complete end of British control over Indian affairs from August 15, 1947. The Muslims of the Sub-continent had finally achieved their goal to have an independent state for themselves, but only after a long and relentless struggle under the single-minded guidance of the Quaid.

The boundaries of Pakistan emerged on the map of the world in 1947. This was accomplished on the basis of the Two-Nation Theory. This theory held that there were two nations, Hindus and Muslims living in the territory of the Sub-continent. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was the first exponent of the Two-Nation Theory in the modern era. He believed that India was a continent and not a country, and that among the vast population of different races and different creeds, Hindus and Muslims were the two major nations on the basis of nationality, religion, way-of-life, customs, traditions, culture and historical conditions.

The historical, cultural, religious and social differences between the two nations accelerated the pace of political developments, finally leading to the division of British India into two separate, independent states, Pakistan and India, on August 14 & 15, 1947, respectively.

Related posts

• No related posts.