Thursday, July 15, 2010

October 1938

New Digital Library of India
The Indian Annual Register (1938) Volume 2
Page 17
Chief Events:

October 7th:  The proposal for a separate Moslem Federation to be discussed by the Working Committee of the All-India Moslem League.

October 10th: A resolution urging that India be divided into two Federations, one for Moslems and other for non-Moslem groups was adopted at the Sindh Moslem League Conference.

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Page 352 onwards:

The Sind Muslim League Conference
Welcome Address-Karachi-8th October 1938

Sir Abdulla Haroon read the welcome address...As long as the the majority community failed to recognise the deep-rooted suspicion of the minorities that their interests were not safe in the hands of the majority, unless they were afforded adequate safeguards and protection there was no prospect of a solution of the problem and if the patience of Muslim India is tried to its utmost capacity it might have no alternative left but to seek their salvation in their own way in an independent federation of Muslim states.   Sir Abdulla sounded a note of warning that the recent happenings in Czecho-Slovakia would repeat themselves in India if the majority community persisted in their unreasonable attitude and stand in the way of Muslims realising their ambition.....

Sir Abdulla then referred to the happenings in provinces where the Congress is ruling and said that the very culture, religion and existence of the Muslim community were in jeopardy and they had despaired of getting any justice at the hands of the majority community.   We have nearly arrived at the parting of the ways and until and unless this problem is solved to the satisfaction of all it will be impossible for anybody to save India from being divided into Hindu-India and Muslim India both placed under separate federations.  .....

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However, page 366, "Resolutions - Karachi - 10th. October 1938" does not contain an explicit demand for two federations.   What they have is:

"The conference adopted a resolution, recommending to the All-India Muslim League to review and revise the entire question of a suitable constitution for India, which would secure the honourable status due to Muslims and disapproving of the All India Federation embodied in the Government of India Act of 1935."

In 1940, in Lahore, (The Indian Annual Register, 1940, Vol 1), it is reported:

"Sir Abdulla Haroon, M.L.A. (central) said that it was a well known fact that the Muslims came to India through Sind.  Sind Muslims were the first to moot this question which was now before the League.   In 1938 the Muslim League passed a resolution for establishing 'independent states' in the north-western and eastern zones.  Since then various constitutional schemes had been framed and they were now being examined by a command that it was the duty of the Muslims to pass it without any hitch.  Sir Abdulla Haroon warned the Hindus that if the Muslims in Hindu province were not justly treated, the Hindus in the Muslim provinces would be treated in the same way in which Herr Hitler had treated the Sudetans.  The speaker hoped that the proposal embodied in the resolution would be acceptable both to the Hindus and the British as there was no better solution of the thorny problem."

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