ALLAMA Iqbal died on 21 April 1938.
By late mid 20’s, Allama Iqbal had realized, that powerful elements within Hindu majority population would not allow Muslims to exercise their political rights, freedom of expression, or right to practice their faith and cultural values, neither achieve economic development.
In 1924 a Hindu nationalist leader from Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai openly advocated that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations.
MAJ referred to this letter written by Lala Lajpat to a Bengali Hindu nationalist CR Das in his 22 March 1940 address to AIML session at Lahore.
Allama Iqbal was amongst most educated politicians, from subcontinent, who favoured acquisition of knowledge in science, arts and economics.
He went to England in 1905 to pursue education at Trinity College, Cambridge and qualified as a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn, followed by a PHD in Philosophy from University of Munich.
His thesis was “The Development of Metaphysics in Persia”.
He was an advocate of Pan-Islamism, who desired Muslim world to unite on one platform for their collective benefit, based on commonality of belief in One God, Holy Quran and finality of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), instead of division on sectarian grounds.
Allama Iqbal believed in social justice and equality.
He held the view that democracy was closest to Islamic concept of governance, while there was no role for monarchy or dictatorial rule.
He actively supported Turkish revolution and people of Palestine and held Afghans and Iranians in high esteem.
Allama Saheb is admired in Turkey, Iran, Malaysia, Palestine and many other Muslim countries.
Allama Iqbal was a great admirer of QuaideAzam M A Jinnah and saw in him qualities of political leadership and capability to lead Muslims of the subcontinent.
In his 1930 presidential address to 25th session of All India Muslim League at Allahabad, he stated, “Personally I would like to see the Punjab, NW Frontier Province (KP), Sindh and Balochistan amalgamated into a single state”, although this was, as yet, not officially stated position of the AIML.
In his opinion, formation of a consolidated N W Indian Muslim State was “the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of NW India”.
This was beginning of Two Nation Theory.
The demand for separate nationhood originated from Muslim majority states of Bengal and Punjab.
In November 1931 Allama Iqbal went to London to attend Second Round Table Conference, where he met QuaideAzam, who had not returned back since September 1930.
Allama again visited London in 1932 to attend Third Round Table Conference where he convinced MAJ, who had disassociated from politics, to return back and lead the Muslim League.
Jinnah finally returned back in 1934 and came to Lahore on 19 April 1936, where the two met and agreed to constitute a parliamentary board to fight 1937 elections.
On the night between 4- 5 July 1935, hordes of Sikhs gathered laid siege to a mosque in Lahore, which was built in 1722AD, during tenure of Shah Jahan, by Abdullah Khan, who served as Kotwal of Lahore.
This happened when Punjab was ruled by a coalition of Akali, Congress and Unionist party, including Feroze Khan Noon, Nawab Muzaffar Qazilbash etc.
Prominent Muslim leaders were arrested, including Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Mian Ferozeuddin Ahmed, Malik Lal Khan, Syed Sarwar Shah Gillani etc.
This event became the focal point of AIML.
Allama Iqbal was a progressive Muslim, who supported Palestinian cause and Turkish revolution.
In 1930 Allama along with his close associate Malik Barkat Ali moved a joint resolution with Dr Motisagar and Lala Jagan Nath Agrawal in Lahore High Court Bar condemning unfair trial of Bhagat Singh.
In 1929 Allama Iqbal was in forefront opposing trial of Ilmudin Shaheed.
In 1932 Iqbal presided over All India Conference held at Lahore, where he openly expressed his thoughts about need for separate nation status for Muslims of the subcontinent.
He was not capable of intrigues, conspiracies and political opportunism and this is manifest in role played by Punjab Muslim League which he headed till 1937.
He opposed not only Unionists in Punjab, but others from Muslim minority states, who till that time had not made up their mind for separate national identity.
The wordings of 1940 Lahore Resolution instead of “geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted with such territorial readjustments” , should have been replicated with Allama Iqbal’s demand for Punjab, Sindh, NW Frontier, Balochistan in NW and Bengal in East.
Ashiq Hussain Batalvi, an ardent supporter of Allama Iqbal in fact moved to amend draft resolution in a meeting held on 22 March 1940 and suggested that component units Punjab, Sindh, NW Frontier, Balochistan and Bengal be mentioned and “territorial adjustments” be eliminated but Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan differed with him and assured that while Punjab and Bengal would not be partitioned, they intend to extend through territorial adjustments to Delhi in West and Assam in East.
It is a fact that in 1944 Gandhi Jee elaborating upon Raj Gopal Achari’s formula exploited “Contiguous Units” to demand division of Punjab and Bengal which resulted in loss of millions of human beings in tragic migration that could have been avoided, if Bengal and Punjab were not sliced.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore. (mtrqa213@gmail.com)
