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Quaid’s 11 August Speech – Why the debate? | mursalan
There a pandemonium in Pakistan over non-existence (or existence) of Mr. Jinnah’s speech, in the print media. The group who is denying the existence of utterance of such words as to allow minorities the full freedom, choosing English as an official language and which expounded the nationalism, has its ulterior motives and a particular ideology, viz., Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a chosen person by Devine Authorities and was a votary and he never wanted any political system other than the divine one.
Below is the exact news as it appeared in the Daily Times (England) on 12th August 1947 insofar Mr. Jinnah’s speech of first constituent assembly is concerned. I will put the statements regarding rights of the minorities, political system and official language in bold. Readers can draw the inference from the below self explanatory piece from History that Mr. Jinnah wanted a progressive democratic Pakistan.
CALL FOR TOLERANCE
From Our Special Correspondent
KARACHI, AUG. 11
An interesting precedent in British constitutional history was set this morning when Mr. Jinnah, President of the Muslim League and Governor-General designate of the Dominion of Pakistan, was also elected President of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. His election is yet another indication of his unchallenged supremacy in Indian Muslim politics, and was referred to by his proposer, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, who said that the creation of the State of Pakistan was mainly if not wholly due to him. In his opening speech, Mr. Jinnah, talking quietly and unemotionally like a lawyer arguing a case, declared that the two functions of the Assembly were to frame the Constitution and to act as a temporary federal legislature. "Not only we ourselves," he said,” but the whole world is wondering how this unprecedented cyclonic revolution which has established two new Dominions in the sub-continent of India has been carried through peacefully and without violence."
LAW AND ORDER
The first duty of the Government, he added, was to maintain law and order so that life, property, and religious beliefs were fully protected by the State. He then proceeded to inveigh against bribery and corruption, nepotism and jobbery and black marketing. With regard to the division of India he said that there were many people in Pakistan and India who did not agree with it, but he himself was convinced that it was the only solution to India's constitutional problem. "any other solution would have led us to disaster." Appealing for tolerance and unity, Mr. Jinnah said that the biggest hindrances to India's advance had been religious and racial divisions. But for these India would have been free long ago. People living in Pakistan, he said, would have complete religious freedom but they must remember " first, second, and last that they are citizens of this State with equal rights and equal obligations." He then referred to the differences which formerly existed in England between Protestants and Roman Catholics, and said that Pakistan must try to achieve the same goal as England, where religious and political spheres are kept separate". “We must try to keep that as our ideal”.
PAKISTAN FLAG
Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan then proposed the adoption, as the Pakistan flag, of a dark green flag with a white vertical bar at the mast, the green portion bearing a white crescent in the centre and a five-pointed white heraldic star. Representatives of the Hindu minorities asked that more time should be devoted to the choosing of the flag, and that the minorities should be more closely associated with it. They were, however, overruled, and the proposal was carried. To a Hindu member who pointed out that the green portion was the same as the Muslim League flag, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan retorted that the new Indian flag was substantially the same as the Congress flag, and that the white portion of the Pakistan flag, one fourth of the total area, symbolized Pakistan's minorities, roughly one-fourth of the total population. The somewhat aggressive behavior of these Hindus suggested that they are going to be by no means docile members of the Assembly. One of them wanted to speak in Hindustani, but was politely told by Mr. Jinnah that the language of the Assembly was English, unless a member could not express himself in English- when the vernacular was permitted. The member then put his question in excellent English. Congratulatory messages were read from the American and Australian Governments. One of the pleasant features of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly is that the chamber, tastefully paneled in Indian woods, is small, the number of members is limited (69), and the proceedings take place in an informal and almost intimate atmosphere. The smallness of the chamber discourages oratory, and the only fiery address delivered so far came from Begum Shah Nawaz, one of the two women members.
There a pandemonium in Pakistan over non-existence (or existence) of Mr. Jinnah’s speech, in the print media. The group who is denying the existence of utterance of such words as to allow minorities the full freedom, choosing English as an official language and which expounded the nationalism, has its ulterior motives and a particular ideology, viz., Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a chosen person by Devine Authorities and was a votary and he never wanted any political system other than the divine one.
Below is the exact news as it appeared in the Daily Times (England) on 12th August 1947 insofar Mr. Jinnah’s speech of first constituent assembly is concerned. I will put the statements regarding rights of the minorities, political system and official language in bold. Readers can draw the inference from the below self explanatory piece from History that Mr. Jinnah wanted a progressive democratic Pakistan.
THE PAKISTAN ASSEMBLY
MR. JINNAE ELECTED PRESIDENT
CALL FOR TOLERANCE
From Our Special Correspondent
KARACHI, AUG. 11
An interesting precedent in British constitutional history was set this morning when Mr. Jinnah, President of the Muslim League and Governor-General designate of the Dominion of Pakistan, was also elected President of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. His election is yet another indication of his unchallenged supremacy in Indian Muslim politics, and was referred to by his proposer, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, who said that the creation of the State of Pakistan was mainly if not wholly due to him. In his opening speech, Mr. Jinnah, talking quietly and unemotionally like a lawyer arguing a case, declared that the two functions of the Assembly were to frame the Constitution and to act as a temporary federal legislature. "Not only we ourselves," he said,” but the whole world is wondering how this unprecedented cyclonic revolution which has established two new Dominions in the sub-continent of India has been carried through peacefully and without violence."
LAW AND ORDER
The first duty of the Government, he added, was to maintain law and order so that life, property, and religious beliefs were fully protected by the State. He then proceeded to inveigh against bribery and corruption, nepotism and jobbery and black marketing. With regard to the division of India he said that there were many people in Pakistan and India who did not agree with it, but he himself was convinced that it was the only solution to India's constitutional problem. "any other solution would have led us to disaster." Appealing for tolerance and unity, Mr. Jinnah said that the biggest hindrances to India's advance had been religious and racial divisions. But for these India would have been free long ago. People living in Pakistan, he said, would have complete religious freedom but they must remember " first, second, and last that they are citizens of this State with equal rights and equal obligations." He then referred to the differences which formerly existed in England between Protestants and Roman Catholics, and said that Pakistan must try to achieve the same goal as England, where religious and political spheres are kept separate". “We must try to keep that as our ideal”.
PAKISTAN FLAG
Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan then proposed the adoption, as the Pakistan flag, of a dark green flag with a white vertical bar at the mast, the green portion bearing a white crescent in the centre and a five-pointed white heraldic star. Representatives of the Hindu minorities asked that more time should be devoted to the choosing of the flag, and that the minorities should be more closely associated with it. They were, however, overruled, and the proposal was carried. To a Hindu member who pointed out that the green portion was the same as the Muslim League flag, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan retorted that the new Indian flag was substantially the same as the Congress flag, and that the white portion of the Pakistan flag, one fourth of the total area, symbolized Pakistan's minorities, roughly one-fourth of the total population. The somewhat aggressive behavior of these Hindus suggested that they are going to be by no means docile members of the Assembly. One of them wanted to speak in Hindustani, but was politely told by Mr. Jinnah that the language of the Assembly was English, unless a member could not express himself in English- when the vernacular was permitted. The member then put his question in excellent English. Congratulatory messages were read from the American and Australian Governments. One of the pleasant features of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly is that the chamber, tastefully paneled in Indian woods, is small, the number of members is limited (69), and the proceedings take place in an informal and almost intimate atmosphere. The smallness of the chamber discourages oratory, and the only fiery address delivered so far came from Begum Shah Nawaz, one of the two women members.
