Originally posted by Sid+Mar 30 2006, 09:48 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sid @ Mar 30 2006, 09:48 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Hammer, just for your satisfaction, I had to go through Mr Seervai's book again and he answers you well enough on your assertion that Congress was not a Hindu party but a national party representing all Indians. Please read (I quote):
"It has been said I failed to recognize that the Indian National Congress was a national and not a Hindu organization and consequently it alone had the right to speak for the whole of India. To avoid needless controversy, it is enough to recall the radically altered position of the Congress vis-a-vis the Muslim League after the 1945-46 elections. This changed position was recognized in the following forumula which Gandhi and Jinnah signed on 4 October 1946:
The Congress does not challenge, and accepts that the Muslim League now is the authoritative representative of the overwhelming majority of the Muslims of India. As such, and in accordance with democratic principles, they alone have today the unquestionable right to represent the Muslims of India.But the Congress cannot agree that any restriction or limitation should be put upon Congress to choose such representative as they think proper, from amongst the members of the Congress as their representative. Legend and Reality, p. 55. (italics supplied)
After the 1945-46 elections it was impossible to say that Congress was a national body entitled to speak for the whole of India, for it had no right to speak for between 8 to 9 crores of Muslims. It followed that no settlement could be made by the Congress for the transfer of power without accomodation with the Muslim League. The Cabinet Mission Plan recognized this fact and tried to strike a balance between preserving the unity of India and removing the legitimate fears of the Muslims."
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