“Partition and Pakistan; Jinnah: the founder, British: the architect“

Name of Publication: Musaic books

Place of Publication: Delhi

Year: 2012

 Pp: 280

Reviewed by Muhammad Anwar

The book which is under review “Partition and Pakistan; Jinnah: the founder, British: the architect” is complement of Yuvraj Krishna’s earlier work “Understanding Partition“. “Understanding Partition” which portrays the picture that Muslims of India could not endure the hegemony of Hindus for they had ruled over India for centuries long. Whereas, the partition and Pakistan deals with the concept that both Jinnah and British tactically manipulated the situation for their own interests for a purpose to implement their policies.

The book has been gone through the constitutional history from the resignation of Congress ministries till the Boundary Commission. It contained the detailed perspective of Cripps Mission, Wavell’s Plan, Cabinet Mission Plan, Direct Action, Third June Plan and Boundary Commission. The main idea of this book revolves around that during Colonial rule, British had designed the plan and Jinnah, in effect, had given a material manifestation to that design. All the constitutional reforms that took place since 1940 to 1947 were masterminded by British to accomplish their own aims. They bitterly manipulated their cause by generating faction among Indian communities on religious lines inside India.

This factionalizing policy helped British to rule over India for a large time. This could be exemplified that throughout Indian constitutional reform, particularly after 1939, each constitutional step contained some particular kind of reforms that had the effect of political division of Indian communities on religious lines.

Yuvraj Krishna criticizes the Muslim league on the basis of nurturing the “divide and rule” policy. The author argues that actually this plan was implanted by British but the Muslim league watered it by giving hand to British. Moreover, Muslim League was more or less concerned with her own task by co-operating with the British rather than being separated from them.

This cooperating attitude towards Raj on part of the Muslims rewarded Muslims and punished Hindus in Cripps Mission by giving the concept of Union to India. This step actually planted the seed of two nation theory in British ideologues. Similarly, during the process of Indianization i.e. Simla Conference, the two nation theory was officially recognized in the white papers in British parliament.

The writer has repeatedly blamed Muslim League for giving the right hand to British. He says that during the democratic step of indianization, it would be inevitable for both the local groups to support each other. But this plan was wrecked because it was pre-planned for the cause to highlight the grievances of Hindus and Muslims.

In a nutshell, it can be concluded that the book is a researched book. It has explained some concept so profoundly that it becomes understandable for a common reader.  But the whole book goes with a single approach of Indian nationalism.  Similarly, the whole process of struggle has been portrayed as a match between two player’s i.e. Muslim league and British and Congress as a judge.