23rd March: A History

 

23^rd MARCH, 1940

PAKISTAN DAY

23^rd March, 1940. This day came to be known as one of the most important days in the history of partition of united India and independence of Pakistan. This day was a part of an important three day general session held by All India Muslim League from 22-24 March 1940. More than 1 lakh people were present. The highlight of the session was a resolution called ‘Lahore Resolution’ also called as ‘Pakistan Resolution’ or ‘declaration of independence of Pakistan’. This resolution was written and prepared by Mr.Zafarullah Khan and was presented by A.K Fazlul Huq, who was later known as ‘Sher e Bengal’. This resolution called for independent states and was immediately adopted by All India Muslim League to strengthen their independence movement.

When Lahore Resolution was passed Quaid-e-Azam tried to unite the Muslims of Indo-Pak subcontinent on one platform. He visited different parts of India and informed the Muslims about wrong policies of Indian National Congress and points in their agenda which they twisted to benefit the Hindus as much as they could. The events that occurred following the victory of Congress in 1935 election made everything that had been said since the start of the Separation movement very clear. Almost all the major Muslim leaders were in support, Quaid also succeeded in making a group of Deoband Scholars under the leadership of Shabeer Ahmed Usmani become an ally and an important part of the freedom movement. This resolution demanded independent states as can be seen in the document’s points enlisted below:

   1. While approving and endorsing the action taken by the Council and the Working Committee of the All Indian Muslim League as indicated in their resolutions dated the 27^th of August, 17^th and 18^th of September and 22^nd of October, 1939, and 3^rd February 1940 on the constitutional issues, this Session of the All-Indian Muslim League emphatically reiterates that the scheme of federation embodied in the Government of India Act, 1935, is totally unsuited to, and unworkable in the peculiar conditions of this country and is altogether unacceptable to Muslim India.

     2. Resolved that it is the considered view of this Session of the All India Muslim League that no constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principle, namely that geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary, that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the North-Western and Eastern Zones of India, should be grouped o constitute “Independent States” in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.

3.  That adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards should be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities in these units and in these regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights and interests in consultation with them; and in other parts of India where the Mussalmans are in a minority, adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specially provided in the constitution for them and other minorities for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights and interests in consultation with them.

  4.  This Session further authorizes the Working Committee to frame a scheme of constitution in accordance with these basic principles, providing for the assumption finally by the respective regions of all powers such as defense, external affairs, communications, customs and such other matters as may be necessary."

Opposition by their own kin:

Opposition by Congress and Hindus was constant and in fact Hindu news channels were the first one to call it ‘Pakistan Resolution’ and not ‘Lahore Resolution’. The words of independent states were not acceptable to any congress leader and there was a constant disagreement with All India Muslim League.

   The All India Azad Muslim Conference gathered just a month after Lahore Resolution to raise their voice in support of independent and United India, as a response to Lahore Resolution. They were not alone in doing so, the leaders of different Islamic organizations as well as 1400 nationalist Muslim delegates played their equal part to oppose The Resolution. The All India Muslim League worked tirelessly to silence the nationalist who were weakening the movement, often using the methods of intimidation and coercion, The effects were not profound but the murder of Chief Minister of Sindh and All India Azad Muslim Conference leader ‘Allah Bakhsh Soomro’ made the journey towards the creation of Pakistan smoother.

Commemoration:

• To commemorate the event, Minar-e-Pakistan, a monument 60 m tall in the shape of a Minaret, was built at the site in Iqbal Park where the resolution was passed.
• 23 March also known as ‘Pakistan day’ is a national holiday in Pakistan to commemorate both Lahore Resolution (1940) and the Republic Day (1956); the country became the first Islamic Republic in the world

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 Written by Sehrish Fatima