Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born (1876) in Karachi to Gujarati parents from Princely State of Gondal, Village Paneli (Kathiawar in Gujarat) in a wealthy merchant community called ‘Khoja’ a Shia sect of Islam. This Community is largely found in the city of Karachi, who is Kutchi people migrated to Karachi during the Suez Canal days with an ambition to prosperity during economic boom then.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah did not know much of Urdu, Hindi or Gujarati but became proficient in English after being qualified as accomplished Barrister at Lincoln’s Inn in England in 1896, youngest Indian at the age of twenty!
The motivation behind sending MA Jinnah to the UK by his father Jinnahbhai Poonja was legal proceeding against him that placed the family's property at risk of being confiscated by the court. The paternal grandfather of Jinnah was Premjibhai Meghji Thakker who was a Kutchi Lohana from Paneli village in the same Gondal state in Kathiawar of Gujarat, historically converted to Muslims after invasion of Muhammed Bin Qasim, later known as Khoja. Interestingly Premjibhai was a Hindu, who made his fortune in fish business. But Premjibhai was soon made outcast in the society to have assumed a non-vegetarian fish business being a vegetarian Hindu. This custom has not yet been eliminated as late in 2015 as we may remember Reliance fresh outlets at Mumbai which used to sell fish had to close shops and relinquish fish business for Ambani being vegetarians. But this happened after Ambani’s own community vehemently objected.
On being qualified as Lawyer Jinnah intended to practice at Karachi where he had his own Khoja community as readymade Clients. So he appeared in an interview with Harchand Rai & Co at Karachi being the leading Law firm but Hindu led. Jinnah was selected but the CTC negotiation failed as Jinnah demanded Rs 100 per month but the miser Hindu Harchand Rai himself denied more than Rs75 a month. Thus on a lighter side, Ram Jethmalani in an interview blamed partition of India on the miser Hindu law firm owner of Karachi rather than anything else & thereafter Jinnah arrived in Bombay High Court to practice, the very first Muslim lawyer, to practice in the High Court of Bombay Presidency in British India.
Jinnah was the Lawyer in Bombay Presidency per excellence and initially never wanted a partition of India. He commanded highest fees and was one of the most respected and sought after counsel.
In 1908 Bal Gangadhar Tilak one of the greatest freedom fighters against the British was arrested for sedition. Before Tilak unsuccessfully represented himself at trial, he engaged Jinnah in an attempt to secure his release on bail. Jinnah did not succeed, but obtained an acquittal for Tilak when he was charged with sedition again in 1916, probably not charged any fees for his service.
Jinnah during the course of his practice in Bombay High court became friends of his clients the “Tatas”. Once Dr. Dinshaw Petit a Tata family member, suggested a visit to Darjeeling to evade summer of Bombay. Jinnah accompanied them but fell in love with Dr. Petit’s daughter Rattenbhai Petit who was 16 year old, way back in 1916 and Jinnah was around 40 then.
Jinnah courted “Ruttie” popularly known as the flower of Bombay in 1918 and got married in absence of anyone from Ruttie’s family, stayed in Bombay in the ‘Jinnah house’ built at a cost of Rs 200,000.(Considering 1USD=1Rupee in 1947 today’s price 1US$ = 72 Rupees works out to Rs1.44 Crs)
Romance amongst Jinnah & Ruttie flourished and they made many overseas travels together. While in Bombay, Jinnah had a silhouette, where Ruttie will travel with her hairs open & flying; but marriage became sour, sooner or later & at one point Ruttie had to move out with her little daughter Dina (Mother of Nusli Wadia – of Bombay Dying fame) to Taj Hotel to avoid confrontation, all these according to many of Jinnah’s biographers.
During the incidence preceding and succeeding the partition of India into two dominions of India & Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah was made the messiah of the Muslims and was made Quaid e Azam – meaning great leader. He shed his suits & boots and wore Sherwani, Coat & skull cap. British helped him to become the First Governor General of Pakistan, no elections preceded.
Initial days of Independence movement Jinnah advocated for Hindu Mulsim unity and in Lucknow Pact of 1916, he represented Muslim League. In Lahore declaration of 1940, which was later promoted as Pakistan declaration (but in the declaration itself there was no mention of Pakistan name in particular) Hindu Muslim unity was not totally forgotten but due rights of Muslims in India was desired & sought for.
Quaid e Azam, Mohammed Ali Jinnah had made many reversals of his own decisions i.e. change of mind after fully committing to certain principle, cause or finality.
He took fees of gold weighing his own body from the Khan of Kalat and gave status to Princely state as an independent sovereign state. This he accomplished after negotiating as the counsel of Kalat with Lord Mountbatten; but soon after partition on 14th August 1947, he ordered Pakistan Army to forcefully occupy Balochistan. On being questioned by Khan of Kalat about the U – turn, he confided that “previously I was your Lawyer, but now I am the Governor General, I am only playing my changed role.”
On 11th August 1947 in the constituent assembly of Pakistan Quaid e Azam declared that Pakistan will be a secular country and freedom of religion shall prevail, this L K Advani refers quite often in TV talk shows & during visit to Jinnah memorial at Karachi in 2005 Advani lavishly praised Jinnah on this very point, but later Jinnah changed his mind & allowed it to become a Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Just before the partition of India Jinnah signed a standstill agreement with Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir to allow Jammu & Kashmir princely state to remain independent & sovereign and Pakistan not only promised never to attack but also provide assistance in various common services like postage etc. that was the agreement, but he changed his mind later & apparently ordered Tribals (Kabailis) supported by Pakistani Army to attack Jammu & Kashmir in 1947. On being asked why there is invasion in Kashmir, he reportedly said; “I don’t know & I don’t want to know.” But complicity is derived as; at that time Rs 300,000 was withdrawn from Pakistani treasury and attack was organised in Kashmir keeping Maharaja & its Kashmiri people in complete darkness. Rs 300,000 in today’s currency value may be 1 Rs = 1 USD in 1947 equals to more than Rs 2 Crores. Maharaja thus had to seek India’s help for protection but had to accede to India as a pre-condition.
Another incident worth mentioning here is giving away Sylhet District of Assam in 1947 to East Bengal. Sylhet was very prosperous & productive district of Assam since 1873. But Jinnah demanded it & agreed for a referendum on the ground that it is a Muslim majority district of Assam. Whereas for all India scenario Jinnah never accepted the idea of referendum! But if one makes a close observation on the issue the results of referendum; that was 239,619 votes in favour of Pakistan 184,041 votes for Sylhet to remain in Assam or consequently India.
Now in that election Hut & Axe were two boxes there for people were to vote, Hut where ballot paper to go for India, Axe box where ballot will count for Pakistan or East Bengal. Now interesting fact is additionally 123,155 votes were declared invalid & another 197,272 tea estate labourers from 221 tea estates of Sylhet was not allowed to vote. These tea estate labourers had voted in 1946 constituent assembly elections - says Bidyut Chakrabarty Ex Prof of Delhi University in his book. (Ref: wwwshodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in) Link provided below for more details.
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/116402/10/10_chapter%202.pdf
It looks like Sylhet was given away by India by becoming victim of fraud, but whether that was intended or not shall be discussed another time, please stay tuned:
So what really happened to Quaid e Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who had to overturn many his own decisions from till the time of his death in 1948, only he can probably best answer the question, but all these have great historical impact and it continues to affect the lives of ordinary people of India Pakistan in Kashmir, Assam, Balochistan & the rest, even on date (2018). One of the conceivable reasons which we could probably circumspect is that would solely vindicate Abraham Lincoln’s 19th century quote;
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power”
References: shall be provided on request being basically an opinion article.
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