Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T07:09:28.320Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Congress-Muslim League Relations 1937–39

‘The Parting of the Ways’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Deepak Pandey
Affiliation:
University of Himachal Pradesh

Extract

With the passing of the Government of India Act of 1935, the history of Indian nationalism underwent a subtle change. Though not noticeable immediately after the introduction of the Act, the provincial elections, held under its provisions in 1937, and the results thereof, made this change more apparent and clear. The Indian National Congress secured a sweeping victory in five provinces and was in a position to form coalition ministries in two other provinces—a victory which revealed the efficiency and capability of the party so far as the election machine was concerned. It proved its claim of being a ‘National Party’. The Muslim-League, on the other hand, did not fare well at all, especially in the Muslim majority provinces of the Punjab and Bengal. Although it did better in the non-Muslim provinces, yet that was not enough to enable the League to boast of being the sole representative organization of the Muslims. The success of provincial parties like the Krishak Lok Party in Bengal and the Unionist Party in the Punjab showed that the Muslim electorates still thought in terms of ‘provincial’ or ‘local’ considerations, and were not moved so much by all-India issues. What was true of the League was also true of the Congress so far as the Muslims were concerned. The latter, too, was not able to capture Muslim seats in numbers adequate enough to demonstrate its popularity amongst Muslims.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 F. No. 11/37, Poll, National Archives of India, New Delhi [N.A.I.].Google Scholar

3 Menon, V. P., The Transfer of Power in India (Longmans, 1957), p. 55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

4 Nehru, Jawaharlal, A Bunch of Old Letters (Asia, 1958).Google ScholarNehru, to Jinnah, , Bombay, 14 December 1939.Google Scholar

6 Khaliquzzaman, C., Pathway to Pakistan (Lahore, 1961), pp. 160–1.Google Scholar

7 Press Statement by Nehru, 30 June 1937. Nehru Papers, Pt II I, No. 161, Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi.Google Scholar

10 The Times of India, 10 May 1937.Google Scholar

11 Pant, G. B. to Nehru, , 2 April 1937, Nehru Papers, Pt. I, Vol. 79.Google Scholar

12 The Times of India, 6 May 1937.Google Scholar

13 The Pioneer 16 February 1937.Google Scholar

14 A.I.C.C. File No. G. 32/1938, Nehru Memorial Museum, /New Delhi.

15 Acharaya Kriplani's Reply to Jinnah. See The Times of India, 15 May 1937.Google Scholar

18 Nehru Papers, Pt III, No. 249.

19 A.I.C.C.F. No. G.30(1)/1937.Google Scholar

20 Indian Annual Register, 1937, Vol. II.Google Scholar

21 The Search Light, 27 April, 1937.Google Scholar

22 Nehru Papers, Pt III, No. 249.

23 The Times of India, 6 May 1937.Google Scholar

24 The Times of India, 27 May 1937.Google Scholar

26 Indian Annual Register, 1937, Vol. I, Calcutta Session, 27, 28 12 1937.Google Scholar

27 The Bombay Chronicle, 8 February 1938.Google Scholar

28 Baiq, M. R. A., The Muslims's Dilemma in India (Vikas, 1947), pp. 65–7.Google Scholar

29 The Times of India, 1 May 1937.Google Scholar

30 Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. I.Google Scholar

33 Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. II.Google Scholar

34 State of India, 29 December 1938.Google Scholar

35 The Daily Gazette, Karachi, 9 10 1938.Google Scholar

36 Amrita Bazar Patrika, 29 December 1938.Google Scholar

37 Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, 12 10 1938.Google Scholar

38 Nehru Papers, Pt III, Nos 275, 276.

40 Nehru, to Mahmud, Syed of Patna, 12 December 1939, Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 79.Google Scholar

41 A.I.C.C. File No/G22/1938.Google Scholar

42 Mahmud, S. Syed to Nehru, , 9 December 1939, Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 97.Google Scholar

43 A.I.C.C. File No. B 9/1938.Google Scholar

44 A.I.C.C. File No. B 9/1938.Google Scholar

45 A.I.C.C. File No. G32/1938.Google Scholar

46 The Times of India, 12 May 1937.Google Scholar

47 A.I.C.C. File No. 11/1937.Google Scholar

48 Indian Annual Register, 1938., Vol. I.Google Scholar

50 Philips, Cyril H., The Evolution of India and Pakistan 1858–1947 (London, 1962), pp. 765–7.Google Scholar

51 Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. II.Google Scholar

54 The Bombay Chronicle, 10 July 1938.Google Scholar

55 The Eastern Times, Lahore, 7 07 1938.Google Scholar

56 The Sind Observer, 6 July 1939.Google Scholar

57 Muslim League W.C. Meeting Bombay, July 1939, Indian Annual Register 1939, Vol. II.Google Scholar

58 Satish Chandra Bara Benki to Dr. Ashraf, 23 April 1937. A.I.C.C. F. No. 41/1937.Google Scholar

59 Quoted in Haq, Mushin U., Muslim Polititus in India. (Meerut, 1970), pp. 127–8.Google Scholar

60 Amrita Bazar Patrika, 17 January 1939.Google Scholar

61 Ibid., 31 January 1939.

62 The Times of India, 6 July 1938.Google Scholar

63 Indian Annual Register 1939, Vol. I.Google Scholar

64 Dr Ashraf to Dr Zakir Hussain, 9 April 1938, A.I.C.C. F. No. G-68/1937–38.Google Scholar

65 F. No. 71/39, Home Poll, N.A.I.

67 A.I.C.C. F. No. 18/1937.Google Scholar

68 The Times of India, 6 July 1938.Google Scholar

69 Patna Session of League, 1938, See Jamil-ud-Din, Speeches of Jinnah.

70 F. No. 71/37, Home Poll, N.A.I.

71 Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 79.Google Scholar

72 Ibid., G. B. Pant to Nehru, 16 January 1939.

73 Amrita Bazar Patrika, 8 February 1939.Google Scholar

74 Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 39, Press Statement by Nehru.Google Scholar

75 For full report, see A.I.C.C. F. No. 34/1939.Google Scholar

76 Pant, G. B. to Nehru, , A.I.C.C. F. No. B 9/1937.Google Scholar

77 Coupland, R., The Indian Problem, Pt II, Indian Politics, 1936–1942 (Oxford University Press, 1943), p. 106.Google Scholar

78 Sen, Dhirandernath, Revolution by Consent (Calcutta, 1947), p. 186.Google Scholar

79 Smith, Robert Aura, Divided India (New York, 1947), p. 33.Google Scholar

80 Haripura Session of the Congress. See Indian Annual Register, 1938.

81 Jamil-ud-Din, , Speeches of Jinnah, Lucknow Session of the League, 1937.Google Scholar

82 The Times of India, 6 May, 1937.Google Scholar

83 The Times of India, 24 May 1937.Google Scholar

84 Ibid., 28 May 1937.

85 Nehru Papers, Pt III, F. No. 262–3.

86 Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 39.

87 A.I.C.C. F. No. 48/1938, Dr Ashraf's speech at Lahore, 17 June 1937.Google Scholar

88 Prasad, R., India Divided (Bombay, 1946), pp. 148–9.Google Scholar

89 The Times of India, 4 July 1938.Google Scholar

90 The Times of India, 4 May, 1937.Google Scholar

93 Jinnah, to Basa, S., 2 August 1938. See Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. II.Google Scholar

95 The Times of India, 4 July 1938.Google Scholar

96 Khan, Mh. Ismail to Nehru, , The Times of India, 16 January 1938.Google Scholar

97 Indian Annual Register, 1937, Vol. I.Google Scholar

99 Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. I.Google Scholar

100 A.I.C.C. F. No. 11/1937.Google Scholar

101 A.I.C.C. F. No. 11/1937.,Google Scholar

102 See A.I.C.C. F. No. 11/1937. It contains letters from and to above Associations. Also see A.I.C.C. F. No. 11/1937 containing similar letters.Google Scholar

103 DrAshraf, to Brelvi, Sh. S. A. of Bombay Chronical, 29 May 1937, A.I.C.C. F. No.G-68/1937–38.Google Scholar

104 Dr Ashraf to Sht. Gaunda Mijumdar, 7 May 1937, ibid.

105 DrAshraf, to DrQazi, Abdul Hamid, 20 May 1937, A.I.C.C. F. No. 25/1937.Google Scholar

106 The Times of India, 27 May 1937.Google Scholar

107 The Times of India, 27 May 1937.Google Scholar

108 A.I.C.C. F. No. 16/1937.Google Scholar

109 A.I.C.C. F. No. 18/1937.Google Scholar

110 A.I.C.C. F. No. 47/1937.Google Scholar

111 The Times of India, 1 March 1938.Google Scholar

112 The Times of India, 2 March 1938.Google Scholar

113 A.I.C.C. F. No. 16/1937.Google Scholar

114 Indian Annual Register, 1939, Vol. I.Google Scholar

115 Ibid.

116 For the letter of Dr Ashraf informing his inability to attend Muslim meetings at various places see A.I.C.C. F. No. G.68/1937–38; F. No. 47/1937 and F. No. 11/1937.

117 A.I.C.C. F. No. 42/1937.Google Scholar

118 A.I.C.C. F. No. 42/1937.Google Scholar

119 A.I.C.C. F. No. 11/1937.Google Scholar

120 Ibid.

121 Ibid.

122 A.I.C.C. F. No.G.68/19371938.Google Scholar

123 A.I.C.C. F. No. 42/1937.Google Scholar

124 Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 49.Google Scholar

125 Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. I.Google Scholar

126 Philips, , Evolution of India and Pakistan, pp. 347–8.Google Scholar

127 Note by Sahai, Raghubir, 21 April 1937, A.I.C.C. F. No. 41/1937.Google Scholar

128 Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 79.Google Scholar

129 Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 100.Google Scholar

130 A.I.C.C. F. No. B-9/1938.Google Scholar

131 A.I.C.C. F. No. G-32/1938.Google Scholar

132 Indian Annual Register, 1939, Vol. I.Google Scholar

133 Coupland, R., The Indian Problem, Pt II, p. 104.Google Scholar

134 Indian Annual Register, 1938, Vol. II.Google Scholar

135 Hodson, H. V., The Great Divide (London, 1969), pp. 74–5.Google Scholar

136 The Leader, Allahabad, 29 December 1938.Google Scholar

137 Jamil-ud-Din, , Speeches of Jinnah, Lucknow Session of League, 1937.Google Scholar

138 For full Report, see SirGwyer, Maurice and Appaderoi, A. (Eds), Speeches and Documents on the Indian Constitution, 1921–47, 2 vols (Oxford University Press, 1957), I 410–16.Google Scholar

139 Jamil-ud-Din, , Speeches of Jinnah.Google Scholar

140 Ibid.

141 National Herald, 23 December 1939.Google Scholar

142 See Ibid, The Times of India, The Statesman for 23–24 December 1939.

143 Patel, V. B. to Nehru, , 7 December 1939, Nehru Papers, Pt I, Vol. 39.Google Scholar

144 The Tribune, The Statesman, The Pioneer, etc. 23–25 December 1939.Google Scholar

145 Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Times of India, 23 December 1939.Google Scholar

146 Coupland, R., The Indian Problem, Part II. pp. 192–3.Google Scholar

147 The Pioneer, 25 December 1938.Google Scholar

148 Jamil-ud-Din, , Speeches of Jinnah.Google Scholar

149 Cambridge History of India, Vol. VI, p. 82.Google Scholar

150 Coupland, R., The Indian Problem, Pt II, pp. 407–8.Google Scholar