India wins freedom and the Sikhs
DEAR EDITOR;
Although Abul Kalam Azad’s criticism of Jawaharlal Nehru, in his book, “India Wins Freedom,” is little surprising, for its substance, in general, is what is already known to the intelligentsia. There is, however, one unfortunate point that deserves a serious thought of the Sikhs.
On July 10, 1946, in reply to ‘one of the questionnaire raised in the Press Conference, in Bombay Jawaharlal replied that Congress would enter Constitutional Assembly completely unfettered by agreements and free to meet all situations as they arise. He further added, equally emphatically, that the Congress had agreed to participate in the Constituent Assembly and regarded itself free to change or modify the Cabinet Mission Plan as it thought best.
This was a bombshell for Jinnah and eye-opener for the Muslim League. Grant of right to the President of the AICC to change the Cabinet Mission Plan, on the strength of the majority in the Constituent Assembly, meant to them that minorities would be placed at the mercy of the majority. According to Jinnah’s interpretation, Jawaharlal had rejected the original, as accepted by the Muslim League, with the declaration in the Press Conference. Consequently on July 27, Mr. Jinnah declared that the revised version of the Congress plan leaves them with no option but to demand “Pakistan.”
Now the mute question is that when 10 percent Muslim minority recognized the danger of the rights of the minority in jeopardy why did 2 percent Sikhs not feel themselves threatened? Why should they have felt their rights and privileges safeguarded; and assured that Congress would not betray and not break their promises; more so when they had categorically absolved themselves to be bound by any agreement prior or future. “A little bit of self-introspection and heart searching would do a lot of good to us to learn lessons from our past blunders.
Narendra Singh AURORA; CALIFORNIA.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 9, 1988
