Can anybody justify why the Constituent Assembly appointed by the Quaid for the specific purpose of drafting and approving the constitution delayed this task after his death? It took more than nine years to finally approve the 1956 Constitution and in the interim period, all citizens of Pakistan were forced to pledge loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen.
In his address to the Constituent Assembly on August 11, the Quaid elaborated that the “first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State”. While the Quaid had placed on record that Ayub Khan should never be promoted for failure to protect lives of men, women and children migrating from Amritsar, he was promoted after the Quaid’s death and then conspired to remove Khawaja Nazimuddin, the Governer General from Bengal, sowing seeds of secession of East Pakistan.
What we witness today is reverse of “unity, faith and discipline” and a culture where corruption is rewarded and considered a privilege instead of a cancer, facilitating growth of terrorism, eroding our reserves through flight of capital. However, much history is distorted, the bitter truth is that most of the feudal landlords from Muslim minority areas wanted a confederation with autonomy, so that they could retain their assets.
When Pakistan was created on August 14, it had only two radio stations at Lahore and Peshawar. It is a fact that when Radio Pakistan Lahore made the announcement of independence on the night of August 14 the song, Pakistan zindabad, azadi paaindabad was followed by patriotic tarana “Zarre tere hein aaj sitaaron se taabnak, aye sarzameen-e-Pak”Jagan Nath Azad, written by , an Urdu poet from Isakhel, Mianwali, at the request of the Quaid-e-Azam’s office. The irony is that on the night of August 15, All-India Radio, Delhi, broadcasted Hafeez Jullundhri’s tarana “Aye watan, aye India, aye Bharat, aye Hindustan”.
Jagan Nath Azad was a great admirer of Allama Iqbal and authored Roodad-e-Iqbal, Allama Iqbal’s biography. The national anthem, Pak sarzameen, was composed by Ahmed G Chagla in 1949, while lyrics were written by Hafeez Jullundhri in 1952 and it was first broadcast by Radio Pakistan on August 13, 1954. It is time we realised what forced men like Jogendra Nath Mandal and Jagan Nath Azad to migrate to India after the demise of the Quaid-e-Azam and myopic vision or calculated plan by those who wielded power to delay the finalisation of the Constitution till 1956, while India adopted its constitution on November 26, 1949 which came into effect on January 26, 1950, officially severing all links as a dominion of the British monarchy and annulment of the Government of India Act of 1935.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (10)
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@Sandip: Ref Malik's comments, what he has said is a historical fact. It is such circumstances which forced the muslim majority in Bengal to form Muslim League in 1906. This fact about the letter was also mentioned by Quaid e Zam in his speech on 22 March 1940 at Lahore, where he gave a resume of the events which forced men like him, who once were considered ambassadors of Hindu Muslim unity. As for Sandip, the only Muslim Majority state which India claims to be its Utoot Ang is for past over 66 years under continuous military occupation with over 6 Lakh Indian troops stationed there and incidences of slaughter and rape are common. This brutality is not seen in NE India where there are similar demands for secession. Both India and Pakistan have unfortunately not followed the vision of Ghandi Jee and Nehru nor of Allama Iqbal and Quaid e Azam. India secular status died with Nehru, when Indira Ghandi took over and than followed their corrupt dynastic rule, which resulted in a Fundamentalist Hindu leader elected by the Hindu majority population. Let us hope better sense prevails in both countries and they divert their attention on the millions living below poverty line in slums unfit for humans.
@Malik: Which history book have you been reading, dear? Lala Lajpat Rai, a prominent hindu nationalist from Bengal? Looks like Bengal and Bengalis have always been giving you nightmares.
My compliments to author for daring to speak the bitter truth. If only we had followed Quaid's vision, this country would have been saved many adversities, mishaps and failures. Today we are following the legacy of Zia ul Haq and reaping the harvest. It is still not late, all that is required is to stand up for Jinnah and Iqbal's vision. Whatever we are today is because of this country. It is time we ask ourselves what have we given back to Pakistan. Just visit our neighbouring country and see that Muslim majority live in the walled city, with lanes and streets of no more than 5 to 6 feet wide and small houses, living in continuous fear. Recently a new elected member of parliament belonging to Modi's party forced a Muslim to break his fast. It was shown all over secular India and till to date nobody has taken any action against him. That is the ugly truth. Secular India died with Nehru. Remember how Indira Ghandi stormed Golden Temple.
One speech does not a vision make! The Aug 11 speech was so contradictory to the vision of Pakistan portrayed until then - that a new country needed to be created for Muslims, that no one really takes that speech seriously.
@ModiFied: India after 67 years has shattered its secular image by electing a fundamentalist Hindu party whose MPA's force a Muslim to break their fast. No fundamentalist Muslim party can ever be elected in Pakistan and given a majority to form a government at centre. Unfortunate reality is that Two Nation Theory was presented in 1924 by the Lala Lajpat Rai a prominent Hindu nationalist of Bengal in a letter addressed to Begal's prominent leader CR Das that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations and the two can never be merged to form one nation. It is this and other events which forced Quaid to seek a separate Muslim majority state, where the Muslim majority would live in peace with citizens of other faiths. The bitter truth is that India has betrayed Ghadhi Jees vision and Pakistan betrayed the vision of Quaid e Azam. Now that we are two separate nations it is time we accept each other as good neighbours and bury the hatreds of past. India as a bigger country has to take a lead and settle all disputes with its neighbours, big or small.
Very depressing state of affairs with no hope in sight.
Sad after more than 60 years the debate in Pakistan still very much revolves around Jinnah's vision ! After so many years the so called " Vision" should have been flourishing, with fruits of labour for all to eat.What we have instead are arguments, counter narratives and non stop debates about the " vision" If there is an after life Jinnah must be a very sad and bitter man, looking at this country. happy Independence day Pakistan ... If we can call this independence !
ET be Fair !
A welfare state needs resources. In 1947, or today, such resources are just a pipe dream. In power games there are no visions and hence none are betrayed. 67 years is a long time to sustain any feelings, emotions or visions. So author, take a chill pill.
The author is mistaken about this issue. Dr. Safdar Mehmood and many others have done ample research on this topic and have shown beyond any doubt that what Jangan Nath Azad may have written was not a formally approved national anthem of Pakistan and neither is there any proof what so ever that Quaid-e-Azam had ever requested Jagan Nath Azad to write the national anthem.
@ Author: Sorry sir, it might hurt you and other Pakistanis, the vision of your Quaid was myopic and that's why all these problems. Except Pakistanis no one else in world believes in two nation theory. Violence free Pakistan will be possible only when two nation theory is buried once for all and Pakistan is declared a secular country. Unfortunately this beyond the understanding of majority in Pakistan.