Bl[i]tZ
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2011
- Messages
- 1,374
- Reaction score
- 0
Day of Deliverance (India)
Viceroy Linlithgow declared India at war with Germany on September 3, 1939.[1] The Indian National Congress, the dominant political party of the time, objected strongly to the declaration of war without prior consultation with Indians. The Congress Working Committee suggested that it would cooperate if there were a central Indian national government formed, and a commitment made to India's independence after the war.[2] Congress considered Linlithgow's subsequent response "wholly unsatisfactory and calculated to rouse resentment among all those who are anxious to gain...India's independence," and on October 22, 1939, "call[ed] upon all Congress ministries to tender their resignations." All the members of the Congress party resigned on 22 December, 1939 from provincial and central offices in protest over their not having been consulted over the decision to enter World War II along side Great Britain.
The Muslim League promised its support to the British,[3] with Jinnah calling on Muslims to help the Raj by "honourable co-operation at the "critical and difficult juncture," while asking the Viceroy for increased protection for Muslims.[4]
The unilateral protest resignation was supported by Jawaharlal Nehru, but less so by Mahatma Gandhi, who felt that it would strengthen both unwanted British wartime militarization and the Muslim League.[5] Both Viceroy Linlithgow and Muhammad Ali Jinnah were pleased with the resignations.[1][2]
Jinnah's appeal
On December 2, 1939, Jinnah put out an appeal, calling for Indian Muslims to celebrate December 22, 1939 as a "Day of Deliverance" from Congress:[6]
I wish the Musalmans all over India to observe Friday the 22nd December as the “Day of Deliverance” and thanksgiving as a mark of relief that the Congress regime has at last ceased to function. I hope that the provincial, district and primary Muslim Leagues all over India will hold public meetings and pass the resolution with such modification as they may be advised, and after Jumma prayers offer prayers by way of thanksgiving for being delivered from the unjust Congress regime. I trust that public meetings will be conducted in an orderly manner and with all due sense of humility, and nothing should be done which will cause offence to any other community, because it is the High Command of the Congress that is primarily responsible for the wrongs that have been done to the Musalmans and other minorities.
The proposed Day of Deliverance was criticized as being divisive. On December 9, 1939,
Gandhi appealed to Jinnah to end the observance in light of pending Congress/Muslim league unity discussions, and in anticipation of third party review of Muslim League allegations made about Congress' treatment of Muslims.[7]
Nehru exchanged several letters with Jinnah between December 9-14, 1939, offering to deal with specific allegations of anti-Muslim actions, but the discussions fell through because Nehru refused to disassociate Congress from Indian Muslims unaffiliated with the Muslim League, and concluded that:[8]
I regret to learn this for this means that, apart from communal questions, we differ entirely on purely political grounds. The Congress demand is essentially for a declaration of war aims and more especially for a declaration of Indian independence and the right of the Indian people to frame their own constitutions without external interference. If the Muslim League does not agree to this, this means that our political objectives are wholly dissimilar.
The celebration was also criticized by prominent senior Muslim members of Congress, including Abul Kalam Azad, who stated:[9]
And now, when the Congress has given up on the government of eight provinces of its own choice and free will, what advice has the League President to offer to the Muslims? It is this that they should march toward the mosques and thank God on their deliverance from Congress ministries which preferred duty to power and have resigned not only on the issue of India's freedom but for the rights of all downtrodden peoples of the East. It is difficult to imagine any group of Muslims, howsoever at loggerheads with the Indian National Congress, would tolerate to be presented to the world in such colors.
Day of Deliverance (India) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 PM ----------
Please let's not troll, if you've your opinion please write so in an orderly and respectful fashion!