Mohammed Ali Jinnah had left no stone unturned to bring the Sikhs together.
Jinnah, who distributed the country in the name of religion, did not want to allow Punjab to divide. For this, they were ready to keep the Sikhs together and fulfill their demand. On the advice of Lord Mountbatten, he also met Maharaja Yadavinder Singh of Patiala and some Sikh leaders in this connection. Jinnah had comforted to sign the list of their demands without reading the Sikhs.
When Jinnah was told that he looks very generous, but imagine what will happen if you do not remain at the time of fulfilling these promises? Even after dying, Jinnah’s reply to his status in Pakistan was that “My friends are like my words of God in Pakistan. Nobody will back down from him.” However, despite this, the Maharaja and Sikh leader did not get into Jinnah’s pretense. The Maharaja warned Jinnah about the devastating consequences of the country partition, but Jinnah was not ready to hear anything on this issue.
Search for formula with Muslims and Sikhs
The distribution of the country was almost decided. Formal approval was left. But Jinnah was not in favor of the partition of Punjab. He seemed necessary to support Sikhs to stop this. Mountbatten advised that Jinnah should meet Maharaja Patiala Yadavinder Singh and try to find out if Muslims and Sikhs can be agreed to any formula to keep Punjab united?
Both met on 15,16 May 1947 in Delhi. The news of this meeting was published in the Pakistan Times and Tribune on May 18. According to Pakistan’s famous writer and political scientist Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed, the Maharaja questioned Jinnah on the guarantee of the safety of minorities in Pakistan. Regarding the international border with India, the Maharaja reiterated the Sikh motion that it should be outlined on the Chenab River, while Jinnah wanted to limit it to Sutlej.
There was disturbance in the country at the time of India-Pakistan partition. Photo: Getty Images
It is necessary to divide Punjab on the distribution of the country
Principal Secretary Sir Eric Mevil informed Mountbatten on 20 May 1947 through Telegram to meet Jinnah and Maharaja and protest against the partition of the country by Maharaja. According to Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed’s book, “Bantwara of Punjab in 1947: One tragedy thousand stories”, in the same wire, Mevill wrote that in the condition of country partition, Sikh Punjab is considered necessary and any partition that does not take care of the property, other assets, their gurudwaras and rights and does not hold a national place for large parts of the Sikh community.
If the partition of Punjab is done only on the basis of the population and part of various communities in the national property, their contribution to the prosperity of the province and the desire of the divided units, etc., it will be a great injustice on both Sikh and Hindus. “
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who wooed Muslims in the name of Muslim country, never presented the proposed Pakistan blueprint.
Jinnah offered to give everything on earth to Sikhs
Mountbatten, Liaquat Ali Khan and his Begum were also present in other meetings of Jinnah and Maharaja. Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed has cited excerpts from the Maharaja’s article in his book in his book in The Tribune of 19 July 1959, “I Remember Jinna ‘S Offer of a Sikh State”. The Maharaja wrote, “We took a jam and went to eat food. Jinnah offered everything on this earth if I had agreed with his plan. It had two aspects. One was based on the idea of Rajasthan and the other was about Punjab, which except for one or two districts was about a separate Sikh state.
I had a long talk with Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh and other Sikh leaders. I had all the information. I told Jinnah that I cannot accept both his proposals. A lot more told, which was in my mind. Liaquat Ali and Begum Liaquat were very attractive to me and they made every offer on behalf of the Muslim League. I was also proposed to keep Patiala, the head of the Sikh state and the headquarters of the state. The offers were attractive. But practically could not accept them and change their commitment. Mountbatten was a patient listener in a conversation lasted till midnight. Finally, he said that you and Jinnah can again meet on a convenient date. “
Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter to Jinnah by addressing Qaid-e-Azam, which changed the image of Jinnah.
Jinnah was eager to keep Sikhs together
Another meeting of this sequence is known from the interview with Hardit Singh Malik, the Prime Minister of Maharaja Patiala of famous Sikh historian Kripal Singh. According to Malik, Jinnah had expressed his desire to meet the Maharaja but for this he did not want to come to the Maharaja. Then this meeting took place in Malik’s brother’s 4, Bhagwan Das Road Bungalow in Delhi. On this occasion, Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh and Malik were present with the Maharaja. Starting the matter, Jinnah said that he is very keen to keep Sikhs with Pakistan and he is ready to give all those who want Sikhs. Provided they accept Pakistan.
All the conditions were approved
Sikh representatives once again questioned Jinnah on their situation in Pakistan. Malik said, “Mr. Jinnah, you are becoming very generous but we would like to know what will be our government? You will have a Parliament. There will be a defense force. I will do the same with the Sikhs that Jaghalul Pasha did with the Capt (Christian minorities). ”
Continuing the story of Egypt, Jinnah told that when the Capt met Pasha for the first time, he placed some of his demands in front of him. Pasha asked him to go back and write all his demands on a paper. Then when the captain came back, Pasha took paper from his hand and wrote without reading that I accept. Jinnah completed the matter saying, “I will do the same with the Sikhs.”
Jinnah considered himself to be the God of Pakistan
According to Malik, this statement of Jinnah put us in confusion. We had decided that under no circumstances would Pakistan accept and here this leader of Muslims is offering to give everything to the Sikhs. According to Malik, he said that Mr. Jinnah, you are looking very generous but imagine that God should not, when it comes time to fulfill these promises and then you do not remain then what will happen? Jinnah’s reply shows that even after death, he was relaxed about his status in Pakistan. He replied, “My friends are like my word Khuda’s word in Pakistan, no one will back down from him.” Despite Jinnah’s breathtaking promises, Sikhs did not get into his deception. He remained opposed to the partition of the country. The large part of his population suffered the most pain of partition.
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