Page 107 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

elaborate proposals were an answer to the question: should India remain one or

should the country be divided. It seemed as though the Labour Government

preferred a United India. Jinnah declared that he could never accept a Union of
India. From 1940 or earlier he had held that India consisted of two nations, the

Muslims, and the Hindus and others. His contention was that each nation had a

right to have its own state. The two nations, Hindus and Muslims could not live

together. The Congress rejected 'Pakistan'. Gandhi had termed it as vivisection,
and said that if it took place it would take place over his dead body. He could

never look upon religion as a dividing force nor as the basis of nationhood. To

him there was only one nation in India, and it comprised of and would always
comprise of people of different faiths.

Gandhi and the Congress believed that religion was not the basis of nationhood.

There were many other factors including history, language, culture and so on.
India had been a nation though it had different languages and sub-cultures in

different areas. There had always been a cultural personality of India which

was based on, and evolved from its diversities. India had never smothered

pluralism.

It had thrived on it, and evolved its distinct culture of tolerance and pluralism.

This nation could not be split on the basis of religion. People of both Hindu and
Muslim religions and other religions resided in all parts of India. It was not

therefore possible to create a state on the basis of religion without uprooting or

annihilating large masses of people belonging to other faiths. This would only

result in carnage and misery.

But Jinnah was adamant. He insisted that there were two nations, and that

they could not live together in one State — India. A new state had to be created

by the British before they left. He had already worked his followers up to a
white pitch. He was not satisfied with the Cabinet proposals.

The Cabinet Mission had also proposed the setting up of a National Government.
They did not succeed in setting up one before they went back to England. Now

Lord Wavell tried again. He asked Nehru to form one. Jinnah was in a fit of

fury. He called the Congress a Caste Hindu fascist organisation, and refused to

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