O-Level Pakistan Studies Paper 1 History and Culture of Pakistan Topic 18 Congress Rule & Day of Deliverance 1937-39
To view notes of Pakistan Studies Paper 1 History and Culture of Pakistan. Click Here.
TCA Notes, tcanotes, The Concept Academy Notes
Congress Rule & Day of Deliverance 1937-39
The Government of India Act of 1935 was practically implemented in 1937. The provincial elections were held in the winter of 1936-37. There were two major political parties in the Subcontinent at that time, the Congress and the Muslim League. Both parties did their best to persuade the masses before these elections and put before them their manifesto. The political
manifestos of both parties were almost identical, although there were two major differences. Congress stood for joint electorate and the League for separate electorates; Congress wanted Hindi as official language with Deva Nagri script of writing while the League wanted Urdu with Persian script.
Congress Tyranny:
The Congress proved to be a pure Hindu party and worked during its reign only for the betterment of the Hindus. Twenty-seven months of the Congress rule were like a nightmare for the Muslims of India. Some of the Congress leaders even stated that they would take revenge from the Muslims for the last 700 years of their slavery.
After taking charge in July 1937, Congress declared Hindi as the national language and Deva Nagri as the official script. The Congress flag was given the status of national flag, slaughtering of cows was prohibited and it was made compulsory for the children to worship the picture of Gandhi at school. Band-i-Mataram, an anti-Muslim song taken from Bankim Chandra Chatterji’s novel Ananda Math, was made the national anthem of the country. Religious intolerance was the order of the day. Muslims were not allowed to construct new mosques. Hindus would play drums in front of mosques when Muslims were praying.
The Congress government introduced a new educational policy in the provinces under their rule known as the Warda Taleemi Scheme. The main plan was to sway Muslim children against their ideology and to tell them that all the people living in India were Indian and thus belonged to one nation. In Bihar and C. P. the Vidya Mandar Scheme was introduced according to which Mandar education was made compulsory at elementary level. The purpose of the scheme was to obliterate the cultural traditions of the Muslims and to inculcate into the minds of Muslim children the superiority of the Hindu culture.
The Congress ministries did their best to weaken the economy of Muslims. They closed the doors of government offices for them, which was one of the main sources of income for the Muslims in the region. They also harmed Muslim trade and agriculture. When Hindu-Muslim riots broke out due to these biased policies of the Congress ministries, the government pressured the judges; decisions were made in favor of Hindus and Muslims were sent behind bars.
Which of the following was the most important in the development of the Pakistan Movement.
- Jinnah’s 14 points 1929
- Govt. of India Act 1935
- Congress Rule 1937-39.
Explain your answer with reference to all three of the above.
Mr. Jinnah’s 14 points 1929 were put forward in answer to Nehru report which had several points against Muslim interest .Nehru report was not acceptable to the Muslims. These points were the first ever comprehensive demand put forward by the ML. Its main aim was to protect & safeguard the rights of the Muslims of the subcontinent. At that time the Muslims had not started thinking in terms of a separate homeland & it was not included in the 14 points.
The government of India Act 1935 was a constitutional reform which gave more powers to the Indian people. It introduced provincial autonomy in provinces where all ministers were elected Indians. But the overall power remained in the hands of
the British Viceroy and Governors. The congress & ML both had rejected it. The Government of India Act 1935 didn’t have any effect on Pakistan movement.
There had been a series of atrocities of the Hindus against the Muslims throughout the centuries but the most horrible years for the Muslims were the years of 19 37 to 1939. These were the two years only but the congress revenge was so harsh that Muslims still feel that pain. That congress rule 1937-39 urged the Muslims to get united & strove for their separate country. That congress rule changed the psyche of the Indian Muslim leaders included Quid e Azam Pakistan became inevitable.
The Pakistan movement started after the ML passed the Lahore Resolution in March 1940 demanding a separate homeland for the Muslims. Indeed The most important factor was the Congress rule. The unbearable atrocities of the congress ministers to harm the culture, religion & the language of Muslims were difficult to be tolerated. The use of the song of the Bande Matram as national anthem hurt the Muslim feelings. Through Wardha Scheme & Vidya Mandir scheme attempts were made to propagate Hindu culture & religion. Education was to be in Hindi & Muslim Children were at a disadvantage because there was no religious education in schools.
Communal riots became a common feature in which Muslims were made victims, yet only the Muslims were blamed for initiating the riots. Ban o Cow slaughter & interruption in prayers in mosques was deliberately done. The ML prepared ‘Pirpur Report’ & ‘Sharif Report’ to highlight the unjust treatment to Muslims by the congress ministers. The Muslims rightly thought that it would be wrong to expect just & fair treatment from the Congress after the British left India. Therefore Muslims were compelled to ask for separate homeland & the Pakistan Movement was started.
Therefore it can be concluded that the Congress Rule 1937-39 was the most important factor in the development of Pakistan Movement.
O Level Notes, Pakistan Studies, Paper 1 History & Culture of Pakistan, tcanotes, tca notes, The Concept Academy Notes
