Prejudice Base politics of Congress & 23rd March
1937 elections proved a bench mark in the politics of All India Congress and it was beginning of the end of club politics too. The 1937 election was the first in which large masses of Hind-Punjab were eligible to participate. An estimated 30.1 million persons, including 4.25 million women, had acquired the right to vote (14% of the total population), and 15.5 million of these, including 917,000 women, actually did exercise their franchise.
The results were not in favour of the Indian National Congress. Of the total of 1,585 seats, it won only 707 seats in all 11 provinces. It was not a decisive victory and that is why from Kanji Dawarkadas till Jaswant singh there are numerous Indians who exposed & criticized prejudiced base politics of Congress. Just imagine, in 2014 Congress is ready to face another challenge and this time it is neither from Indian Muslims nor from Jinnah but from BJP and Mudie. Had Congress accepted its faults of pre-partition & post 1947 days, things would be different today. Prejudice based politics was self destructive at all. In 1937 elections Congress was defeated both in the Punjab and Bengal yet instead of realizing its shortcoming Congress itself use religion in the form of Muslim Mass Conduct movement. Just realize the facts. majority of Muslims were living in 4 provinces Punjab, Bengal, NWFP and Sindh. In sindh Congress got 7 out of 60 seats. In Punjab only 18 out of 175 seats and in bengal 54 out of 250 and NWFP 19 out of 50. Interestingly, in NWFP Sahibzada Sir Abdul Qyum Khan was CM yet Congress stalwarts Khan Abdul Qyum Khan and Khan abdul Ghaffar Khan with horse trading formed Congress ministry and installed a friend a Sikandar Mirza and brother of Ghaffar Khan, Pro-British Dr Khan sahib. On the other hand muslims Congress got very less seats in Muslim minority provinces on Muslim seats. The fact was smart move by Jinnah who in novel way successfully formed Muslim parliamentary boards in which jinnah accommodated JUH and olf players of Khilafat movement. The known example in that period was selection of Ch Khalikuzaman who was once president of Khilafat Committee U.P. Jinnah accommodated him even against the opposition of Liaqat ali Khan. JUh under its president Moulvi Kafait ullah too supported ML in those areas.
Keeping in view its weak areas, Congress could gaim momentum but it took path of prejudice base politics. After the lection, jinnah wrote 6 letters for cooperation, recorded in his book by H M servai but Nehru's answers were provocative. From the adoption of controversial Song of banday mataram till the untimely selection of Hindi Congress remained under prejudices and prides. On the other hand Congress did not raised her voice against alarming amendment in Defence of India act passed in 1938 in which colonial masters declared opposition of military recruitment a crime. The only party which opposed it was Ahrar and it created a wide bridge between congress and ahrar. In his writings Sabhas not only criticized Congress policies but also praise Ahrar too. But Congress did not realized its faults and on 23rd March Prime Ministers of Punjab and Bengal were with jinnah which finally turned the tables. Even after that resolution Congress did not leave prejudice base politics against the Punjab, Bengal, Jinnah and ML. Read and enjoy
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