The Voice of Muslim India: Resolutions of All India Muslim League 1916-1946
Compiled and Edited by
Dr Nadeem Shafique Malik (Total Pages 786)
How the League dealt with it all
Resolution of 24-25/5/1924 on the annual session of AIML, the liberty, anatomy and religious rights were demanded for minorities. In Resolution No-3 of this meeting League gave the opinion that 1919’s India Act (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms) was unsatisfactory and did not accomplish the requirements
The book is a compilation of Resolutions of All India Muslim League (AIML) from 1916-1946. The work is based on the valuable record of AIML in 10 sections from letters A to J, with reference to political dignities such Mr Jinnah, Lord Wavell and Lord Pathic Lawrence, etc.
The book starts with the historical Resolution, passed in the 9th Session of AIML held at Lucknow on 31 December 1916, which is adopted by the reform committee of AIML. The resolution proved the focus of AIML on the reforms to strengthen and better equip the provincial governments. Likewise, the participation of the Muhammadans was also demanded. The structure of provincial governments and Imperial Legislative Council also discussed. In provinces, the governor was proposed as head, the strength of the Imperial Legislative Council suggested 150 with 4/5 elected members. Resolution also favored to dissolve the Council of the Secretary of State of India.
To preserve the rights of the Indian Muslims and other minorities, in the 17thannual session of AIML on 30-31/12/1925 at Aligarh and in 18th annual session on 30-31/12/1926 at Delhi, the League professed the “fundamental principles” to secure the privileges for Indian minorities. This includes the right of a separate electorate and adequate representation. In the 18th session, under Resolution-6, its focus was on adequate Muslim representation in the Central and provincial governments in India. In an emergency meeting of Working Committee of AIML on 17-18/9/1939 held at New Delhi in Resolution, the League noticeably proclaimed its determination that the Muslim League stands with the Indian Muslims and favored the ‘free India.’ It equally opposed the domination of the Hindus on Indian Muslims and other minorities. Moreover, it also opposed the doctrine of the claim: ‘might is right’. The League stands with the freedom of India.
Every meeting of the League was to guard and to strive for the social and political uplift of Indian Muslims and other minorities. Its effort reflects in the 19th annual session on 30-31/12/1927and 1/1/1928 at Calcutta in Resolution No4 regarding the formation of new constitution a sub-committee was formed to confer congress’s sub-committee proposed the separation of Sind from Bombay. Furthermore, Muslims asserted not to surrender from a separate electorate. There were reforms for Baluchistan and NWFP, with more representation with 1/3 representation in the central legislature. In Resolution No4 in meeting of the Working Committee on 26/3/1939 at Meerut League fully opposed “the scheme of Federal Embodied” in Indian Act of 1935. Furthermore, the League criticised the provincial part of this Act, as this is harmful for Muslims and the other minorities of India.
Resolution of 24-25/5/1924 on the annual session of AIML, the liberty, anatomy and religious rights were demanded for minorities. In Resolution No-3 of this meeting League gave the opinion that 1919’s India Act (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms) was unsatisfactory and did not accomplish the requirements.
The Muslim League was also beholden to the foreign affairs and contemporary transnational contentions. As in the session of the League on 30-31/12/1925, in Resolution No-5 Muslim League copiously condemned the decision of the League of Nations “which offers to the British” regarding the extension towards Iraq. The League also criticised the Mosul decision as injustice to Turkey. In the annual session of AIML on 15-16-17/10/1937 at Lucknow in Resolution No-3, the League warns the British government that if it “fails to alter its present pro-Jewish policy in Palestine the Musalmans of India in consonance with the rest of the Islamic World will look upon Britain as the enemy of Islam…” Even in the meeting of Working Committee on 2-3/7/1939 in Resolution No-7 AIML announced a “Palestine Fund” for the relief of those “who lost their lives or suffered in struggle for independence” a far as for the protection of the first‘Qibla’ of the Muslims. The matter in the Resolutions shows that the League was practicing the policy according to the Resolution No-1 in the meeting of Working Committee on 15-16-17/6/1940. This resolution is that the Muslim majority asserted the League was free to co-operate with the British. In the meeting of Working Committee on 24-25-26/8/1941 held at Bombay in Resolution No-6 by representing the Indian Muslims League alarmed the British government against the occupation of Muslims States “in the near East by Great Britain” and its allies. Moreover, the Working Committee urged the British to declare sovereignty and independence of the Muslim States. In the meeting of Working Committee of AIML hold on 26-27/12/1941 at Nagpur in Resolution No-2 League also showed its reservations regarding the fact on the entry of Japan in the 2nd World War, supporting the Axis. The League was frustrated, as it would be harmful for the defense of India in the future and was looking for a suitable measure for the alarming the “growing menace of Nazi aggression”.
For the distinct identity of the Muslims of India and their ideology in Resolution No-2 in a meeting of the Working Committee held on 22/2/1941, at New Delhi, it was clearly decided that 23 March should be observed all over India. The Muslim League will explain in the gatherings the principles of the Lahore Resolution as the “only power solution of Indian constitutional problems”. In a meeting of AIML, the Working Committee on 27/3/1944 to 11/4/1944 at New Delhi in Resolution No-2, the League’s Working Committee welcomed the recommendation and gave earnest and careful consideration to the statement of the HMG government, in which he announced and praised the Muslims that “neither the machinery not the framing of the constitution should be set up nor the set up nor the constitution itself should be enforced without the approval and consent of Muslim India”. In a Resolution in the legislature’s convention of AIML, on 9/2/1946 in New Delhi; League clearly disclosed that “…after careful consideration hereby declared that the Muslim nation will never submit to any constitution for a United India and will never participate in any single”. They demanded the safeguard of minorities in India and Pakistan according to the AIML Resolution of 23/3/1940.
In the meeting of the Working Committee of AIML at Shimla on 14/7/1945 in Resolution No-2 and -3, the rules and the regulations of Muslim League Central Parliamentary Board and Provincial Parliamentary Boards discussed this in detail.
