The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 31
l 31 1 the decision in this matter was left with the Muslims. Though it is by no means suggested here that the Mus lims might or might not abandon the system, yet the words do certainly signify that the Muslims would first satisfy themselves as regards th� fulfilment of their con ditions before deciding finally to do f. ,way with the separ ate electorate system. But the Nehru-Report has alto gether ignored these terms. I remember it definitely that when it was again and again urged on the All-Party Muslim Conference that if the Hindus at first agreed to our terms, but later on plead ed that owing to certain obstacles, the terms, so agreed to, could not be put into practice, then how the Muslims would be able to force their hands ; Mr. Jinnah emphatically said that the wordings of the 1 esolutions had not been fully comprehended. Those wordings definitely meant that the joint electorate system would be intro duced only after those conditions had been practically ful filled. Separate representation would not be given up merely on the Hindus accepting the conditions. But hardly a year has elapsed that Mr. Jinnah has been dis illusioned. The Nehru-Report, without so much as accept ing them in toto, not to say of practically conforming to them, has rather rejected the separate electorate system. It does not even refer to these proposals. One section of the Muslim community notwithstand ing grave dangers ahead, with the sole desire to see peace established in India, was prepared to forego communal electorates and even to incur the displeasure of their own community, yet the fate which has been meted out to their proposals by the Nehru Committee has been already related. When such is the state of things at the very beginning, and at a time when in the enthusiasm for the attainment of Swaraj the Hindus are earnestly desirous of winning over the Muslims, what will be the