Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 64
Khilafat Centenary ~;;;;. :. ;;c:::::::::a2:a Ali Jinnah was one of the Muslim -ep. ;;es:~:a::!i~C'5: in the First and Second Round Table m he was so disgusted with what ro ;::gce:::ed· the lack of reality in the discussions - erences that, at the end of the Second L<Jci:::;-e. ;:1ce. he decided to withdraw from politics an dow n in London with the intention of earn _ on his practice as an advocate before the J - - · Co mmittee of the Privy Council. . . By 1933, Ha c Khalifatul Masih ra was so distressed at the p speer that faced the Muslims in India that he felt Yery cro ngly that a person of the political sagacity and iron nerve of Mr. Jinnah was needed to secure for the Muslims a decent political future in India. H e. therefore, directed Mr. A. R. Dard , Imam of the London Mosque, to get in touch with Mr. Jinnah and try to persuade him to return to India and take up, and fight for, the cause of the Muslims. . . Mr. Jinnah was approached from time to time by certain leading figures among the Muslims of India who also urged him to return to India. But there can be no doubt that what prevailed with him in the end was the persistence of Mr. Dard under the directions of the Khalifatul Masih II 1 •. When Mr. Jinnah intimated his willingness to return to India, Mr. Dard held a reception in his honour at the London Mosque which was very well attended. Mr. Jinnah addressed the gathering on India of the Future. He started with the announcement that Mr. Darci's persuasion had compelled him to enter the political field again from which he had withdrawn some time back. He said: 'The eloquent persuasion of the Imam left me no way of escape. ' His speech was widely reported. Mr. Jinnah returned to India and put himself at the head of the Muslim League into which he infused a new life. He was elected a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly. . . On 20 February 1947 Prime Minister Attlee announced that His Majesty's Government had decided to transfer power into Indian hands at the latest by the end of June 1948, and that a scheme would be worked out under which power might be transferred to the Central Government of India and that if this did not prove feasible all over, power might be vested in some cases in the Provincial Governments. This created a very embarrassing situation for the Muslim League in respect of the Punjab where the Unionist Party, and not the Muslim League, was in power. Fortunately, under Ahmadi advice, Malik Sir Khizar Hayat Khan was convinced of the wisdom of resigning his office of chief Minister of Punjab so as to open the way for the formation of a Muslim League Government in the Punjab and failing that for Governor's rule. In the western districts of the United Provinces of India, a large section of the rural population which had at one time accepted Islam was Muslim in name, but was not distinguishable from the Hindus in the cultural pattern of their lives. . . . They were Rajputs by caste and were known as Malkanas. The Arya Samaj which was a militant arm of the Hindus and favoured, contrary to the thinking of the mass of orthodox Hindus, the conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism, devised a large-scale plan in 1922 for the reconversion of the Malkanas to Hinduism. . . . As soon as the Khalifatul Masih 1 • came to know of this development he organized and launched a counter campaign designed to safeguard the Malkanas against the proselytizing activities of the Arya Samaj. . . . he made a moving and stirring appeal to the Community to provide the needed number of volunteers who should proceed immediately to the affected areas in batches and carry out whatever duties might be assigned to them over a period of three months, at the expiry of which they would be replaced by fresh batches of volunteers. . . . The Community's response to the call was eager and enthusiastic, and at no time, while the campaign lasted, was there any dearth of suitable volunteers. . . . It became apparent soon, and was freely acknowledged, that the campaign organized and set in motion by the Khalifatul Masih 1 • was alone proving effective against the activities of the Arya Samaj which were well supported with men and money. . . . the Khalifatul Masih 1 • instituted the observance of. . . day in every year for speeches and addresses on the lives of the Founders of all the great religions. This was a natural and necessary sequel to the institution of the Holy Prophet's Day, and carried the purpose of interfaith understanding and appreciation still further. This Day has become known as All-Prophets' Day, later, Religious Founder's Day. . . . by the Treaty of Amritsar of 1846 between His Excellency Lord Lawrence, Governor General of India, and Raja Gulab Singh,. . . Dogra rule was established over Kashmir which comprised the famous valley of that name and the mountainous