Mention of Mohammad Ali Jinnah brings back the memory of gruesome massacre of “Direct Action Day” in 1946 and subsequently bloodied history of partition of undivided India in 1947. Why had an academic institution like Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) been hanging a portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah inside the students’ union hall along with other freedom fighters since last 80 years, until the university promoted the idea and accomplishment of Jinnah?
AMU offers a frivolous and flimsy answer—the portrait of Jinnah does not hang in the AMU Students Union Hall because AMU Students support the two-nation theory today, but because Jinnah was conferred life-time membership of historic Muslim University Students’ Union back in 1938 alongwith J.L. Nehru, Maulana Azad and Mahatma Gandhi.
Why didn’t Aligarh Muslim University strip Mohammad Ali Jinnah of ‘Life-Time Membership Honour’ after independence, since Jinnah was responsible for partition and gruesome massacre of ‘Direct Action Day’ in 1946? What does Muhammad Ali Jinnah adorning the university’s walls imply? Would it be easy for Aligarh Muslim University to answer these disturbing questions? Perhaps not.
It was Aligarh Muslim University, which offered the cradle of two nation theory, it is where ‘Pakistan Movement’ began much before independence. It is vital to tell the current generations how AMU demanded formation of Pakistan pre independence.
It was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who, in 1875, founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College, which came to be known as Aligarh Muslim University. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had strongly dissuaded Muslims from joining Hindu dominated Congress, and promoted the idea of Hindus and Muslims being two nations, which was later called two nation theory.
All-India Muslim League, a political party—popularly known as Muslim League—was founded on 30 December 1906, by Aga Khan, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Muhammad Ali Jinnah with an ideology of demanding separate Muslim majority nation, Pakistan. It was Aligarh Muslim University, which gave birth of All-India Muslim League out of a literary movement at its campuses, even if it was formed in Dhaka in undivided India. Till 1939, Muslim League mobilised political sentiments towards the separatist movement with AMU becoming centre of the separatist movement by rallying behind Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
Once Jinnah famously called AMU, “the arsenal of Muslim India” as AMU students worked as foot soldiers for the Muslim League during its election campaign in the 1945-46 elections that became a referendum to form Pakistan. AMU’s professors and students actively supported the Pakistan movement and mobilised support for the policies of the Muslim League for division of India and formation of the Muslim-majority Pakistan. Over 86% Muslims voted for Jinnah’s Muslim League, hence voted for formation of Pakistan in 1945-46 election, the last Parliamentary election before Partition.
After the demand of Pakistan was rejected outrightly, Muslim League leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 16 August 1946, called for Direct Action Day, which was an open invitation to riot in Hindu populated area, to slaughter Hindus, to rape their women, to loot their properties to assert its demand for a separate Muslim homeland. The worst communal riots of twentieth century were also called “Great Calcutta Killing.” It is said vultures fed on thousands of dead bodies, which were strewn unclaimed on the streets after 72 hours of violence.
Can Aligarh Muslim University deny of its ignorance about Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s bestial role in “Direct Action Day” and in bloodied partition of undivided India? Can Aligarh University decline the fact how its own campuses, walls, Professors and students put their own sweat and blood to partition India to demand Pakistan? What is more toxic is that after Pakistan was formed, those who demanded Pakistan remained in India demanding “special minority status for AMU” thanks to Muslim appeasement by Congress Party.
Another blot and blemish on characteristics of AMU is that it allegedly provided oxygen to Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)—which had been banned due to their alleged involvement in terror activities, although this is the matter of investigation. Can such vicious development at campuses of AMU be ignored? Neither it can be disregarded how AMU students had allegedly shouted the slogan of हिंदुओं की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की छाती पर, which means the grave of Hindus will be dug on the chest of AMU, during anti CAA protest.
Even Sharjeel Imam delivered poisonous speech—we can cut off North East from the rest of India if we are able to organise 5 lakhs Muslims. If we can not do it permanently, then we can do it for months. It is our duty to sever Assam from India—at the Bab-e-Syed, which is the main gate of the Aligarh Muslim University. Aligarh Muslim University has many feathers in its anti India cap.
Looking at the role of AMU how it played the role of arsenal to demand and form Pakistan, how it is still breathing out anti India fire, the university should have been shut down after Partition or its name should have been changed in the name of Jat king and freedom fighter Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, who leased 3.04 acre land to set up Aligarh Muslim University in 1929.
