Bangladesh, Gandhi-Jinnah Talks (contd-3)

Statement by Mr.M.A. Jinnah, 4 oct. 1944

Let us examine at least the main points (of Gandhiji's own offer ):

1. Immediate grant of Independence to India as one single national unit.

2. Immediate setting up of a national provisional Interim Govt. of his conception ...which is as follows:

' A Provisional Interim Govt. which will be responsible to the elected members of the present assembly or a newly elected one. It will have all the powers of the present assembly or a newly elected one. It will have all the powers less those of the commander-in-chief during the war, and full power therafter. It will be the authority to give effect to the agreement that may be arrived at between the Congress and the League.'

By the by , it does not only recognise existence of a third party, but hands over to him all the powers of the commander-in-chief during the war, and defence, which is the most vital and overpowering Department. This clearly means the establishment immediately of a Central unitary or federal Govt. in charge of the entire civil administration with an overwhelming majority of Hindus in the legislature, which be not less than 75 %, to which the cabinet will be responsible.

4. That this National Govt. will draft the treaty and agreements as regards the administration of matters of common interest as now made clear in what he calls his own offer, namely, in matters such as Foreign Affairs, Defence, Internal Communications, Customs, Commerce and the like which he maintains must necessarily continue to be matters of common interest under an efficient and satisfactory administration of a central authority or Govt.

This can only mean that all these vital matters which constitute the life-blood of a state will remain vested in the National Federal Govt. proposed by him, to which finally fullpowers and responsibility for the Govt.of India will be transferred.It is ,therefore , clear that the National Govt. will be brought into full being , established, and well in the saddle according to these terms, with an overwhelming and solid majority of Hindus, which virtually would be a Hindu raj.

Then we are asked to agree to the most tortuous terms and accept the principle upon which areas are to be demarcated, namely district-wise wherein the Muslim population is in absolute majority, which according to Mr. Gandhi means that only that district will be recognised in which Musilms have a majority of 75%, for he says that by absolute majority he means as in Sindh, Baluchistan, or the NWFP, but according to Mr. Rajagopalacgri, absolute majority means as understood in legal parlance. Apart from the fact that the joint authors already differ, I find from the dictionary that it means " a majority of all members of a body (including those voting and those not voting)".

6. That in areas thus demarcated, there will be promiscuous plebiscite on the basis of adult suffrage or other practicable franchise, and the form and the franchise will be decided again by the National Govt. refrred to above, unless we can agree upon it beforehand.

It is when we have agreed to all these terms then alone comes the question of separation of those mutilated broken areas again subject to further conditions : (1) this matter can only be considered after the termination of war and (2) after the transfer of full power and responsibility for the Govt. of India to this national Govt., and it will be then this National Govt. will set up a commission for demarcating contiguous districts as stated above, and complete its work of sheer vandalism, especially in the Punjab , Bengal and Assam and then its findings will be given effect to by this National Govt. and if these poor areas so paralysed desire to severe or separate from the all-India united, federal Govt., fully and firmly established, then tey must submit to and go through a promiscuous plebiscite, and if the verdict is in favour of the Muslims, even then all matters of vital importance shall remain vested in and continue to be administered by a central authority or Govt.This is what mr. gandhi calls a partition between two brothers. .........

Take the case of America, he said, there are 23 (now 50) independentsovereign states in America,