The 1st Annual sesion of thje muslim League was held at Karachi on 29 Dec. 1907. Karachi, the chief town of Sindh, was chosen because, as a League publication put, "Sindh was that pious place in india where Muhammed bin Qasim came first, with the torch of religion and the gift of Hadis. No other place could appeal to our elders" More significant still was the remark of the President, "If a handful of men under a boy could teach Kali ma to God and his Rasul, could seven crores of Mussalmans not make their social and political life pleasnt?" The Muslim League also appointed its British Committee in Englandunder the Presidentship of Syed Ameer Ali. During the discussion of the morley-Minto reform proposals, the League put its whole weight in favour of a vommnal electorate for the Muslims, and rejected all proposals of joint electorate,-even the compromise formula of Morley.By holding up the bogey of Muslim League Minto suceeded in shifting the voice of Morley. A very small section of Muslims raised their voice in favour of joint electorate, but it was drowned amidst the viciferous cry of the overwhelming majority.
After the reforms of 1909, the Hindu leaders believed as the Muslims had now secured all that they wanted, they would be in as mood to come to an amicable settlement with the Hindus. Acordingly,a Hindu-Muslim conferencemet at Allahabad on 1 Jan. 1911, attended by about 60 Hindus and 40 Muslims. It achieved no fruitful result.
Most astonishingly was the remark of Gandhi, mentioned in Indian review of Oct. 1909. He said "that as a man of truth I honestly believed that Hindus should yield up to the Mahommedanswhat they latter desired and they should rejoice in so doing. We could expect unity only if such mutual largeheartedness was displayed."
Jumm Masjida
