Dangers of Gandhiism hijacking Pakistan’s constitutional movement....

While Congress Party’s evolution from 1885 onwards was an integral part of constitutional and political development in India and later Pakistan. Even Pakistan’s leaders, like Jinnah and others emerged from the Congress Party, which was the original spark in constitutional politics in South Asia. Congress Party is thus the common heritage of Pakistan and India.

However Gandhi’s role is more complicated. He can be credited for mobilising the masses by invoking religion. He took the movement to the masses by going over the heads of Congress’ secular western educated leaders like Jinnah and Motilal, but it was this precise use of Khilafat and Ram Rajya by Gandhi that made the issues of religious identity non-negotiable in South Asia. In a way, Gandhi may be given credit for introducing the germs that finally unravelled the communal compromise that British had presided over.

However, looking at history impartially, no one can credit Gandhi for independence of India and Pakistan. Let us not forget that Gandhi was the recruiter in chief for the British Empire during the first world war. He was till the mid 1930s only agitating for self rule like every other leader. It was the mass sentiment caused by the ultimate sacrifice by Bhagat Singh and others, that forced the Congress Party to adopt the language of independence. It may also be remembered that Pakistanis and Indians remained subjects of the British crown, albeit voluntarily, till the adoptions of their respective republican constitutions. In any event, the issue was not our status as subjects of the British crown but the principle of equality and self rule that mattered. The British were ready to concede self rule in the 1920s, but used Gandhi’s chaos as an excuse to deny it to the masses. The situation then and the situation now shall be analagous, if the current agitation becomes an excuse to delay elections. General Musharraf may have utilised the British experience to his advantage in the most machiavellian way.

Pakistan faces a situation where encouraged by the constitutional agitation by lawyers.... now stupid and ignorant women of Madrassas are taking things into their own hands.... condemned even by the religious ulema... this indeed a dangerous situation... a situation analogous to fraud Gandhi perpetrated back then....


The way out is to follow the lead of Pakistan People’s Party and Aitzaz Ahsan and shun Mullah/Gandhian politics of rabble rousing... or else the benefits of this revolution shall be lost and the only winners will be Mullahs.