Gandhi's Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah's Islam

by M.J. Akbar

Gandhi wanted India's unity at any price. Jinnah wanted partition at any cost. Gandhi, a devout Hindu, believed faith could nurture the civilizational harmony of India, a land where every religion had flourished. Jinnah, a political Muslim rather than a practicing believer, was determined to carve up a syncretic subcontinent in the name of Islam. His confidence came from a wartime deal with Britain, embodied in the 'August Offer' of 1940. Gandhi's strength lay in ideological commitment which was, in the end, ravaged by the communal violence that engineered partition. The price of this epic confrontation, paid by the people, has stretched into generations. M.J. Akbar's book, meticulously researched from original sources, reveals the astonishing blunders, lapses and conscious chicanery that permeated the politics of seven explosive years between 1940 and 1947. Facts from the archives challenge the conventional narrative, and disturb the conspiratorial silence used to protect the image of famous icons. Gandhi's The Struggle Against Jinnah's Islam delves into both the ideology and the personality of those who shaped the fate of a region between Iran and Burma. It is essential reading for anyone interested in modern Indian history, and the past as a prelude to the future.

Genres: History, India

300 pages, Hardcover

Published December 18, 2019

About the author

Mobashar Jawed "M.J." Akbar (born 11 January 1951) is a leading Indian journalist and author. He was the Editorial Director of India Today, India's leading weekly English news magazine published by the Living Media group till his resignation in October 2012. He also had an additional responsibility of overseeing the media conglomerate's English news channel, Headlines Today.
He launched "The Sunday Guardian", a weekly newspaper in 2010, and continues to serve as Editor-in-Chief. He is also the founder and former editor-in-chief and managing director of The Asian Age, a daily multi-edition Indian newspaper with a global perspective.
He has written several non-fiction books, including Byline (New Delhi: Chronicle Books, 2003), a biography of Jawaharlal Nehru titled Nehru: The Making of India, a book on Kashmir titled Kashmir: Behind the Vale, Riot After Riot and India: The Siege Within. He also authored The Shade of Swords, a cohesive history of jihad. Akbar's recent published book is Blood Brothers, a skillfully crafted family saga covering three generations and packed with information of events in India and the world, particularly the changing Hindu-Muslim relations.
His book Blood Brothers has been translated into Italian as Fratelli di Sangue. It was released in Rome at the headquarters of Adnkronos on 15 January 2008.
He published his latest book "Tinderbox: The past and future of Pakistan" in January 2012 discussing the themes of identity crisis and class struggles in Pakistan.
Akbar was also the editor-in-chief of The Deccan Chronicle, a Hyderabad-based news daily.

Reviews

[Sambasivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulous research. Nuanced writing. Nehru comes across in a poor light. Gandhi’s determination is awesome. Patel is a strong Practical leader. Jinnah is vain and could not stand Gandhi. Great history. Freedom is a miraculous achievement.

Fantastic read.

[Momin আহমেদ · Rating 3 out of 5]

গান্ধী'স হিন্দুইজম:দ্য স্ট্রাগল এগেইনস্ট জিন্নাহ'স ইসলাম বই এর নামটা থেকে আন্দাজ করা যায় বইটা জিন্নাহর ইসলামের বিরুদ্ধে গান্ধীর মহান হিন্দুত্বের লড়াই নিয়ে।
গান্ধী ছিলেন একজন আদর্শ হিন্দু যে কিনা বিশ্বাস করতেন ভারতবর্ষে সকল হিন্দু মুসলিমের পূর্বপুরুষ একই। এরা সকলেই ভাতৃত্ববন্ধনে আবদ্ধ। এই ভাইয়েদের মধ্যে ধর্মের নামে এই বিভক্তি তৈরি করে ইংরেজ সরকার নিজেদের স্বার্থে। তার জীবনের শেষ পর্যন্ত গান্ধী চেষ্টা করে গেছেন এই সাম্প্রদায়িক চেতনাকে মানুষের মন থেকে দূর করে ভাতৃত্ববোধের জাগরণ করতে। এক অখন্ড ভারতবর্ষে সকল ধর্ম বর্ণ জাতির মানুষের আবাসের স্বপ্ন দেখতেন গান্ধী।

অপরদিকে জিন্নাহ ছিলেন পুরো দস্তুর একজন সাহেবি মানুষ। দামি স্যুট বুট টাই তার পছন্দের পোশাক। হুইস্কি পান তার নিয়মিত অভ্যাস। শুকোরের মাংস তার প্রিয় খাবার। জিন্নাহ নিজে কখনোই পদ্যাক্টিসিং মুসলিম ছিলেন না। তার ইসলাম ছিল রাজনৈতিক। অখন্ড ভারতবর্ষে দশ কোটি মুসলমানদের একচ্ছত্র অধিপতি ছিলেন তিনি। যদিও এ ব্যাপারে তর্কের সুযোগ আছে। কারণ তখন ভোট দেয়ার অধিকার ছিল দশ শতাংস মুসলমানদের যারা কর দেয়ার মতো অর্থের মালিক। বাকি নব্বই শতাংস মুসলমানদের আস্থা কেমন ছিল জিন্নাহর ওপর?
লেখকের মতে গান্ধী বিশের দশকে যখন জনপ্রিয়তার শীর্ষে পৌছে যান জিন্নাহ কংগ্রেসে দ্বিতীয় ব্যাক্তি হিসেবে থাকতে নারাজ হন। জিন্নাহ ছিলেন উচ্চাভিলাষী। পরবর্তীতে ধর্মকে ব্যবহার করে উন্নতির চরম শিখরে পৌছাতে সক্ষম হন মুসলিম লীগে যুক্ত হওয়ার মাধ্যমে।

শেষ পর্যন্ত হেরে যায় গান্ধীর অখন্ড ভারতের স্বপ্ন। বিজয় লাভ করে জিন্নাহর দ্বিজাতিতত্ত্ব।

পুরো বইতে লেখক এককভাবে গান্ধীর মহত্ব এবং জিন্নাহর ত্রুটিসমুহ বর্ণনা করেছেন। আমার ইতিহাস পাঠের অভিজ্ঞতা অত্যন্ত নগন্য। তবুও আমি বিশ্বাস করতে পারি না একজন মানুষ এককভাবে শুধুই মহৎ বা দোষী হতে পারেন।
তবুও এই একপাক্ষিক বই পড়তে আমি বিরক্ত হইনি কারণ ইতিহাসের ঘটনাবলী এতোটাই উত্তেজনাপূর্ন।

আমার মনে হয় লেখক একটা দিক বুঝতে অস্বীকার করেছেন।
জিন্নাহ কখনো নিজেকে মুসলমানদের ধর্মীয় নেতা হিসেবে পরিচয় দেননি। তিনি ছিলেন রাজনৈতিক নেতা। তার লড়াই ধর্ম রক্ষার জন্য ছিল না। তার লড়াই ছিল ব্রিটিশ শাসনামলে পিছিয়ে পরা সংখ্যালঘু মুসলমানদের জন্য। (এজন্য সে ধর্মের ব্যবহার করেছেন নি:সন্দেহে। ধর্ম মানুষের আবেগের স্থান। আমরা যদি সামান্য চিন্তা করি খুব সহজেই দেখতে পারি রাজনীতিতে ধর্মের ব্যবহার সব সময় ছিল আছে থাকবে।)

[SUBRATA DATTA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly, I am not very sure how to react to this book. I seldom give 5-star ratings. But in case of this book I am tempted to give it 5 stars. But, again, I am not sure about that either.

Sounds crazy? Probably it does.

Mobasher Jawed (MJ) Akbar wears many hats. Journalist. Editor. Author. Parliamentarian. Union Minister.

I am not particularly fond of Ananda Bazar Patrika's brand of journalism. So I do not have much acquaintance with the group's English-language daily, The Telegraph, which MJ Akbar launched and was the editor of. Though he has written a number of well-acclaimed books, this is the first book by Shri Akbar that I read.

And it proves to be such an important read.

Decision to partition the country has been finalized. Talks (or was it haggling?) were on as to how to divide the Indian Army. "It was during the discussion on whether the Army would be divided on a territorial or communal basis, that Jinnah injected an element of surprise. 'He said that it would be his intention in Pakistan to observe no communal differences. All those who lived there, regardless of creed, would be full-fledged citizens.'" (p.314)

Even after seventy five years you find your blood boiling. Here is a man whose Pakistan's very raison d'etre was that Muslims could not live "under" the Hindu majority. Now, when Pakistan has been conceded he is talking about equality of treatment!

And this is the man who has been made what he has become by Gandhi's unbelievable naivete and overarching ambition of a muddle-headed Nehru.

Abul Kalam Azad was unsparing in his criticism. "It is doubtful if Jinnah could have ever achieved supremacy but for Gandhiji's attitude." (p.129)

MJ Akbar's astute observation hits the nail squarely on the head: "Gandhi's mistake lay elsewhere. He sought to reach Indian Muslims through Jinnah, rather than Jinnah through Indian Muslims." (p. 131)

Are there reasons to dislike Gandhi (some would prefer the harsher term 'hate')? Yes, many.

Are there reasons to like Gandhi (some would prefer the stronger term 'love')? Yes, many more.

Let's get onto the Time Machine and travel to Calcutta, 15 August 1947. Hydari Manzil (now Gandhi Bhawan) in the city's Beliaghata area.

"Suhrawardi [yes, that Suhrawardi] was in Karachi when he heard that Gandhi was on his way to Bengal. He rushed back. On 11 August, he, along with Usman, called on Gandhi at five minute's past 9:00 PM; they stayed till 11:00. They pleaded with the Mahatma not to abandon Calcutta. It was, by any yardstick, a strange request. These League leaders, who had started a 'Jihad' in August 1946, ridiculed non-violence and, in the words of Firoze Khan Noon, threatened to repeat the havoc once inflicted by Chengiz Khan upon Hindus, now wanted to be rescued by Gandhi. These Muslim leaders of Bengal never asked Jinnah to save them. No one even thought of doing so." (p. 338)

"There were over 1,00,000 Calcuttans at the prayer meeting that evening. The exuberance was justified. On this, the last day of Ramazan, Hindus sent food to mosques for Muslims to break their fast. Others waited outside Hydari Mansion for a darshan of Gandhi before they broke their fast. At Park Circus, Muslims formed reception committees to welcome Hindus back to their deserted homes. Suhrawardi said that no one could have dreamt, a few days before, that this would be possible. It has happened only by the grace of God and 'Mahatmaji's kripa.'" (p. 346)

And Mountbatten: "In Punjab we have 55,000 soldiers and large-scale rioting on our hands. In Bengal our forces consist of one man, and there is no rioting. As a serving officer, as well as an administrator, may I be allowed to pay my tribute to the One-man Boundary Force." (p. 347)

Clearly, every generation is not given to witness scenes like these, least of all ours.

We have reasons to be disappointed and angry with Gandhi. But, when we criticise him, we must not forget that we are looking at the man and his times with the benefit of 75 years' hindsight. To be in India of 1940s was to be in the country at its darkest hour. 

The man who tried to find a sane way through that utter darkness may be a god that failed; but by rejecting him lock, stock and barrel we, the 21st century Indians, will only be poorer.

As the war clouds are gathering over the horizon - a war that has the potential to wipe out Life from the face of the Planet - Gandhi, in spite of his many failings and idiosyncrasies, deserves to be heard. Loudly.

In winning his Pakistan Jinnah may have lost. In defeat, Gandhi has kept the lamp of hope burning, however dimly, for a deeply troubled world.

To his great credit MJ Akbar has brought out this dichotomy in wonderfully vivid details. Gandhi's vision of inclusivity in struggle against Jinnah's narrowness of purpose.

2022 has seven more weeks left. But Gandhi's Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah's Islam is probably my best read of the year.

[PS: Apologies for taxing your patience with such a long post.]

[Harikrishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good that explains the two different pathways of two personalities that played a role in the struggle of the Indian freedom and how these two personalities' differences lead to the partition of India

[Shubhra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is not a journalistic account, it has picked its heroes and the flawed from the vet beginning - only partially giving reasons for some of the tags at the very end.

[supraja · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://nakshathra30.home.blog/2020/0...

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. Extensive research. Clarified most of the doubts that had been in my mind for years. Nicely articulated. Must read and to be kept in the library

[Syadanimra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated it

[Avid reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good and informative book if one is inquisitive about the events that made history at the time of partition of India - Pakistan.