Why was India divided? What stages did the Pakistan Movement go through, and why did Muslims feel the need to establish the All India Muslim League in 1906, despite the Indian National Congress being established earlier, in 1885? In this regard, the role of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan is unforgettable. Although he had long been working towards Hindu-Muslim unity, brotherhood, cooperation, and reconciliation, he was deeply shocked in 1867 when the Hindus of Banaras demanded that Hindi replace Urdu as the official language.
In a letter to Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk in April 1870, Sir Syed wrote that he was greatly distressed upon hearing the news of Babu Shiva Prasad’s movement to eliminate the Urdu language, written in Persian script, which was a symbol of Muslim identity. A Hindu writer, Nirad Chaudhuri, in his book discussing the end of 1906, writes clearly that we began hearing such harsh and hostile comments about Muslims from our elders that the growing dislike for Muslims eradicated any sense of closeness that once existed.
Another prominent Hindu political leader, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, who had the distinction of serving twice as president of the Indian National Congress, admitted that the Congress alienated Muslims. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was a step toward Hindu-Muslim unity, and the person whose efforts were most significant in achieving this was none other than Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is why Mrs. Sarojini Naidu called Jinnah the “Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity.”
Dr. Ajit Javed, in his book *Secular and Nationalist Jinnah*, acknowledges in clear terms that Jinnah’s continuous efforts for Hindu-Muslim unity were ultimately thwarted by the Nehru Report, which crushed all such possibilities. K.K. Aziz, in his book *Murder of History*, analyzes that the significance of the Motilal Nehru Report is highlighted by the fact that it united all Muslims in opposition to it. The report boldly asserted the dominance of the Hindu majority in India, but the peace-loving and diplomatic Jinnah did not give up. He presented amendments in March 1929, known as his *Fourteen Points*, aimed at making the Nehru Report acceptable to Muslims, but all of these amendments were rejected.
Thus, until 1930, Jinnah, the Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, continued striving for the unity of the two major nations in India. Even until 1940, Jinnah was still working towards Hindu-Muslim unity. In the 1937 elections, Congress formed governments in seven out of eleven provinces, but the Muslim League faced defeat. After their victory, Congress leaders began to believe they could govern India without the Muslim League and win over the Muslim populace on their own.
Jinnah tried to foster cooperation between Hindus and Muslims, but just as in the past, this effort was again contemptuously rejected by Congress. The Muslims, faced with educational backwardness, exclusion from government jobs, economic hardships, and social alienation, were forced to realize that as a minority, they were falling behind in the race for progress in India. Besides the British, the Hindu mentality was becoming a significant obstacle for them. After the 1937 elections, Jinnah breathed new life into the Muslim League, to the point where people would take to the streets passionately at his mere signal.
The confrontation continued. A proposal was made that Muslim representation would either be through Congress or the Muslim League, and this would be decided through elections. Under Jinnah’s leadership, the Muslim League contested the elections in an environment filled with intense opposition. Among the most prominent opponents was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. In addition, many Muslims, including communists, socialists, and progressive poets and writers, opposed the Muslim League. Even many of the top religious leaders were against Jinnah. The Khaksar Movement, led by Allama Mashriqi, attempted to assassinate Jinnah twice. Despite this storm of opposition, the Muslim League achieved a monumental victory in the 1945-46 elections.
Even after this victory, Jinnah did not abandon efforts for Hindu-Muslim unity. The *Cabinet Mission Plan*, which was the last attempt to keep India united, also failed, as Congress rejected it. This failure demonstrated that the prejudice, narrow-mindedness, and rigid mentality of Congress and the Hindus led to the division of India. Throughout this account, there is no mention of any so-called founders of Pakistan, because there is only one founder of Pakistan, and that is none other than *Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah*. No one else.