Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Provincial Elections of 1937, GoI Act, 1935, Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha
Mains level: NA
Why in the news?
- Prime Minister recently suggested a link between the Congress manifesto and the Muslim League (which is responsible for the Partition of India), prompting a political debate.
- In rebuttal, critics reminded of a coalition governments formed by Hindu Mahasabha in Bengal, Sindh, and North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) in the 1940s with the Muslim League.
Provincial Elections of 1937:
[A] Indian National Congress
- Congress performed admirably in the 1937 provincial elections, held under the mandate of the Government of India Act of 1935.
- It won 711 of a total 1,585 provincial assembly seats, with absolute majorities in 5 of the 11 provinces (Madras, Bihar, Orissa, Central Provinces, and United Provinces) and a near-majority in Bombay (86 out of 175).
- Congress ministries were formed in all of these provinces.
- Sometime later, the Congress also formed governments in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Assam.
[B] Non-Congress Parties
- Non-Congress governments were formed in the remaining 3 provinces — Sindh, Punjab, and Bengal.
- In Sindh, a coalition led by the Sind United Party formed the government; in Punjab, Sikandar Hayat Khan’s Unionist Party won a majority.
- And in Bengal, Fazlul Huq’s Krishak Praja Party (KPP) formed a coalition government with the Muslim League— even though the Congress was the single largest party with 54 seats.
[C] Religion based Parties
- Notably, the Muslim League, which claimed to be the sole representative of Indian Muslims, performed abysmally in the elections.
- The League won just 106 out of the 482 seats allotted to Muslims under separate electorates, and it failed to win even a single seat in the NWFP.
- The Hindu Mahasabha, which had entered electoral politics in the 1930s under V D Savarkar’s leadership, too fared miserable.
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Ideological Alignment and Political Alliances
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar noted ideological similarities between the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League, both advocating for the two-nation theory.
- This ideological convergence paved the way for short-lived political alliances, particularly during the turmoil following Congress’s resignation from provincial ministries in 1939.
Reasons for such Alliance
- Opposition to Quit India Movement: When Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement in 1942, the Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha refrained from participating, opting to support the British war effort.
- Support for British War Efforts: Savarkar, in a letter, instructed Mahasabha members to remain loyal to their positions and not join the movement, while Syama Prasad Mookerjee pledged support to suppress any internal disturbances.
- Increased Push for Partition: Jinnah, meanwhile, intensified his campaign for Pakistan, capitalizing on the absence of Congress leaders and positioning himself as the sole spokesman for Muslims.
Muslim League:
- The All India Muslim League was formed in 1906 in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, British India.
- It was established in response to the perceived marginalization and political underrepresentation of Muslims in the Indian National Congress.
- The founding members of the Muslim League included prominent Muslim leaders such as Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka, Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, Aga Khan III, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who later emerged as its most influential leader.
- The primary objective of the Muslim League was to safeguard the political rights and interests of Muslims in India.
- It advocated for separate electorates for Muslims, reservations in government jobs and legislative bodies, and other measures to protect Muslim identity and interests.
Hindu Mahasabha:
- The Hindu Mahasabha was founded in 1915 in Amritsar, Punjab, by Madan Mohan Malaviya and others.
- It aimed to unite Hindus under one political umbrella and promote Hindu nationalism.
- Besides Madan Mohan Malaviya, prominent leaders included Lala Lajpat Rai, B. S. Moonje, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
- It promoted the idea of Akhand Bharat (Undivided India) and opposed the partition of India on religious lines.
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Implications of this Coalition
- The period following Congress’s participation in the Quit India Movement saw the rise of the Muslim League’s influence, with League ministries established in several provinces by 1943.
- Jinnah’s strategy to capitalize on Congress’s absence contributed to his claim as the sole representative of Indian Muslims, furthering the demand for Pakistan.
PYQ:
[2018] In the Federation established by The Government of India Act of 1935, Residuary Power were given to the:
(a) Federal Legislature
(b) Governor General
(c) Provincial Legislature
(d) Provincial Governors |
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