Secular and Nationalist Jinnah

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Secular and Nationalist Jinnah is a book about Muhammed Ali Jinnah written by Dr Ajeet Javed of JNU Delhi.

An interesting book which appreciates the 'greatness' of Jinnah while claiming that Pakistan was his fall-back position when he failed to convince Congress hardliners about a greater share for Muslims in the Post-British power structure.

Highlights

• Jinnah started taking part in politics from the Indian National Congress platform after returning from London in 1904. He delivered his first political speech in 1906 at the Calcutta meeting of the Indian National Congress.

• Jinnah supported the moderates against hardliners when Congress faced internal split in the Surat meeting in 1907.

• Jinnah considered politics as a gentleman's passion: he refused to attend, and condemned the Bombay Bar Association meeting held to celebrate the award of Nighthood to Justice Davar because he had joined the Govt. in convicting a nationlist leader Mr. Talak earlier.

• Jinnah firmly believed in constituitional struggle for the freedom of India but he refused to condemn Bhagat Singh, a militant nationlist, who had thrown a grenade in the parlimant (when Mr. Jinnah was present). Later, he was the loudest voice in the parliament for understandig the route to freedom which Mr. Singh had chosen.

• Jinnah was offered several high profile jobs during his political career to compromise his intergrety but he refused them with contempt. These offers included being a Judge in Bombay High Court, Membership of Central Legistlative Council, a Nighthood ('I prefer to be called Mr. Jinnah'), and Governorship of Bombay etc.