“Any idea of a United India could never
have worked and in my judgment it would
have led us to terrific disaster.”
-Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the oath-taking
ceremony in Karachi.
On 14th August 1947, Pakistan came into existence after a long struggle by Muslims led by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Under the British, Muslims were persecuted by Hindus and British in all spheres of life. They were not allowed to practice their religion freely and were denied quality education and employment opportunities. Indian Muslims made countless sacrifices to realise the dream of a separate homeland where they could prosper without persecution and religious discrimination at the hands of Hindu fanatics.
The quest for a separate homeland finds its justification in the plight of Muslims in India today. The Hindu nationalist regime of Narendra Modi has exposed the secular façade of India. Since his rise to power in 2014, Muslims have been victims of wholesale violence at the hands of Hindu nationalists. Muslim properties and worshipping places have been destroyed by Hindu mobs. Last year, the Indian parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which allows non-Muslims immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to gain Indian citizenship. This act directly discriminates against Muslims. Indian Muslims also fear that they might lose their nationality if the National Registrar of Citizens (NRC) is implemented across India. Under NRC, they would be required to prove their citizenship despite being Indian citizens since birth.
The actions of Indian government clearly show that India is becoming a Hindu country where Muslims are unwelcome. In hindsight, Pakistan is a lifeline for Muslims of the Indian subcontinent.