A Nation in Turmoil: Nationalism and Ethnicity in Pakistan

(1973-1958)
In view of the issue of nationalism and ethnicity in Pakistan, the
author has produced a noteworthy contribution in the body of
literature, which was previously marginally examined. Younas
Samad, not like other Pakistani authors who more often than none
fall for the hunt for Independence, concentrated his attention
primarily on the distressed segments of the society who were
trying to get approval for their polls apart individual agendas
before the transfer of the power.
Discussing the issue of nuisance of authoritarianism, which is
leaching the political system of Pakistan, he eloquently associated
the actions of All India Muslim League and Muslim League with
the history of authoritarianism in Pakistan. In order to make his
point unblemished, he claimed that Muslim league was not the
first choice for majority of the Muslims. The diverse humanity
which opted for the All India Muslim League, never in fact
understood neither their immediate conditions nor the proclaimed
nationalism of All India Muslim League. In nutshell, Muslim
League, in actuality, represented only the nominal section of the
Muslim Society which, regardless of the number, proved critical to
force the partition. However, due to this marginal representation,
Muslim League was confronted by the centrifugal forces of
importance before and after the partition.
The author while dissecting the political activities of few decades
before and after the partition laid the blame not only on the

Muslim league but also on the policies of the British Raj. On the
one hand, he argued how the Indian Act of 1919 legitimized the
separate tendencies and exclusive regionalism among the masses
by introducing the system of diarchy, which, unquestionably,
accommodated the indigenous demands of self-government 1.
However, this act of extension of self-government was done by
separating the provinces for hundreds of princely states 2. The act,
according to the author was never intended to create an all Indian
organization. The primary purpose of the act was to monopolize
the central government on the expense of regional loyalties.
Under these situations it was the duty of the All India Muslim
League to create Muslim national consciousness. Nevertheless the
All Indian Muslim Leagues struggle for national consciousness
lost in the long standing tribal, cast and sectarian loyalties. On the
other hand, author holds that All India Muslim League failed to
understand the ethnic and social movements, especially the
ethnic and provincial loyalties among the Muslims who were not,
in

any

case,

subcontinent.

threatened
In

the

by

the

meanwhile,

Hindu

majority

author

also

of

the

considered

Muhammad Ali Jinaahs leaving India in mid 1920s a decisive

variable to prove his hypothesis. For the author it was the inability
of Muhammad Ali that he remained unable to unify Muslims by

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2 9,14

created national consciousness. Owing to which he got frustrated

and left the India.
Nevertheless, after the return of Jinnah the Pakistan movement
gained momentum. Among the regional and ethnic parties it was
only the All India Muslim League that had the credibility to
challenge Indian National Congress. All Indian Muslim league use
this credibility especially during world war two when the British
needed the unification of India under British Raj 3. All India Muslim
league cased the situation. With the British under pressure and
more incline to announce the independence after the completion
of world war, Jinnahs slogan for two nation theory mobilized
Muslims like never before.
Considering

the

centrifugal

forces

pre-partition
were

never

scenario,
eliminated

author
nor

holds
the

that

national

consciousness ever developed thoroughly in Pakistan. Likewise,

He holds that it was the community consciousness development
after the partition, especially considering the case of separatist
movements in Sindh and N.W.F.P, not the national consciousness
development. Nevertheless, according to him, the opportunity of
reconciliation between the divergent centrifugal forces had lost
right after the death of Jinnah.

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