Allahabad Address 1930

After the Nehru Report (1928) which deliberately tried to outlaw the Muslims from the legislature of India and denied their separate electorate without which their identity, interests, and even existence was in danger. Muslim intelligentsia played their role to combat the situation and found solutions of India’s constitutional, communal, religious, and cultural differences and disputes.

Allama Mohammad Iqbal was one of those intellectuals who had a keen eye on the political scenario of India. In the 25^th session of All India Muslim League at Allahabad on 29^th December 1930, Allama Iqbal represented the hearts of the Muslims of the Sub-Continent and floated the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims. He said in his Presidential Address:

“I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single state. Self-government within the British Empire, or without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of North-West India”.

Iqbal also threw light on the concept of Nationalism and Islam, unity of the Indians as a nation, Federal States, communalism, defense, and Federal scheme (discussed in the Round Table Conference). He also differed with the concept of democracy of Europe applied on Indian society divided into many communities. He made it clear to the Hindus that they should not fear the word religion as “Islam is not a Church”. But his address made the history because of the concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims in the North-West of India. His dream was materialized by Jinnah eight years after his death.

Where the concept of a separate state was hailed by the Muslims as it made the political scenario clear to them and they found an ultimate track to travel on, the Nehru Committee rejected it on the pretext that it would result in a clumsy state. It was a feasible solution to end the communal riots in India. The later years observed the realization of his dream on August 14, 1947.