Bhattacharjee-Dissertation
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Copyright by Dharitri Bhattacharjee 2015 The Dissertation Committee for Dharitri Bhattacharjee Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Ideology at Bay: Muslim High politics in Bengal’s Last Colonial Decade Committee: Sumit Guha, Supervisor Gail Minault, Co-Supervisor William Roger Louis Kamran Ali Neilesh Bose Ideology at Bay: Muslim High politics in Bengal’s Last Colonial Decade by Dharitri Bhattacharjee, M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2015 Acknowledgements The process of writing this acknowledgment has humbled me more than I could have imagined. So comfortable in speaking about the intervention that my dissertation makes to my field, for long I have not had the time to ponder and appreciate the process by which small arguments and tiny blocks of history that were floating around in my mind came together to form what is now my doctoral dissertation. The process now stands distinctly in my mind as a rewarding intellectual journey and for that I have many a debt to acknowledge. My first note of thanks, then, is to my advisor, Dr Gail Minault. Without her unfailing encouragement, guidance, feedback and edits, this dissertation could not have been completed. Over the last eight years, through my innumerable discussions with Dr Minault, she has de-mystified researching, thinking and writing for me, and for that I will always be grateful. From a seminar paper idea to a doctoral dissertation, Dr Minault has nurtured this project in all its stages. My co-supervisor, Dr Sumit Guha, whom I have known for a little over a year now, helped me flesh out the central idea of my dissertation. But more importantly, I have learned from him how to construct large frameworks, argue for relevance of smaller histories, and link the past to the present. Dr Louis is like an institution on campus and I am fortunate to have found in him a mentor right from the start. From him I learned the significance of going back to fundamental texts to start research on any topic and I have drawn sustenance from his advise always. Dr Kamran Ali, even in casual conversation raised questions and offered suggestions that compelled me to look at my own archive anew. To him I am grateful for explaining the significance of theory. Finally, my unreserved gratitude to Dr Neilesh Bose for reading drafts of my entire dissertation and sharing comments that forced me to think about use of sources and quality of questions that my dissertation asks, two very fundamental aspects of any competent research project. There are a few other scholars I would like to acknowledge. Dr Jacqueline Jones helped me write about my work in short, succinct paragraphs and it helped me articulate my position better, when I was writing the final version of my dissertation. I had known Dr Indrani Chatterjee through her books. In person, I found her to be even more inspiring. The enthusiasm she has shown for Bengal and its politics along with deep insight into what makes its history significant have helped me regain focus when I lost it. Dr Kaushik Ghosh has been a professor, a friend, a guide and a mentor to me in more ways than one. I have learned to live life beautifully and generously from him. Ten years back, I came to the US to study with Dr Judith P Zinsser, my Master's thesis advisor. Since then, she has been an unfailing source of strength for me. Our conversations always leave me motivated and strong. iv I conducted two years of field work for this dissertation. Generous funding from the History Department allowed me to conduct archival research in three countries and for that I am grateful. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, history department professor, Dr Sharif uddin Ahamed, not only guided me towards research materials but also found accommodation for me. In London, Dr Richard Bingle, rubbed on to me his signature enthusiasm for the colonial period. The South Asia Institute sponsored many of my conference travels and helped me talk about my work before a larger audience, collect suggestions and network. Nancy Elder helped me with endnotes. She would not agree, but I am sure she went beyond the bounds of her duty to offer me her expertise. Merry Burlingham and Mary Rader in the university library have helped me look up new sources, many of them primary, and taught me to a lot about digital research. Marilyn Lehman in the history department deserves special mention for her patience with me. I have been fortunate to have found good friends at all stages of my life. Friends I have known for more than three decades now, Promita, Keka, Suchanda, Sumana and Dona; friends from college, Bhisma, Chitra, Shivani, Pallavi and Jenny; friends from Oxford, Ohio, Julie and Kris and UT friends, Libby and Suzanne have defined friendship for me over and over again. You all make life beautiful. A word of thanks to my parents, for introducing me to cinema and music, my lifelines, aside from books. My father, Jayanta, taught me how to appreciate good films and my mother Gauri, trained me and my ears in Hindustani music. It is not a coincidence that some of the best arguments that I made in my dissertation occurred to me when I was watching a film, or listening to a rendition of a raga. My sister, Parama has patiently played the great aunt to whom I have explained the "so what" question more times than I can recall. My nephews have taken the dullness out of my life just by being their adorable selves. Finally, thanks to my partner Arup for not letting the burden of marriage crush me and my spirit, and for keeping the friendship alive. My toddler, Anayi has been quite the stress buster. Anayi cannot claim any credit for this but since her arrival I have learned to do more in less time. v Ideology at Bay: Muslim High politics in Bengal’s Last Colonial Decade Dharitri Bhattacharjee, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2015 Supervisor: Sumit Guha Co-Supervisor: Gail Minault This dissertation argues how the imperative of surviving colonial legislative politics left little room for furthering of any ideology. As my primary tool of inquiry I use the political careers of Bengal’s only three chief ministers before independence, Fazlul Huq (1937-1941 and 1941-1943), Khwaja Nazimuddin (1943-1945) and Huseyn Suhrawardy (1946-1947).The four central chapters of my dissertation each deal with one ministerial tenure. I successively document how Huq, Nazimuddin and Suhrawardy resorted to different political techniques to confront the vicarious world of provincial politics. Huq’s contingent politics was a response to the new grant of provincial autonomy, under the penultimate Constitutional Act of 1935. Nazimuddin had to re- negotiate a restrictive political space, caused by war calculations and the catastrophic 1943 famine. Suhrawardy’s transition from politics of exclusion to politics of inclusion, in what became the last year of British rule in India, was a desperate attempt to fight against partition of Bengal. Some ideologies were abandoned, some new ones embraced, and to some, only lip-service was paid. This dissertation is the first exploration of the vi parting of rhetoric and action in the tumultuous pre-Independence/partition decade in Bengal. To present this new understanding I use official documents and non-official sources such as journals, diaries, newspapers and letters from archives in Cambridge, London, Delhi, Kolkata and Dhaka. While the last colonial decade in Bengal has generated a lot of intriguing scholarship from social scientists, there has yet to be a substantial work on the Bengali Muslims for the period under study. Before the time of “history from below,” North India, Punjab specifically, was deemed to be most important for the pre-partition decade. By the time scholars started engaging with Bengal, a region that also underwent partition, the fascination with subaltern studies dictated a certain kind of work narrating people’s experiences. Consequently, the provincial high politics of Bengal never got the attention it deserved. My work fills this gap up by answering questions that have never even been asked. In the process I have brought to light neglected documents that I bring in dialogue with materials better known to scholars. vii Table of Contents Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Provincial Autonomy and Contingent History: Huq’s Politics, 1937-1941 .......................................................................................................................18 A suitable ideology: The ‘New Government’ of Bengal gets to work .........24 Two bosses to please: Huq’s balancing act on the eve of war ......................43 Time for communal accord: The unlikely, but successful candidate ............56 Chaotic times: Bengal Muslim League splits ...............................................73 Chapter 2: Backlash of Contingent Politics: Huq’s Second Term, 1941-1943 .....87 Second time around: Rocky prelude to reappointment .................................90 Political dead end? War ministry and the onset of famine .........................103 Rhetoric and Action: Muslim League Challenge and Repercussion ..........115 Game Changer: Quit India and Bengal politics ..........................................129 A Surprise Exit: Confronting Contingent Politics ......................................136