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जोगेन्द्र Nath मण्डल'स Resignation लेटर to Liaquat Ali Khan

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जोगेन्द्र Nath मण्डल'स Resignation लेटर to Liaquat Ali Khan Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation JOGENDRA NATH MANDAL'S RESIGNATION LETTER TO LIAQUAT ALI KHAN FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER OF RESIGNATION DATED 9TH OCTOBER 1950 OF JOGENDRA NATH MANDAL, MINISTER FOR LAW AND LABOUR, GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN, ADDRESSED TO LIAQUAT ALI KHAN, PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN English & Hindi JOGENDRA NATH MANDAL’S RESIGNATION LETTER TO LIAQUAT ALI KHAN FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER OF RESIGNATION DATED 8TH OCTOBER 1950 OF JOGENDRA NATH MANDAL, MINISTER FOR LAW AND LABOUR,GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN, ADDRESSED TO LIAQUAT ALI KHAN, PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN My dear Prime Minister It is with a heavy heart and a sense of utter frustration at the failure of my lifelong mission to uplift the backward Hindu masses of East Bengal that I feel compelled to tender resignation of my membership of your cabinet. It is proper that I should set forth in detail the reasons which have prompted me to take this decision at this important juncture of the Indo-Pakistani subcontinent. 1. Before I narrate the remote After the fall of the Fazlul Haq and immediate causes of my ministry in March 1943, with resignation, it may be useful a party of 21 Scheduled Caste to give a short background of M.L.A.s, I agreed to cooperate the important events that have with Khwaja Nazimuddin, the taken place during the period of then leader of the Muslim League my co-operation with the League. Parliamentary Party who formed Having been approached by a the Cabinet in April 1943. Our few prominent League leaders co-operation was conditional on of Bengal in February 1943, I certain specific terms, such as agreed to work with them in the the inclusion of three Scheduled Bengal Legislative Assembly. Caste Ministers in the Cabinet, 2 sanctioning of a sum of Rupees bulk of Bengal’s population, and Five Lakhs as annual recurring undermining the foundations grant for the education of the of vested interest and privilege, Scheduled Castes, and the would further the cause of unqualified application of communal peace and harmony. the communal ratio rules in It may be mentioned here that the matter of appointment to Khwaja Nazimuddin took three Government services. Scheduled Caste Ministers in 2. Apart from these terms, the his cabinet and appointed three principal objectives that Parliamentary Secretaries from prompted me to work in co- amongst the members of my operation with the Muslim League community. was, first that the economic SUHRAWARDY MINISTRY interests of the Muslims in 3. After the general elections held in Bengal were generally identical March 1946 Mr. H.S.Suhrawardy with those of the Scheduled became the leader of the League Castes. Muslims were mostly Parliamentary Party in March cultivators and labourers, and so 1946 and formed the League were members of the Scheduled Ministry in April 1946. I was the Castes. One section of Muslims only Scheduled Caste member were fishermen, so was a section returned on the federation of the Scheduled Castes as well, ticket. I was included in Mr. and secondly that the Scheduled Suhrawardy’s Cabinet. The 16th Castes and the Muslims were day of August of that year was both educationally backward. observed in Calcutta as ‘The I was persuaded that my co- Direct Action Day’ by the Muslim operation with the League and League. It resulted, as you its Ministry would lead to the know, in a holocaust. Hindus undertaking on a wide scale of demanded my resignation from legislative and administrative the League Ministry. My life measures which, while promoting was in peril. I began to receive the mutual welfare of the vas threatening letters almost every 3 day. But I remained steadfast against the Suhrawardy Ministry. to my policy. Moreover, I issued It was only due to my efforts that an appeal through our journal the support of four Anglo-Indian ‘Jagaran’ to the Scheduled Caste Members and of four Scheduled people to keep themselves aloof Caste members of the Assembly from the bloody feud between who had hitherto been with the the Congress and the Muslim Congress could be secured, but League even at the risk of my for which the Ministry would life. I cannot but gratefully have been defeated. acknowledge the fact that I 4. In October 1946, most was saved from the wrath of unexpectedly came to me infuriated Hindu mobs by my through Mr. Suhrawardy the Caste Hindu neighbours. The offer of a seat in the Interim Calcutta carnage was followed Government of India. After a by the ‘Noakhali Riot’ in October good deal of hesitation and being 1946. There, Hindus including given only one hour’s time to take Scheduled Castes were killed my final decision, I consented to and hundreds were converted to accept the offer subject to the Islam. Hindu women were raped condition only that I should be and abducted. Members of my permitted to resign if my leader community also suffered loss of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar disapproved life and property. Immediately of my action. Fortunately, after these happenings, I visited however, I received his approval Tipperah and Feni and saw in a telegram sent from London. some riot-affected areas. The Before I left for Delhi to take over terrible sufferings of Hindus as Law Member, I persuaded overwhelmed me with grief, but Mr. Suhrawardy, the then Chief still I continued the policy of Minister of Bengal, to agree to co-operation with the Muslim take two Ministers in his Cabinet League. Immediately after the in my place and to appoint two massive Calcutta Killing, a no- Parliamentary Secretaries from confidence motion was moved the Scheduled Case Federation 4 Group. of Pakistan by the Muslim 5. I joined the Interim Government League as a bargaining counter. on November 1, 1946. After Although I honestly felt that in about a month when I paid a the context of India as a whole visit to Calcutta, Mr.Suhrawardy Muslims had legitimate cause apprised me of the communal for grievance against upper class tension in some parts of East Hindu chauvinism, I held the Bengal, especially in Gopalganj view very strongly indeed that the Sub-division, where the creation of Pakistan would never Namahsudras were in majority, solve the communal problem. being very high. He requested On the contrary, it would me to visit those areas and aggravate communal hatred and address meetings of Muslims bitterness. Besides, I maintained and Namahsudras. The fact that it would not ameliorate the was that Namahsudras in those condition of Muslims in Pakistan. areas had made preparations for The inevitable result of the retaliation. I addressed about partition of the country would be a dozen of largely attended to prolong, if not perpetuate, the meetings. The result was that poverty, illiteracy and miserable Namahsudras gave up the condition of the toiling masses idea of retaliation. Thus an of both the States. I further inevitable dangerous communal apprehended that Pakistan disturbance was averted. might turn to be one of the most backward and undeveloped 6. After a few months, the British countries of the South East Asia. Government made their June 3 Statement (1947) embodying LAHORE RESOLUTION certain proposals for the partition 7. I must make it clear that I have of India. The whole country, thought that an attempt would especially the entire non-Muslim be made, as is being done at India, was startled. For the sake present, to develop Pakistan as of truth I must admit that I had a purely ‘Islamic’ State based on always considered the demand the Shariat and the injunctions 5 and formulae of Islam. I two independent States, (b) that presumed that it would be set up the constituent units of these in all essentials after the pattern States should be autonomous contemplated in the Muslim and sovereign, (c) that minorities’ League resolution adopted at guarantee should be in respect of Lahore on March 23, 1940. That rights as well as of interest and resolution stated inter alia that (I) extend to every sphere of their “geographically contiguous areas lives, and (d) that Constitutional are demarcated into regions provisions should be made in which should be constituted with these regards in consultation such territorial readjustments with the minorities themselves. I as may be necessary, that the was fortified in my faith in this areas in which the Muslims are resolution and the professions numerically in majority as in the of the League Leadership by north-western and eastern zones the statement Qaid-e-Azam of India, should be grouped to Mohammed Ali Jinnah was constitute independent States in pleased to make on the 11th which the Constituent units shall August 1947 as the President be autonomous and sovereign” of the Constituent Assembly and (II) “adequate, effective and giving solemn assurance of mandatory safeguards should equal treatment for Hindus & be specifically provided in the Muslims alike and calling upon Constitution for minorities in them to remember that they these units and in these regions were all Pakistanis. There was for the protection of their then no question of dividing the religious, cultural, political, people on the basis of religion administrative and other rights into full-fledged Muslim citizens and interests in consultation and zimmies being under the with them.” Implicitly in this perpetual custody of the Islamic formula were (a) that North State and its Muslims citizens. western and eastern Muslim Every one of these pledges is being zones should be constituted into flagrantly violated apparently to 6 your knowledge and with your Pakistan on August 14, 1947 approval in complete disregard you formed the Pakistan of the Qaid-e-Azam’s wishes and Cabinet, in which I was included sentiments and to the detriment and Khwaja Nazimuddin formed and humiliation of the minorities.
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