Correspondence of M.A. Jinnah with Sir Saadullah

Sub title : On Party Discipline and Resignation from the National Defence Council

Subject: Political History | Indian Independence Movement | All-India Muslim League

Date of publication: 1941

Language: English

Page: 2 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27747

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Sir Saadullah -- Muslim League -- Working Committee -- Party Discipline | National Defence Council -- Viceroy -- Mr. Amery | British Government -- World War II -- Resignation -- Assam Premier -- Political Mandate.

Abstract: This is a stern letter from M.A. Jinnah to Sir Mohammed Saadullah, the Premier of Assam, written in August 1941. Jinnah addresses Saadullah's involvement in a Government scheme (the National Defence Council), which contravened a specific resolution of the All-India Muslim League from September 1940. Jinnah unequivocally states that any association with the scheme by a League member amounts to "flouting the mandate" of the organization and a failure to consult its leadership. He interprets the British government's actions, citing a statement by Secretary of State Mr. Amery, as a deliberate attempt to discredit the League by showcasing prominent Leaguers as "consenting parties." Jinnah expresses approval of Saadullah's decision to resign and urges him to have no further association with the scheme.

Description: This letter is a critical document demonstrating M.A. Jinnah's iron-fisted control over the All-India Muslim League and his strategic confrontation with the British government during World War II. It highlights a significant internal party crisis where a senior League leader (Saadullah) accepted a position on a war-related government body against the party's official policy. Jinnah's letter is a masterclass in political reasoning and enforcement of discipline, framing the issue not just as a breach of protocol but as a fundamental challenge to the League's authority and a calculated move by the British to split the party. It reveals the high-stakes political maneuvering between the League and the British Raj at a pivotal moment in history. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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