Correspondence from Various Christian Associations and Leaders to Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Sub title : Negotiating Minority Rights and Political Representation

Subject: Jinnah, Muhammad Ali, 1876-1948 | Muslim League (India) | All-India Council of Indian Christians

Date of publication: 1938

Language: English

Page: 178 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27803

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Muslim League -- All-India Council of Indian Christians | Indian Christians -- Minority Rights -- Separate Electorates -- Simla Conference | Indian Constitution -- Frank Anthony -- Partition Era -- Inter-Community Dialogue

Abstract: This collection comprises letters and resolutions from various Christian leaders and organizations in India, including the All-India Council of Indian Christians, addressed to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the President of the All-India Muslim League. The documents date from the late 1930s to mid-1940s and focus on securing political rights for the Christian minority. Key themes include demands for separate electorates or guaranteed representation in a future constitution, appeals for inclusion in political conferences (like the Simla Conference), and positioning the community's interests amidst the Congress-Muslim League negotiations. The correspondents often seek Jinnah's support, viewing him as a pivotal leader who understood minority concerns.

Description: This is a significant collection of primary source documents that sheds light on the political manoeuvring of the Christian minority in India during the crucial decade preceding Independence and Partition. The letters reveal a strategic engagement with M.A. Jinnah, demonstrating how smaller communities sought to navigate the dominant Hindu-Muslim political struggle. The correspondence highlights the demands for political safeguards, the anxiety over being marginalized in constitutional settlements, and the attempts to lobby major parties for representation. Several letters also touch upon the broader political landscape, including appeals for Hindu-Muslim unity and direct dialogue between Jinnah and Gandhi, positioning the Christian leadership as potential mediators and invested stakeholders in India's political future. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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