Correspondence with Muhammad Ali Jinnah Regarding Minority Rights and Political Appeals

Sub title : Anglo-Indian Community Engagement, Constitutional Representation, and Public Telegrams

Subject: Anglo-Indians -- Pakistan -- Political activity | Minorities -- Pakistan -- Political activity | Constituent Assembly

Date of publication: 1939

Language: English

Page: 12 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27809

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Anglo-Indian Association of Pakistan -- C.E. Gibbon -- Minority Representation | Constituent Assembly Pakistan -- Partition 1947 -- Refugee Relief -- Muslim League Support -- C.L. Gouda -- Political Critique

Abstract: This collection features correspondence and telegrams addressed to M.A. Jinnah, primarily from C.E. Gibbon, a prominent Anglo-Indian MLA and President of the newly formed Anglo-Indian Association of Pakistan. The letters, concentrated in 1947, focus on securing political representation and rights for the Anglo-Indian minority in the nascent state of Pakistan, including requests for guaranteed seats in the Constituent Assembly. The collection includes a press note announcing the Association's formation, an invitation for Jinnah (as Governor-General) to address the community in Lahore (and his polite refusal due to pressing state matters), and congratulatory telegrams supporting the Muslim League's stance. Additionally, a 1945 letter from C.L. Gouda, a Mysore advocate, critically appeals to Jinnah to dissolve the Muslim League and merge with the Congress for greater political influence.

Description: This archive provides a focused look at the concerns of minority communities, particularly the Anglo-Indians, during the transition to Pakistan. The extensive correspondence from C.E. Gibbon reveals the active lobbying by minority leaders to secure a political future within the new dominion, highlighting their anxieties and strategies for inclusion. Jinnah's formal response, declining a public meeting due to the immense pressures of the immediate post-Partition crisis, underscores the dire circumstances of August 1947. The supportive telegrams and the critical letter from C.L. Gouda offer contrasting public perceptions of Jinnah's leadership and the Muslim League's mission. This collection is valuable for understanding the complex process of state formation, the negotiation of minority identities in Pakistan, and the diverse range of advice and appeals directed at Jinnah during this pivotal era. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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