M.A. Jinnah and the Bihar Crisis: Communal Violence and Political Appeals

Sub title : Reports, Correspondence, and Appeals from the Bihar Provincial Muslim League

Subject: Communal Violence | Minority Rights | Provincial Politics | Muslim League Organization | Hindu-Muslim Relations.

Date of publication: 1939

Language: English

Page: 153 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27881

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Bihar Provincial Muslim League -- Communal Violence | Biharsharif Riots -- Minority Rights | Congress Ministry -- Refugee Crisis -- Special Tribunal -- Political Appeals -- 1941

Abstract: This collection comprises urgent communications from the Bihar Provincial Muslim League to Qaid-i-Azam M.A. Jinnah, detailing a severe and prolonged period of communal violence against the Muslim minority in the province. The documents describe organized attacks, massacres, loot, arson, and the desecration of mosques following "Anti-Pakistan Day" processions in 1941, particularly in the Biharsharif sub-division. They accuse the Congress-led provincial government of negligence and complicity, pleading for central intervention, the establishment of a Special Tribunal, and arms for self-defense. The collection also includes internal League discussions, strategies for refugee rehabilitation, and reports on political challenges, portraying a dire situation that demanded Jinnah's direct guidance and intervention.

Description: This is a collection of letters, reports, and memoranda from the Bihar Provincial Muslim League to M.A. Jinnah, providing a harrowing account of the systematic violence faced by Muslims in a Congress-ruled province on the eve of Partition. The documents serve as a stark testament to the deteriorating Hindu-Muslim relations and the political struggles of the Muslim League at the provincial level. They reveal the League's efforts to document atrocities, provide relief, and seek justice through official channels, while simultaneously appealing to their national leader for support. This collection is crucial for understanding the grassroots realities that fueled the demand for Pakistan and the immense challenges of protecting Muslim minorities in regions where they were politically vulnerable. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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