Telegram from A.H. Ansari to M.A. Jinnah on Muslim Representation Deadlock

Sub title : Proposal for General Elections to Resolve Interim Government Crisis (1946)

Subject: Muslim Representation | Political Deadlock | General Elections

Date of publication: 1940

Language: English

Page: 2 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27542

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah — Interim Executive Council — Muslim Representation | Political Deadlock — General Elections — Viceroy | A.H. Ansari — Muslim League — Congress — Provincial Elections

Abstract: This two-page telegram from A.H. Ansari, proprietor of the Inbillab Daily newspaper in Bombay, to Qaide-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah addresses the critical deadlock in Muslim representation for the Interim Executive Council in 1946. While expressing full support for the Muslim League's claim to represent Muslim India, Ansari notes the Congress's persistence in nominating its own Muslim members. He highlights the competing claims of Nationalist Muslims, Shia Political Conference, and Jamiatul Ulema. The telegram proposes that Jinnah request the Viceroy to postpone the leaders' conference and instead hold general elections in the provinces and at the center to objectively determine each party's strength, arguing that if the League secures a substantial majority, its demands should be accepted in full.

Description: This urgent telegram from Bombay newspaper proprietor A.H. Ansari to Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah captures a pivotal moment in the negotiations for India's interim government in 1946. The communication reveals the complex landscape of Muslim political representation, with multiple organizations vying for recognition alongside the Muslim League. Ansari's proposal for general elections as a solution to the representation deadlock reflects the democratic approach favored by many political thinkers of the time, seeking to resolve political disputes through electoral verification rather than prolonged negotiations. The telegram provides valuable insight into the strategic thinking among Muslim League supporters during this critical period leading up to Partition, showcasing the various proposals being circulated to break political impasses and advance the Muslim political cause. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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