Correspondence of Imtiaz Ali Barlaskar with M.A. Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi

Sub title : Muslim Employment Rights in Ajmer-Merwara and Hindu-Muslim Relations (1939-1940)

Subject: Provincial Muslim League | Ajmer-Merwara Politics | Colonial Administration

Date of publication: 1939

Language: English

Page: 13 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27554

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah — Mahatma Gandhi — Imtiaz Ali Barlaskar | Ajmer-Merwara — Muslim Employment — Hindu-Muslim Relations | Provincial Muslim League — Government Services — Congress-Muslim League Conflict — Municipal Politics

Abstract: This collection features comprehensive correspondence from Imtiaz Ali Barlaskar, President of the Rajputana and Central India Provincial Muslim League, addressing both M.A. Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi. The letters to Jinnah focus on securing Muslim employment rights in Ajmer-Merwara government services, particularly disputing the government's preference for appointing outsiders from U.P. over local Muslims for judicial positions despite a 1934 notification guaranteeing 25% of superior posts for Muslims. The extensive letter to Gandhi provides a detailed account of deteriorating Hindu-Muslim relations in Ajmer, explaining the context behind the removal of the Congress flag from the Mughal Fort and criticizing local Congress leaders for communal bias in municipal affairs. Barlaskar, identifying himself as a former Khilafatist, seeks to present the Muslim perspective while maintaining a conciliatory tone toward Gandhi.

Description: The political challenges faced by Muslims in the Rajputana and Central India region during 1939-1940. The correspondence reveals Imtiaz Ali Barlaskar's dual approach of seeking practical solutions through constitutional means via Jinnah while simultaneously attempting personal diplomacy with Gandhi to address communal tensions. The documents provide valuable insights into the implementation of employment quotas for Muslims in colonial administration and the grassroots-level conflicts between Muslim League and Congress supporters in municipal politics. Barlaskar's detailed account of the flag dispute and his personal history as a Khilafat activist turned Muslim League leader offers a nuanced perspective on the evolution of Muslim political identity in the region. The collection is particularly notable for showing how local Muslim leaders navigated relationships with both major political figures of the era while advocating for community interests. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

Total Views: 118        Favorites : 0