Muhammad Ali Jinnah: A Journey From Lucknow Pact To Nehru Report

Abstract

The Lucknow agreement which was signed between AIML and INC in December 1916 took a new twist with a change in Muslim League’s political doctrine. The inclusion of Jinnah in the Muslim League in 1913 was a historic event, which gave a new direction to the Muslim League’s political struggle. Self-rule for India brought the Muslim League and the Congress closer to each other. The leaders of both parties agreed that they should cooperate to make the British accept their constitutional and political demands. They acknowledged that the objectives can be achieved if the two major communities of India forget their differences on petty issues and come closer to each other to see eye to eye on important national issues and interests. The political vicinity had taken a happy turn and the ground for cherished Hindu-Muslim unity had been smoothed. The political relations between these two political organizations remained cordial till the 1920s. After the end of the Khilafat Movement, a rift was created between their leaders on political policies. Jinnah tried to sort out all issues and keep both communities under one umbrella by compromising on the Delhi Muslim Proposal in 1927 but all in vain when the Nehru Report was on the table it turned and shattered the dream of Hindu-Muslim unity. He again put that swing formula in 1928 which had been initiated in Lucknow but this time not succeeded.  The current paper explores the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the cordial relations of both AIML and INC in the 2^nd and 3^rd decades of the 20^th century. The current study will highlight the efforts of Jinnah especially his journey from the Lucknow pact to the Nehru Report.