Context:
Pakistan has decided to hold its National Day celebrations in New Delhi again this year, which is observed on March 23, the day the Lahore Resolution was adopted in 1940 by the Muslim League.
Relevance:
GS I: History
Lahore Resolution:
- Adoption:
- Adopted by the All-India Muslim League during its general session in Lahore from March 22 to March 24, 1940.
- Objective:
- Formally called for the creation of an independent state for India’s Muslims.
- Notable Absence:
- The resolution does not explicitly mention the term ‘Pakistan.’
- Criticism:
- Criticized by some Indian Muslims, including Abul Kalam Azad and the Deoband ulema led by Husain Ahmad Madani, who advocated for a united India.
- Resolution Contents:
- Geographically contiguous Muslim-majority areas, particularly in the North-Western and Eastern Zones, should be grouped to form “Independent States” with autonomous and sovereign constituent units.
- In regions where Muslims are a minority, the constitution should provide mandatory safeguards for their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative, and other rights in consultation with them.
Lead-up to the Lahore Resolution:
Early 1930s Agitation:
- Until the early 1930s, many Muslims had been advocating for better representation and protection of their rights within the Indian Union.
- The separate electorate granted to them in the Government of India Act, 1935, was seen as a step in that direction.
Khaksar Tragedy Influence:
- The Muslim League session occurred shortly after the Khaksar tragedy, where members of the Khaksar, a Muslim group fighting for India’s independence, were shot by the British in Lahore on March 19, 1940, resulting in casualties.
-Source: The Hindu
