Reema Shaukat
23rd March is celebrated as Pakistan Day throughout the country with great passion and gustoto reminisce and recall the accomplishments and untiring efforts of our forefathers and leaders for passing the Pakistan Resolution on 23 March, 1940 because of which today we are breathing in an independent and sovereign country Pakistan. On 23 March demand for separate homeland for Muslims was put forward, thus paving way for a change in the history of Sub continent. Addressing a large gathering in Minto Park, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah formally demanded a separate homeland for Muslims based on the concept of the Muslim nationhood.The Pakistan Resolution was stimulated by the late Bengal Chief Minister A. K Fazl-ul- Haq and was backed by Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman. It stated: “No constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principle, namely, that geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, … that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in majority, as in the north-western and eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.” The resolution wasearlier known as Lahore Resolution and later declared as Pakistan resolution.
Formerly in the speeches of Quaid on many occasions and particularly in the resolution, there was a reiterated demand for a homeland for Muslims. He,nowherecontended for creation of an Islamic State rather a separate country for Muslims where they can independently practice their religious beliefs and therefore when Pakistan was created no individual of other religion was forced to be part of Pakistan, rather many from other religions happily chose to be identified as Pakistani. According to Stanley Wolpert, this was the moment when Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the former ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, totally transformed himself into Pakistan’s great leader. Quaid-e-Azam once stated, Hindus and the Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs and literature. They neither inter-marry nor inter-dine and indeed they belong to two different civilizations that are based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions. Their concepts on life and of life are different.To yoke together such nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and other as a majority must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such state. The Lahore Resolution laid the principles for which Muslims struggled under political leadership to go for an independent state for them.Prior to this the philosopher and poet of East, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, in his address to the Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930, had anticipated a separate homeland for the Muslims. Since then, this idea of separate homeland heartened the thoughts and minds of Muslims and the idea was rejuvenated on March 23, 1940. One must remember that Quaid’s concept of Two Nation was not for a theocratic state but for Muslims to burgeon from any kind of Hindu chauvinism. Today when many years have passed and seeing the plight of Muslims and other minorities in India, one can rightly endorse Quaidas a visionary leader.
Women were nowhere lagging behind in the struggle for Pakistan.Under the able and dynamic leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam, the Muslim women got a chance to manifest and practice their potentials.Quaid-e-Azam in reply to speeches made by the members and leaders of Muslim Women’s Sub-Committees, appreciated the activities of Muslim women and urged them to play their role in the struggle for freedom side by side with men. He said, “I am glad to see that not only Muslim men but Muslim Women and children also have understood the Pakistan scheme.” He further said, “No Nation can made any progress without the co-operations of its women. If Muslim women support their men as they did in the days of Prophet of Islam, we should soon realize our goal.”This marked the beginning of an era for women to play a pivotal role in creation of Pakistan and till today Pakistani women are contributing their best for Pakistan.
On every 23 March, this day is celebrated with full zeal and fervour and many events are marked for this particular date. This is the day to tell our youth that nothing is impossible and everything is achievable with constant struggle and determination.Now every year when we commemorate this day, question comes to mind that are we practicing those values and beliefs and purposes for which this country was moulded? The Pakistan Resolution was triggered to accelerate struggle for separate entity now when it’s achieved we should analyse how successful we are in maintaining those ideological validations for creation of Pakistan. Loopholes are present in every system and society but to curb such flaws one has to stand out. Undoubtedly, despite many ordeals Pakistanis have proved second to none in many arenas. It is the day to recall our history when constant struggle and hard work paid off. When around the globe many countries are going through turmoil we should esteem this God gifted country. This day apart from highlighting right of self-determination gives us the lesson that how important it is to have free home for one’s existence. This is the day to give strong missive to adversaries who mount up their efforts in pessimistic approaches towards Pakistan. On every 23rd March, we should reinvent the spirit of the historic Lahore Resolution of 1940 by invigoratingzest among our compatriots. We should tell the world clearly that Pakistan is going to stay forever despite many covert and overt challenges and we are here to make palpable energies for our state.Therefore on this day we all must come forward and show the world that together we can make a difference!
