Congress Rule in India 1937-1939

Congress Rule in India 1937-1939 is the period of the rule of the Congress ministries in the Indian Subcontinent under British Government. The provincial elections were held in the winter of 1936-37 as stated in the Government of India Act 1935. The final results of the elections were declared in February 1937. The Indian National Congress had a clear majority in Madras Presidency, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, Central Provinces and Berar, Bihar and Orissa. It was also able to form a coalition government in Bombay Presidency and North-West Frontier Province (Now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Congress was also able to secure political importance in Sindh and Assam, where they joined the ruling coalition. Thus directly or indirectly, Congress was in power in nine out of eleven provinces. The Unionist Muslim League of Sir Fazli Husain and Praja Krishak Party of Maulvi Fazl-i-Haq were able to form governments in Punjab and Bengal Province respectively, without the interference of Congress. The Muslim League failed to form government in any province. Therefore Muhammad Ali Jinnah offered Congress to form a coalition government with the League but the Congress rejected his offer.^[1]

inclusion of Muslims in the government

The congress claimed to be the sole representative of the Indian community as opposed to the Muslim league's claim that it was the representative for Muslims. Upon forming the government the congress refused to admit members of the Muslim league in the government unless they renounced their claim of Muslim representation and joined the congress. However Muslims not in the league were accepted into the government.

Persecution of Muslims

Although never a part of congress Policy; Muslims feared that the aim of their Hindu rivals was to erase Muslim culture. These fears, however, were not baseless as some extremist Hindu groups did appalling deeds. Muslims were not allowed to eat beef, and harsh punishments were given to Muslims for the slaughter of cows; which is sacred to Hindus. Azaan (Muslim's call to prayer) was banned in some areas, and in some places pigs ( which are considered unclean by the Muslims ) were pushed into mosques. There were frequent anti-Muslim riots in which Muslims were killed or their properties burnt. Viceroy Linlithgow admitted to :'many instances of continued oppression in small ways.'. For this reasons the period congress rule is Known to the Muslims as one of congress tyranny.

Educational Schemes

The Congress government introduced a new educational policy in the provinces known as the Wardha Taleemi Scheme. This scheme, based on Gandhi's ideas, was introduced to all congress education ministries. this scheme stated that all education was to be in Hindi (which was declared the national language) and spinning cotton by hand was included in the curriculum which was very irrelevant as this was the time of industrial advances. The scheme also stated that all students should bow to a portrait of Gandhi, this was particularly controversial as in Islam, Muslims are only allowed to bow before god and nothing else; so this was seen by the Muslims as shirk. Another very controversial move was the compulsory singing of Bande matram in schools, as it was a hymn to the goddess durga and the Muslims again objected to this as it was considered shirk. In Bihar and The central provinces the Vidya Mandar Scheme was introduced according to which Mandar education was made compulsory at elementary level. The Muslims were agitated by these moves as they saw this as a way to plant in Muslim children a love for Hinduism and to convert them to it as well.

Resignation of Congress

With the outbreak of the World War II on 3rd September 1939, Viceroy lord Linlithgow on 15th September proclaimed that India too was at war with Germany without prior consultations with the main political parties. Congress demanded an immediate transfer of power in return for cooperation of the war efforts, the British government refused. As a result Congress resigned from power. Quaid-i-Azam asked the Muslims to celebrate December 22, 1939 as a day of deliverance and thanksgiving in token of relief from the tyranny and oppression of the Congress rule.

Role in Partition of the Subcontinent

The Congress Rule holds a very important role in India's Partition. It made the majority of the Muslims realize that the Two-Nation Theory provided by the reformer Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the only way Muslims and Hindus can only live in peace . It was a key event for the Muslim League in the fight for the independence of Pakistan.

File:MUCR19371939.jpg

K.K. Aziz's Muslims Under Congress Rule 1937-1939

Popular Culture

K.K. Aziz's book Muslims Under Congress Rule 1937-1939 covers a detailed series of events related to Muslims living under the period.^[2]

References

1. ^ http://zeestech.com/pak/story/second/ruleofcong.htm
2. ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/9693520688

External links