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I met him morning and evening and put him many questions.<br />
In the beginning, Syed used to say he was against democracy. He said this<br />
because, democratically, Punjabis out-numbered all others in Pakistan. I told him<br />
his opposition to “democracy” will be misunderstood. I suggested to him that he<br />
should say that Freedom (of Sindh) must come first; only then there can be true<br />
democracy. He did not oppose ‘democracy’, as such, after that.<br />
Here are some of the other questions I put him - and his answers:<br />
Q. Why did you leave the Congress and join the Muslim League?<br />
A. We expected the Congress to help us enact laws to protect the peasantry.<br />
When Congress did not help us, we felt frustrated and joined the League. (The<br />
expectation was unrealistic because most of the MLAs, both Hindu and Muslim,<br />
were Zamindars.)<br />
Q. Why did you leave the League?<br />
A. Even when I was in the League, I had maintained relations with Congress<br />
leaders. When Congress adopted the Quit India resolution, Jinnah called a<br />
meeting of the League Working, Committee. Here Jinnah moved a resolution,<br />
saying that the ‘Quit India resolution was directed against Muslims, and not<br />
against the British. I spoke against this resolution, and so did some others but<br />
Jinnah said he had given word to the British, never to come to terms with the<br />
Congress. Therefore, this resolution must be adopted. While other critics fell<br />
silent, I insisted on my vote of dissent being recorded. It is still there. I began to<br />
feel more and more that Jinnah was serving British interests and not Muslim<br />
interests. I, therefore, left the League in 1945.<br />
Q. Was Khuhro responsible for the murder of Allah Bux? In Gandhiji’s<br />
‘Complete Works’, there are references to Khuhro being defended by Bhulabhai<br />
Desai.<br />
A. Is that so? Can you give me those references? (The same were given to Syed).<br />
Actually Allah Bux and Bhagat Kanwar Ram and Pamnani were all murdered by<br />
Janu Jalbani, a fanatical follower of the Pir of Bhirchundi. The Pir had converted<br />
some Hindu boys. At the instance of some people, these converts were taken out<br />
in procession in Sukkur. The Hindus of Sukkur resented this, and beat up the son<br />
of Bhirchundi. The Pir’s followers took this as an insult to the Pir and these<br />
murders followed.<br />
The Sindh Story; Copyright © www.panhwar.com<br />
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