The Indian National Congress remains in power …
Years: 1939 - 1939
The Indian National Congress remains in power for twenty seven months.
During these months, Mohammad Ali Jinnah reorganizes the Muslim League
By the late 1930s, Jinnah, convinced of the need for a unifying issue among Muslims, believes Pakistan is the obvious answer.
The Second World War breaks out in 1939 and the British, as they did in the Great War, take India to war with them.
British priorities are driven by the expediencies of defense, and war is declared abruptly without any prior consultation with Indian politicians.
Congress ministers in the provinces resign in protest.
Consequently, Congress, with most of its leaders in jail for opposition to the Raj, loses its political advantage over the British.
The Indian Muslims had opposed the British war effort in 1914 and had also suffered heavy consequences.
The Muslim League, under the leadership of Jinnah, while choosing to remain neutral, leaves the provincial leaders free to cooperate with or help the war efforts in their individual capacities.
The League establishes a committee to examine the partition proposals that are coming in from many provinces.
The committee includes Jinnah as chairperson, Abdul Mateen Chaudhry, Khawaja Nazimuddin, Liaquat Ali Khan, Nawab Ismail Khan, and Syed Abdul Aziz.
They submit a detailed report highlighting the possibilities of a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.
The Muslim League branches of Uttar Pradesh and Sindh independently pass resolutions demanding a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.
All these reports are dispatched to the central office of the Muslim League, where they are compiled to support the demand for a separate homeland in the next annual meeting.
