Mahasabha Marches on
The Akhand Hindustan Movement was gradually gaining ground. The Hindu Mahasabha was defeating the Congress in municipal, local and district local board elections. It upset the Congress applecart in Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra. The Sabha observed 10/5/1942 as anti-Pakistan day. While Muslim League leaders were allowed to propagate the cause of Pakistan, the Sabhaites were arrested at many places. It continues to happen even in India in 2001. AbuAzmi, a Samajwadi party, Muslim leader exhorted Muslims to kill atleast one Hindu for every Muslim in the next riots, his statement was reported by a Marathi paper. Its editor was arrested for spreading communal disharmony while the guy who made the speech went scot-free. Only in India is the majority community treated like this.History will record that S was the only great leader to raise his voice against the division of India. Gandhi said, “Let the Hindus say to the Muslims, have as big a share of the spoils as you want, we will be content to serve you”. What does one tell a Saint! He later said “Vivisect me before you vivisect India” but the Muslims never listened to him! Lastly he said, “I would be ruled by them, for it would still be Indian Rule”. In 1942 Nehru said “There is now a demand on the part of some Muslims for partition of India, and it must be remembered that this demand is only four years old”. Nehru knew History!
In May 1942, John Paton Davis, second secretary of the U.S. Embassy came to interview S. Then an American Negro leader came and told him how of the disabilities the Negroes were undergoing in the U.S. Then came journalist Lois Fischer. He asked S, why don’t you concede Pakistan? To which S asked why don’t you grant Negrostan? Lois said that would be anti-national. So is the case with Pakistan shot back S. Lois tried to corner S but the fiery S armed with irrefutable arguments hot back. What Louis did not know that he was crossing swords with one of the greatest intellectual giants of Maharashtra? A group of Chinese Muslims visited Nellore and promised help to their Indian counterparts. S warned that if China did not check their activities, separatist’s tendencies would rise there too. How correct was S.
On special request of the Arya Samaj, Hindu Sikh Nava Javan Sabha etc he visited Jammu & K in July 1942. He was given a warm welcome, presided over the Hindu-Sikh conference in Jammu. Stopping at Rawalpindi he told the Press that Rajaji was making two fundamental errors, Pakistan would usher ever lasting Hindu-Muslim unity and the outcome of a united demand for freedom would lead to the withdrawal of British power. How true was S! Even after 50 years Pakistan continues to harass us, Hindu Muslim unity is a mirage. The Brits left India because of the debacle of World War II and Bose’s uprising rather than a united demand.
Unable to take the physical strain any longer S resigned from the Presidentship of the Hindu Mahasabha in July 1942. The Sabha was paid compliments by many but the best was reserved for Jinnah, he said “The Hindu Mahasbha is an absolutely incorrigible and hopeless body, and I can have nothing to do with it”. Unlike the Congress, which had many stalwarts, S was its tallest leader with little back up.
Having failed with the Individual Disobedience Movement Gandhi was all set for the Quit India Movement. S promised to cooperate with the Congress provided it stood by the integrity of India. Gandhi declined the offer. Appeasement was the corner stone of his policy, he wrote to Jinnah excerpts, “Congress will have no objection to the Brits transferring all the power to the Muslim League on behalf on behalf of the whole of India. The Congress may even join such Government”.
S believed that in terms of in respect of tactical questions, the timing, the ways, means and methods of revolution, effectiveness depends on some sane calculations but in the Congress there was no planning at all. S wanted a pre-planned revolution, which would attempt to gain military support because no revolution can succeed without their support.
Gandhi was set to launch his Struggle but he was arrested the same night. Yet the marked feature of the struggle that it was predominantly Hindu with the Muslims standing aloof? After the August revolution, S views were heard with more concern and interests. The reputation of the Hindu Mahasabha was at its highest ever.