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The British were seasoned players in political gamesmanship. They were determined to crush the freedom movements and stop at nothing to fulfill their imperialist policies. In his letter dated 4 December 1939 the Viceroy wrote to the Secretary of State for India:
"I am fully alive, as my letter to you about Jinnah's questions will have shown, to the objection to allowing the Muslim minority to turn itself into a majority with the right of veto and that does seem to appear to be a position that we can accept."
This letter is written to explain his stand on the Muslim League Working Committee's proposal that the British Government should give it assurances that "no declaration of constitutional accord for India should be made without the consent and approval of the All India Muslim League."To put it bluntly, the above statement is an open plea to turn the Muslim minority into a majority, and to accord it the power of veto. It is all too clear that the civilized, egalitarian British ruler did not give a damn for basic human rights, democracy or self-determination. He blatantly declared, "This does seem to appear to be a position that we can accept." Having closed his eyes and ears to facts, he promoted his own interests, using the Muslim League as their vehicle. The Viceroy suggested that the Muslim majority states should be separated from the North West.A dangerous situation will arise if the Islamic Nations, once again, turned towards Jamal-ud-Din Afghani's Pan Islamism. What if they joined hands with the Russians and presented a united opposition to the British Empire? All British-India policies, so far, had been directed against the Muslims. India had been seized from them. The Ottoman Empire had been fragmented. Therefore, the Secretary of State's fear of retaliation by the Muslims was justifiable. Central intelligence was asked to prepare a comprehensive report on the above subject. This report was then submitted to the Secretary of State for India:
Having held detailed discussions with different Muslim groups such as the League, Wahabis, Khaksars, and other groups with special interest in Afghanistan and tribal areas, I have concluded that the differences between Hindus and Muslims have reached a point at which there is only one solution: partition. Thus, shortly, a nation of Muslim India must be established.
On the question of the Muslims creating a defensive position with the help of Russia; the report says:
Such aid is out of the question. If once Bolshevik aid is accepted, Islamic principles will be submerged. And if an opportunity is given to Russian influence to be felt South of the axis, all Muslim nations will degenerate to the level of the Soviet Central Asiatic [Muslim] State.
This point is further clarified, "Muslims will not ask favor from the anti-God Bolshevik Russia.” On the subject of Pan-Islamism, the Viceroy stated: "In the Turkish Treaties are seen the barring of Bolshevism from the Islamic world, and a rapid development of the line up of Muslim nations against Soviet expansionist policy." While listing the advantages of his scheme the Viceroy frankly stated that the success of this scheme may result in Muslim forces uniting to form a solid front against the Russians. Pan-Islamism may become a steel grip around the Bolsheviks. The British were smart enough to befriend those Muslims who were likely to help them in implementing all these policies. These "devout Muslims" were prepared to utilize Islam in drumming up support for the British against the Congress. For the British it was smooth sailing, once they had established control over the League, the rest could be done by manipulation. The outstanding question was that of Russia. The intelligence report made it clear that the English proposed to use Islam against Russia. In India the Muslims were ruled by a Kafir race, the Christians. So to make a distinction between Kafir and Munafiq, they started calling the Russians anti-God. This was a clever use of semantics to create a Muslim aversion for Russia.
The Pakistan Scheme:
Several times the Viceroy explained to Muslim leaders like Sir Sikandar Hayat and Maulvi Fazlul Haq that their demand that the control not be handed over to the Congress and no elections be held, was a very negative altitude. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the Viceroy or the Secretary of Stale for India to persuade the British Parliament that if Congress had won the elections why should it not form the Government? The Viceroy made an appeal that UK Muslim leaders adopt a positive and constructive attitude. He said that a civilized world would not accept the supremacy of the minority over the majority. It would not allow their constitutional, legal and democratic demands to be ignored. Sir Sikander Hayat agreed with this point of view. The Viceroy referred to it in a letter to the Secretary of State for India:
"He [Sikander Hayat] thoroughly understood the necessity and importance of getting onto a constructive line and having a scheme of his own on which to stand, before attempting any propaganda in England.... He would let me know confidentially how matters went in the meeting of the Muslim League Working Committee on 3 February."
After attending the meeting of the Muslim League Working Committee Sikander Hayat and Maulvi Fazlul Haq, together, went to meet the Viceroy. The Viceroy wrote that Sikander informed him:
That I should be interested to learn that the Working Committee of the Muslim League has now instructed a sub-committee to draft a constructive programme. I said I was delighted to hear it and that I should await its terms with the greatest interest.
Following the Working Committee meeting, Jinnah met the Viceroy on 6 February 1940. The Viceroy wrote, "After the usual compliments he [Jinnah] opened the proceedings by asking me what were we to do, assuming that we meant Muslim League."
This was a strange meeting! The Viceroy referred to the elected Governments established in various states. Jinnah suggested that he should dismiss the Congress in the manner similar to that adopted by Lord Willingdon. The Viceroy stated that the present situation was very different from what existed in the time of Willingdon. The Congress had been elected to form the Government in eight States. If they wanted they could completely cut themselves off from the Empire. Jinnah, however, insisted that unless the Congress was crushed he could trust neither the Empire nor its representatives.
One State Government of special interest to the British was the Frontier Province. At a previous meeting the Viceroy had told Jinnah that if he tried hard it would be possible to prevent the formation of a Congress Government in NWFP. Jinnah promised to consult his colleagues on this subject. Having done so, he informed the Viceroy that his colleagues were not confident of forming the Government.
Ironically, the greatest single impediment in the combined policy of the Muslim League and the British Government was the Frontier Province itself. First, it had the largest majority of Muslims, secondly, it had a strategic location relative to Russia. The fact that this province was governed by the Khudai Khidmatgars instead of the League went against the British external and internal policy. The Government of Khudai Khidmatgars could be used neither against the Congress nor for the British. Jinnah's attention was riveted upon this issue. To establish a non-Congress Government in NWFP would create the right impact on the rest of the world. Hence his insistence was that Cunningham should help in establishing the League. In previous elections not even one League candidate filed his nomination papers. As a result, the Assembly did not have a single member from the Muslim League. Jinnah realizing that the British were ready to patronize his party, went on to suggest to the Viceroy to dismiss the Allah Bakhsh Soomro’s Sind Ministry. The English wanted to make Muslims realize that to obtain British patronage, they should throw in their lot with the League. The Viceroy had no hesitation in propagating this attitude. On 21 April 1940 he wrote, assuring the Secretary of State for India, that he need have no fears. If a Congress confrontation occurred then:
All I can say is that if Congress are set on having a fight here, they are going to have a fight not only with us, but also with the Muslims. [I am glad Jinnah has made the statement].
To summarize, the British attitude was that if the Congress was out for a confrontation, 'we are not alone! We are wearing the colours of our beloved!' The Viceroy had strengthened his alliance with the Muslim League.At this time, the League was like a sandbag, which the British were using as a buffer. If the Congress took the offensive, the sandbag would take the brunt of it leaving the British unscathed. What better means of self-preservation could they have discovered? If the Muslim League was prepared to put the chain of slavery around India, what better token of friendship and love for the British regime could it offer?
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