Jinnah as a Parliamentarian

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was attracted to politics when he was still in London studying law and had

watched the proceedings of the British Parliament quite regularly and attentively from the visitors’

gallery. The ways, manners, gestures and even the dresses worn by the prominent Members of the

Parliament had formed lasting impression on his mind. His readers’ tickets of the British Museum are

still preserved in the British metropolis. Quite significantly, he used to read all the significant speeches of

the important parliamentarians at the British Museum and this had formed the background of his

parliamentary career. The Quaid-i-Azam, as he had to be known affectionately afterwards, himself had

leanings towards liberalism. He was not a narrow-minded sectarian and intolerant politician and

throughout his parliamentary career he had always stood for and advocated liberal policies.

Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah had started his parliamentary career with his election to the Imperial

Legislative Council in 1909. He remained its Member till March 28, 1919 when he resigned in protest

against what is known as the Rowlett Act. Speaking on the bill quite vehemently, Mr. Jinnah opposed it

as a “new shackle on the freedom of the people”. But despite his protest, the Rowlett Bill was passed

because the government members were in majority in the Council and subsequently he had resigned.

When the Central Legislative Assembly came into being, he was again elected from a Bombay Urban

Constituency on November 14, 1923. In 1926, the urban constituency had selected him to the Indian

Legislative Council. He had attached himself to the “independents” group and became its leader.

At that time, the British Parliament had sent Sir John Simon to find out the public opinion in India.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders boycotted the Simon Commission, which did not consist even a

single Indian member, with the slogan “Go back Simon”. At Luck now and Bombay and elsewhere also,

Simon had faced stiff opposition. In fact, Jinnah was never prepared to tolerate even parliamentary

action which he believed to be unwarranted and wrong. Several qualities of the Quaid-i-Azam as a

parliamentarian are often enumerated as his strategy, keen insight, and able advocacy, clear

representation, reasoning power, balanced judgment and undaunted criticism. Mr. Muhammad Ali

Jinnah was very often witty and sarcastic which also distinguished him as a parliamentarian.
In view of these qualities, the Quaid-i-Azam is generally described as a born parliamentarian and his

self-confidence, sincerity, honesty, outspokenness and frankness coupled with his ability and acumen

made him ideal in his parliamentary career. Jinnah had a great respect for parliamentary traditions and

firmly believed that the speaker of an assembly should be like an umpire in a game, who must be

impartial and fair. He as the Founder and first Governor General of Pakistan was the head of the

executive and his president ship would have taken the traditions to the pre-1919 days as such the

Quaid-i-Azam had presided over the meetings of the Constituent Assembly when it met as a

constitution-making body but Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan chaired the proceedings when the Assembly met

as a legislature and this was a tribute to the political genius of Mr. Jinnah. It was the Constituent

Assembly which on August 13, 1947 had formally conferred the title of the Quaid-i-Azam on Mr.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jinnah used his membership of the legislature for the benefit of the people in

general and the Muslims in particular. Whenever necessary, he also criticized the government but even

in doing that he had never used unparliamentarily language and fully maintained the dignity and

decorum of the Parliament, a lesson which the subsequent Parliamentarians and even afterwards during

all these years of the civilian rule should have learnt and followed sincerely.

Rapid political developments and changes had taken place after the failure of the Round Table

Conference in London in 1930. Mr. Jinnah was greatly disappointed with the tactics of the Congress

Party. When the Indians failed to agree on the future shape of things, he was so disappointed that he

decided to settle down in England and stay away completely from politics.

But in the meanwhile, the British Government had promulgated the Government of India Act 1935.

Politicians including Liaquat Ali Khan approached him and requested him to come back to India because

in a constitutional struggle he alone was the best suited to lead the Indian Muslims.

A strong voice was also that of great poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal who despite his

poor health still had full trust in Mr. Jinnah’s talents who knew the British Parliament and the Congress

like the palm of his hand. Since it was a constitutional struggle, the fate of the Muslims as such could be

safely entrusted to him. On returning to India, he took up the leadership of the Muslim League and

turned it into a mass organization. It was no more a body of few elites, which met annually, passed a
few resolutions and dispersed. The Muslim masses had joined the organization in pretty large number.

They had even unofficially started calling him as the Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader).