T W O N AT I O N T H E O R Y

ME A NI NG OF T WO NA T I ON T H E O R Y

Th e Two Na t ion Th eor y in it s s im p lest wa y m ea n s the

cu lt u r a l, p olit ica l, re ligiou s , e con om ic a n d s ocia l di sim ila r it ie s be tw
en th e t wo m a jor c om m u n it ie s. Hin du s a n d Mu s lim s of t h e S u b
Con t in e nt . Th e se d iffe re nc e of
ou t l ok , in fa ct , wer e gr ea t ly in s t r u m en t a l in givin g r ise to t wo d ist in ct polit ica l
id e ologie s wh ic h we re re sp on s ib le for t h e pa r t it ion of In d ia in t o t wo
in d ep en d en t s tat es .

T HE B AS I S OF T HE CR EAT I ON OF PAK I S T AN

Th e Two Na t ion Th eor y wa s t h e b a s is of t h e st r u gle for cr ea t ion of Pa k ist a n

wh ich h eld t h a t Hin d u s a n d Mu s lim s a r e t wo s ep a r a t e Na t ion s . Th ey in s p ite of
livin g t oget h er for cen t u r ies cou ld n ot for get t h eir in d ivid u a l cu lt u r es
a n d c iviliza t ion . Al-Be r u n i r e c ord e d h is id e a s in 1 0 1 A.D in h is
fa m ou s b ok "Kit a b -u l-
Hin d " as : "Th e H in d u s s o ciety m ain t a in ed t h is p ecu lia r ch a r a cter over
t h e c e nt u r ie s . Th e t wo s oc ie tie s , Hin d u s a n d Mu s lim s , like t wo s tr e a m s h a ve
s om etim es t ou ch ed b u t n ever m erged , each fo lowin g it s s ep ar at e cou r s e."

Th ere a r e a few fa ct or s wh ich

s p lit t h e in h a b it a n t s of t h e S u b Con t in en t in to t wo Na t ion s .

1. Re ligiou s Diffe re n c e s
2. Hin du Na t ion a lis m
4. Soci al di ffer ences
5.
3. E
Cuconom
lt u r a licDiffe
differen
re n c ces
es
6. E d u c a tion a l d iffe re n c es
7. Polit ica l d iffer en ces

T W O NA T I ON T HE OR Y I N T HE V I E W OF A L L A MA I QB A L

A la m a Iqb a l wa s t h e fir st im p or t a n t figu re wh o p rop ou n d ed t h e id ea of

s e pa r at e h om e la n d on t h e b a s is of t wo n a t ion t h e or y. He fir m ly b e lie ve d in t h e
s epa r at e id en t it y of t h e Mu s lim s as a n at ion an d s u ges ted t h at t h ere wou ld b e
n o p o sib ilit y o f p eace in t h e cou n t r y u n le s a n d u n t il t h ey wer e r ecogn ized as
a n a t ion . In t h e a n n u a l s e sion of Mu s lim Le a gu e a t A la h a b a d in
19 30 , h e s a id :
"In d ia is a c on t in e n t of h u m a n b e in gs be lon gin g to
d iffe re n t la n gu a ge s a n d p r ofe sin g d iffer en t religion s .I, t h erefor e,
d em an d th e for m at ion of a con s olid at ed Mu s lim s tat e in
t h e b es t in t eres ts of t h e Mu s lim s of In d ia an d Is la m ."

QUAI D- E- A Z A M' S S T A T E ME N T ON T WO NA T I ON T HE OR Y

Th e m os t clea r a n d em p h a t ic exp os it ion is fou n d in

J in n a h 's s t a t em en t a n d s p e ch e s. He e xpou n de d t h e t wo n a t ion t h e or y
in s uc h de ta il t h a t m ost
Mu s lim s an d e ven s om e Hin d u s c a m e to b elie ve in it s tr u t h . He de c la r e d:

“Mu s lim s a r e n ot a m in or it y, t h ey ar e on e n at ion by every d efin it ion of t h e wor d

n a t ion . By a l c a n on s of in t e r n a t ion al law we ar e a n a t ion ." Qu a id -e -
Az a m re ite ra t e d t h a t Hin du s a n d Mu s lim s c ou ld e ve r evolve a c om m on
n a t ion a lit y wa s on id le d r ea m . Th ey a re a t ot a ly d iffer en t
n a t ion .Th ey h a ve an u n b r id geab le gu lf b etw en t h em
an d t h ey s tan d m iles ap ar t in r egar d s to t h eir
id ea ls , cu lt u r e a n d r eligion . In 1 9 7 3 , h e s a id :

"Hin d u s t an is n eit h er on e co u n t r y, n or it s in h ab it a n t ’s o n e n a t ion . Th is is S u b

Con t in e n t wh ic h c on s is t of m a n y n a t ion s of wh ic h t h e Hin d u s a n d Mu s lim s a re
t wo m ajor n at ion s ."

CONCL UT I ON

Th e Mu s lim s a p reh en d ed t h a t t h ey wou ld los e t h eir id en t it y if t h ey rem a in ed

a pa r t of Hin du s ociet y. Th ey a ls o c a m e to r e a lize t h e a b ove
m e nt ion e d d iffer en c es b et w en t h e m a n d t h e Hin d u s a n d h e n ce
d em a n d e d s ep a ra te
elector at e on t h e gr ou n d t h at t h ey wer e d ifferen t n at ion from Hin d u s .

Hen ce it is r igh t t o s a y t h a t t h is t h eor y i.e. t wo n a t ion t h eor y is t h e b a s is of t h e

c re a t ion of Pak is ta n b e c a u s e wit h ou t t h is a s a b a s e , Pa k is tan
wou ld n ot c om e in to b e in g o n 14th
Au gu s t,1 9 4 7 ,a n d we wou ld n ot b e b re a t h in g fr ely in t h is
op en air of Pak is t a n .