When Muslim League Wanted Rampur For Pakistan

'If you can have Rampur flown magically to Pakistan's borders, I might ask the nawab to accede to Pakistan. Else, I'm afraid we have no choice in the matter but to join India.'

A riveting excerpt from Mallika Ravikumar's 565 The Dramatic Story Of Unifying India

IMAGE: The conference in New Delhi where then British viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten disclosed Britain's plan for the Partition of India.
Left to Right: Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord Ismay, adviser to Mountbatten, Mountbatten, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images from the Rediff Archives

'We would like Rampur,' began Liaquat Ali without beating around the bush, 'to join Pakistan.'

The nawab exhaled gustily and sat back. In all their years of existence, the Muslim League had done nothing, nothing at all, for the princely states, completely ignoring the rulers and the people there. Now that Pakistan was about to take shape, they were feverishly scurrying hither and thither, making overtures to rajas and nawabs to strengthen Pakistan and weaken India.

Opportunistic and loathsome were the words that sprang to the nawab's mind. Yet, he maintained a poker face and turned to Liaquat Ali. 'I do not see matters as you do,' he replied after a brief silence. 'My people are mostly Hindu. There is no question of joining Pakistan.'

'But you are a Shi'a Muslim,' Liaquat Ali pointed out, the warmth vanishing from his voice, 'and the decision, as you know, is to be taken by the ruler.'

'Liaquat Sa'ab, my state will be surrounded by Indian territory. And if that's not an obvious enough reason for you, then let me tell you that I am quite secure with the idea of being in India.'

'What a tragedy,' Liaquat Ali clicked his tongue in disapproval. 'What a tragedy that, after all that we've been through, Muslims like you should still back the Congress party.'

IMAGE: Muslim League leaders in the corridor of the Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi, 1946. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The grandfather clock in the study chimed ten times as the two men stared at each other in awkward silence.

'Look... it is not too late,' Liaquat Ali resumed his pitch. 'As a well-wisher...I urge you to join forces with Pakistan.'

'I'm afraid that is just not possible,' replied Diwan Zaidi, in support of the nawab. 'Rampur sits in the United Provinces...in the very heart of India. It will be surrounded by India on all sides.'

'How is that of any consequence?' Liaquat Ali shot back, throwing up his hands. 'Have you forgotten the criterion of the two-nation theory? It has nothing to do with geography.'

The nawab and his diwan exchanged glances. Liaquat Ali, they had heard, was mild-mannered - supposedly a contrast to the joyless Jinnah. The outburst surprised them.

'The two-nation theory, Liaquat Sa'ab, was based on the religion of the people, wasn't it?' argued Zaidi, maintaining a dignified tone. 'And the people of Rampur are overwhelmingly Hindu. How can we join Pakistan?'

Cracking his knuckles furiously, Liaquat Ali looked away.

IMAGE: Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first prime minister in 1945 wearing a 'Jinnah cap'. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

'Let's say we join Pakistan...' continued the nawab, leaning forward, 'how will Pakistan aid Rampur if we were in trouble? We have no land link at all with Pakistan. Neither West nor East Pakistan is even remotely near us.' As it was, Pakistan was going to take birth in a peculiarly unusual form, with its western and eastern halves separated by over a thousand kilometres of Indian territory. Wasn't that complicated enough?

'Have faith in us, Nawab Sa'ab, we will provide you with complete moral support,' replied Liaquat Ali.

Moral support? Zaidi rolled his eyes. Was that all the League had to offer?

'Look...we have a plan,' Liaquat Ali also leaned forward in his seat.

'What plan?' enquired the nawab, only half interested.

'A land corridor between East and West Pakistan,' Liaquat Ali Khan smiled slightly as he visualised the prospect. 'It will cut through India. Rampur will be connected to Pakistan via this corridor.'

'Excuse me? Do you really think Pakistan will have a corridor cutting across India?' Zaidi suppressed a disbelieving chuckle. 'You've got to be joking.'

'I am appalled by your attitude, Zaidi Sa'ab,' Liaquat Ali Khan chided the diwan. 'As a fellow Muslim, you ought to be supportive and advise the nawab to accede to Pakistan. Instead, you mock our efforts.'

'Well,' smiled Zaidi cheekily, 'if you can have Rampur flown magically to Pakistan's borders, I might ask the nawab to accede to Pakistan. Else, I'm afraid we have no choice in the matter but to join India.'

Deeply offended by the impudent barb, Liaquat Ali got to his feet in a flash. 'You might find yourself in grave trouble,' he warned, waving a finger at the nawab, 'if you do not accede to Pakistan.'

'And what is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me?' The nawab stood up to face him, unperturbed.

'You are free to take it as you like,' said Liaquat Ali, straightening his suit and topi. Threatening and shouting were not in his nature. Why, he himself was of the same nawabi stock, an aristocrat from the same region, and had been raised with the same impeccable cultural refinement as the man who stood before him. However, the meeting was clearly not proceeding according to plan and his temper was beginning to fray.

'If you desert Pakistan,' Liaquat Ali said, his face red, his jaw quivering, 'you can be sure of trouble!'

Excerpted from 565 The Dramatic Story of Unifying India, by Mallika Ravikumar, with the kind permission from the publishers Hachette India.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com