Spare the Quaid

In Pakistan, there is an ongoing debate for the last 61 years about the purpose and rationale behind the creation of Pakistan. Different schools of thought interpret Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's speeches to serve their ends. However Quaid-i-Azam had envisioned Pakistan to be a modern progressive state, rooted in the eternal values of Islam, and at the same time responsive to the imperatives of constant change. Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was no doubt one of the most charismatic leaders in the recent history that happened to be there at the right moment when Muslims of the undivided India were facing ugly challenges of life. Before partition, Muslims were not allowed to lead their lives according to their faith and culture; they were deprived of their basic rights, and were denied equal opportunities in education, services and business fields.
Indian leaders have always criticised Quaid-i-Azam for the division of India. Some misguided elements and pseudo-intellectuals in Pakistan wittingly or unwittingly malign Quaid-i-Azam on one pretext or another. Some criticise him for not having supported Quit India Movement; others opine that Quaid-i-Azam was a tool in the hands of the British, and that Pakistan was created as a result of an intrigue by the British and not through the struggle of Muslims of the subcontinent under his leadership. Yet some try to trivialise the Quaid's prodigious contribution by giving a spin that he had throughout fought for the rights of the Muslims but within the framework of united India. Evidence suggests that he waged struggle for the rights of the Muslims even when he was member of the Congress.
In 1916, Lukhnow Pact was the result of his efforts that Congress had accepted the rights of the Muslims for separate constituencies, and was willing to give constitutional guarantees to them. However, after participating in the Roundtable Conference in 1930s, Quaid-i-Azam was convinced that the Muslims could not expect a fair deal from the Congress. When Gandhi claimed that Congress alone represented India, the Quaid made up his mind that at an opportune time he would not accept less than a separate homeland for the Muslims. Secondly, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had also backtracked on making changes in the constitution with the consent of the Muslims, which provided perfect justification to the Quaid to reject the Cabinet Mission Plan.