BOOK REVIEW, Jaswant Singh's ' Jinnah, India, Partition,'

Jaswant Singh's latest book 'Jinnah, India, Partition' is a scholarly work. Jaswant, who hails from Rajasthan, a desert state on the western border of present day India, is an ex- Indian Army officer who as a Major resigned his commission to pursue a political career. He was a founder member of the BJP the Hindu revivalist party. Jaswant is generally regarded as an authority on matters of defense and national security. He rose to prominence in the BJP and was selected by Vajpayee to be the Foreign Minister during the erstwhile BJP rule during 1998-2004.

Jinnah is like a red rag to a bull for most Indians and politicians. Hardly a book has been written about the founder of Pakistan by any notable Indian. Thus Jaswants book fills a void and makes an attempt to understand the mind of Jinnah and his equation with the Hindu leaders of the congress viz Patel, Nehru and Gandhi. The book is lucid and well written. His interpretation of the sordid and tortuous period of partition in 1947 is well presented. Jinnah now given credit for Pakistan was not really a communalist at all. Remember his opposition to the Khilafat movement supported by Gandhi? But he was out maneuvered by the Hindu Leaders Gandhi and Patel and slowly his mind accepted the two nation theory. Who is to blame for this transformation? Jaswant writes with flair and brings out the hand of Nehru and Patel in this transformation. India may well have remained united only if Nehru in his greed to become the Prime Minister had not played into the hands of the British. Jaswant lucidly brings about the transformation of Jinnah from a nationalist and secularist to the sole spokes person of Indian Muslims. But he is able to give no definite answer. Singh brings out the fact that Jinnah was not a hater of Hindus, but was only allergic to the Congress party and its Hindu leaders Gandhi and Nehru. Many Indians will not agree with this. The responsibility of partition has to be squarely shouldered by Nehru who had the ear of Gandhi at that time. Jaswant has thus stoked the embers and the flame has grown so high that it has consumed him. The BJP has expelled him and Jaswant is in no man's land for writing something that is anathema to most Hindus. But Jaswant needs to be complimented for writing something that will give fresh food for thought to intellectuals. One can disagree with Jaswant's assessments but can't afford to ignore it. The prose is simple and on the whole the book is well written. It's worth a read by any person who is interested in the sub-continent.