Abstract
The record of the proceedings of the Punjab Legislature clearly shows that its members preferred to defend their communal interest‟s visa-a-vis of common cause against the British Raj. Given that the members representing their communities openly took communal line in their demands, thereby this state of affair sharpened the communal split in the society. Since the legislators were the policy makers in the province, therefore, their views and actions influenced the bulk of the society. Thus, this factor turned out to be a major factor in determining the future relations of the two-nations, namely Muslims and the non-Muslims, which unfortunately deteriorated to that level which brought about not only the partition of India but also the partition of the province on the communal basis. This study explores the nature and working of the Punjab Legislature during 1920s with reference to the Sikh Gurdwara Reform. This study attempts to dig out primary and secondary sources which mainly targets Punjab Legislature and legislators, what was their respond to the Sikh Gurdwara Reform Movement? The underling hypothesis of the paper is that the major communities of the province i.e. Hindus, Sikhs and the Muslims, were divided owing to their communal interests in the Punjab Legislature. Instead of strengthening unity and harmony, this institution served as one of the major arenas for Hindu-Muslim and Sikh conflicts which greatly influenced Muslim political thinking in the province as well as the centre. No wonder, after having a bitter communal experience in the Punjab Legislature, Allama Iqbal spoke out in the Allahabad Address in 1930 in which he suggested the partition of India into separate Hindu and Muslim majority zones. The ruling political party the Unionist Party (which was comprised of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs) did not easy to deal with Gurdwara Reform in the legislature and unnerved its government as well. The question of communal harmony in the Punjab was not only shatter but also bleak in the coming years 1940s and its worst shape could be seen at the time of partition of India 1947.
Khurshid Ahmad Rana. (2017) The Sikh Gurdwara Reform Movement and Legislative Culture of the Punjab: An appraisal. 1920-25, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume 30, Issue 2.
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