Pakistan-India Celebrate Independence Day

India was split into two countries — Pakistan and India — in August 1947 when the British ended their colonial rule. Pakistan celebrates its independence day today (August 14), while India a day later on August 15. The photograph above shows Muhammad Ali Jinnah and M.K. Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), both designated as “Father of the Nation” by the newly independent nations respectively.

This is a good occasion to remember the two great leaders and their vision of India and Pakistan.

Here is the quote from Mr Jinnah’s speech in Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly, August 11, 1947: “If we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor…

“You are free — You are free to go to your temples mosques or any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan.”

“You may belong to any religion, caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state… in due course of time Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to Muslims- not in a religious sense for that is the personal faith of an individual- but in a political sense as citizens of one state.”

For the complete text of Jinnah’s speech please click here…

And here is the assessment of Mahatma Gandhi’s vision, please click here… “His (Gandhi’s) efforts to achieve reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims eventually brought him death. He was assassinated by a fellow Hindu, Nathuram Godse, who felt that Gandhi had betrayed the Hindu cause.”