Importance and History of Two Nation Theory
Pakistan came into being on the basis of the two-nation theory. The two-nation theory states that there were two different nations living in the sub-continent i.e. Hindus and Muslims who have different religions, cultures, social values, and backgrounds and they could never merge with each other.
Basis of Two-Nation Theory:
In spite of living together for centuries, the Muslims and Hindus were unable to cooperate and co-exist with each other. The differences between the two nations were;
Religion:- The major religious difference between Hindus and Muslims was the belief in the oneness of God or Tauheed. The Muslims believed in the equality of men whereas, Hindus were divided into different castes. There was no place for women in Hinduism whereas; they were greatly respected by Islam.
Language:- Muslims and Hindus spoke and wrote different languages. The language of Muslims was Urdu written in Persian script and the Hindus spoke Hindi written in Devnagri script. In 1867, some Hindu leaders demanded that the use of the Urdu language should be discontinued in government offices and replaced by the Hindi language.
Way of Living:- Hindus and Muslims had two different modes of life. Muslims ate meat and Hindus considered it a sin. The Hindus used to live in small and dark houses but the Muslims lived in large houses and more space was left for the sunlight to enter.
Presentation of Two-Nation Theory
It was in 1867 when the Urdu-Hindi dispute started in Benares. In that connection, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote a letter to Mr. Shakespeare, the Divisional Commissioner of Benares. In that letter, Sir Syed used the word "nation" for Muslims. He wrote, "Now I am convinced that these two nations, Hindus and Muslims, will never reach any agreement upon any matter in future". That is why Sir Syed Ahmed Khan is also known as the father of the two-nation theory.
Allama Iqbal and Two-Nation Theory
Allama Iqbal gave a clear concept of the two-nation theory in his presidential address at Allah bad in 1930. He gave the idea of a separate Muslim state in South Asia by joining the northwestern Muslim majority areas. Allama Iqbal said, "I would like to see the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, NWFP, and Baluchistan together as a state for the Muslims of South Asia as their final destiny."
Quaid-e-Azam and Two-Nation Theory
The Quaid-e-Azam in a number of his speeches made it clear that Muslims are not a minority but they are a great nation of 100 million people. He quoted, “Hindustan is neither one country nor its inhabitants are one nation. This is a sub-continent consisting of two major nations; Hindus and Muslims. These two nations differ in religion, culture, civilization, language, literature, art, and craft. In short, we differ in every aspect of life."
Conclusion:
It was clear that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations. Therefore, Muslim leaders demanded a separate homeland for them. After years of hard struggle, Quaid-e-Azam succeeded in getting a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia in 1947.