This article is a clear example of the line, “ Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it”. Jinnah and Nehru were great people in their own right. But this article is biased. It is a summary off events regarding the partition of India but it has been manipulated by the author, Tarun Vijay, who indirectly one particular point of view.
The entire article is written through his perspective, which is modeled on the RSS concept and the communist BJP. The author has used language as a tool, making use of important lines said by famous and great leaders in their speeches, in a different context in order to bring forward his point on this issue. He has manipulated parts of the speech made by these men in order to suit his perspective. For example Jinnah’s speech,
“I am not prepared to discuss ethics. We have a pistol and are in a position to use it."
So said Mohammad Ali Jinnah while delivering his presidential speech at the Muslim League convention on July 19, 1946. Tarun Vijay has used this line specifically to evoke a certain emotion – anger amongst the readers, blaming Jinnah for the partition and a verbal attack against the Muslim community.
Tarun Vijay manages to get his point across to the readers, by showing his anti Jinnah and anti Pakistani views, and at the same time talks about the works of Jinnah and other people’s speeches. Vijay uses historical examples to show Jinnah’s ruthlessness. Starting with talk about an “unimaginable massacre of Hindus in Kolkata”, Vijay manages to use his words to stir the feelings within the Indians reading this article. The speeches that he uses are very anti – Jinnah and pro – Hindu.
He goes on talking about different events, which are once again chosen with a bias, to prove his pro – Hindu point. Tarun Vijay includes Dr.Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the then leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, who was anti Jinnah, which is clearly brought out’
“Jinnah is out to destroy the very soul of India”
This sentence is clearly evident of Vijay’s intentions to bring out criticism against Jinnah. Along with this statement, Vijay has added his own inputs. He states that Mookerjee formed a volunteer group of the Hindus named the Hindustan National Guards, resisted horrendous goondaism of the League and moved in the riot-affected areas giving courage to the victims of a planned slaughter and orgy of violence by the League’s marauders. This is a clear indication of his intentions of writing this article. It was to provoke and stir the feelings of the readers towards Hinduism, through the medium of language.
Tarun Vijay does state his opinion of supremacy and the greatness of the RSS, through his words, quotations, and historical examples. He uses a quote from the Gita to talk about the RSS. This shows how he uses language, to stir emotions of the readers, at the same time, give the impression that following the RSS is following god. He equates the RSS to a deity.
Tarun also brings in ethics by quoting Jinnah when he said that he did not want to talk about ethics, Vijay manipulates the mind into thinking that Jinnah was unethical as he killed Hindus ruthlessly and mercilessly while the Hindus like the BJP and the RSS were so docile, ethical, and politically correct. On the issue of ethics, Tarun Vijay himself is highly unethical in writing about Jinnah and the Muslim Community; branding them as the traitor to India and causing a divide in Indian unity. He goes to the extent of quoting Dr. Mookerjee;
“The idea of two nationalities in India is only a new-fangled notion invented by Jinnah for his purposes and contrary to the facts. More than 90% of the Indian Mussalmans are descendants of converted Hindus and belong as much to the Indian nation as the Hindus themselves.”
He also brings political science to the forefront, when he brings in the politics of the time, and events that differentiate the BJP from the RSS and politics at the time of the partition and politics today. He also brings in other parties such as the Congress, BJP and the RSS besides the Muslim League.
Though he doesn’t directly insult Jinnah, he uses quotes that insult, and ruin him. For example he mentions what MJ Akbar Khan said about Jinnah’s antics. How Muhammad Ali Jinnah was an aristocrat by temperament, catholic in taste, sectarian in politics, and the father of Pakistan, who became the unlikeliest parent that an Islamic republic could possibly have. Jinnah did not even know Urdu. This indicates that Tarun Vijay criticized Jinnah not only for the partition of India but also being a bad leader or representative of Pakistan. The use of ethics, human sciences, and history enhances the effect that Vijay makes on his reader.
He takes a personal dig at Jinnah when he mentions this;
“It’s better to die unwavering even in tatters than to change track midway and die stinking rich.”
This quote is from the Gita and what the RSS believe in. This proves his association with the RSS.
He not only criticizes Jinnah and the Muslim League but also upholds the name of the BJP and the RSS. This truly shows his support for these two parties.
In the end he talks about how the two leaders Syama Prasad and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and how they are two major icons of faith for the Hindu nationalist parivar.
Talking about Gandhi raises the flag of patriotism in the reader’s eyes. Gandhi a person of great awe in India, is written about with respect by Vijay, while Jinnah is insulted hence attacking emotions and using this psychological method, Vijay appeals to reader and evokes emotions and manages to do justify his title of the article. Tarun Vijay is successful in criticizing Jinnah, praising BJP and RSS and presenting his perspective on this issue. In this way, Vijay manages to share his biased opinion on Jinnah, and succeeds in brainwashing the readers.
