Choudhry
Rehmat Ali was a Muslim Punjabi, Gujjar by the cast, who was one of the
earliest proponents of the creation of the state of Pakistan. He is credited
with creating the name "Pakistan" for a separate Muslim homeland in
South Asia and is generally known as the founder of the movement for its
creation. He is best known as the author of a famous 1933 pamphlet titled
"Now or Never; Are We to Live or Perish Forever", also known as the
Pakistan Declaration. The pamphlet started with a famous statement:
"At
this solemn hour in the history of India, when British and Indian statesmen are
laying the foundations of a Federal Constitution for that land, we address this
appeal to you, in the name of our common heritage, on behalf of our thirty
million Muslim brethren who live in PAKSTAN – by which we mean the five
Northern units of India, Viz: Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Kashmir,
Sindh, and Baluchistan."
While
Choudhry Rehmat Ali was a leading figure for the conception of Pakistan, he
lived most of his adult life in England. After the creation of Pakistan, he
returned to Pakistan in April 1948, planning to stay in this country. But, due
to the division of Punjab and excluding Kashmir from Pakistan, he was more
unhappy over a smaller Pakistan than the one he had conceived in his 1933
pamphlet “Now Or Never” and the same was demanded in the 1940 resolution of
Lahore.
Therefore,
he started to voice his dissatisfaction with the creation of an imperfect
Pakistan due to the division of Punjab, excluding Kashmir from Pakistan,
including Bengal in Pakistan and allowing UP, CP people in the governance and
civil services of Pakistan. Because in his writing’s he offered the name
"Bangistan" for a Muslim homeland in the Bengal,
"Osmanistan" for a Muslim homeland in the Deccan and suggested
Diniaas a name for a South Asia of various religions, but, in his pamphlet
titled "Now or Never; Are We to Live or Perish Forever?" The word
'Pakistan' referred to "the five Northern units of India, viz; Punjab,
North-West Frontier Province (Afghan Province), Kashmir, Sindh, and
Baluchistan.
As a
result, he was ordered by the then Uttar Pradesh belonging, Urdu Speaking
Hindustani Muhajir Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan to leave the
country. His belongings were confiscated, and he left empty-handed for England
in October 1948. He died in February 1951 and was buried on 20 February at
Newmarket Road Cemetery, Cambridge, UK.
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