Course: Women politics

Presentation on Fatima Jinnah

Group members: Sundas Ibrar, Arzu Khurshid, Esha Ghazanfer.

Known as Madr-e-Millat, mother of the nation, Fatima Jinnah’s name is an

important one among the leaders of Pakistan’s independence movement. Though
she is most loved for being a passionate supporter of her brother, Quaid-e-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, there is much more to Fatima Jinnah.

Personal background
Early Life
Fatima Jinnah was born in 1893. When the Jinnah’s lost their father in 1901,
Fatima came under the guardianship of her older brother. Fatima Jinnah was the
youngest of eight brothers and sisters born to Jinnah’s father Poonja Jinnah, a
comfortable merchant of Karachi. In appearance Fatima Fatima resembled
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, her eldest brother. In 1902, she was sent to the Bandara
convent where she remained in the hostels as her parents had died. In 1919, she
enrolled in Dr. Ahmed’s Dental College at Calcutta. On graduating in 1923, she
opened her own dental clinic in Bombay. By his support for his sister, Jinnah made
a point that he was not averse to the idea of girls getting higher education. He
always wanted women to participate in political rallies. In 1923, at a time when
taking up a profession was considered inappropriate for girls from Muslim
families, Fatima Jinnah opened her own dental practice in Calcutta. When Quaid-
e-Azam’s wife, Rutti Jinnah, passed away leaving behind a daughter, Fatima
Jinnah gave up her practice and went to live with her brother taking charge of the
house and her young niece. Fatima was always at her brother’s side on all public
occasions. She made speeches at various girls schools and colleges, and also at
the women’s rallies. No wonder she came to be known as Khatoon-i-Pakistan. He
trusted her implicitly and she had full faith in him. Once Jinnah told his naval ADC
Ahsan, “nobody had faith in me; everyone thought I was mad except Miss
Jinnah”. After Jinnah’s death, she came to be called Madar-i-Millat. .Fatima
Jinnah, the sister of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was perhaps the biggest supporter of
her brother’s search for an independent Muslim state in India. She was also a
leader in the Pakistani independence movement in her own right. After her
brother’s early death from cancer, Fatima Jinnah at least partly took his place as a
leader for a conservative, Muslim Pakistan.
In her biography of Mohammad Ali Jinnah entitled My Brother, Fatima Jinnah
related the history of her family. Her father Jinnah Poonja was born in the year
1857—the same year as the great Indian Mutiny—in the village of Paneli, in the
state of Gondal near the city of Bombay. He established himself in business and
married a local girl named Mithibai , a native of the village of Datha, in 1874.
Jinnah Poonja’s business quickly expanded; he taught himself to speak English
and relocated to the town of Karachi in the province of Sind. There his children
were born, including his eldest son Mohammad Ali and his third daughter, Fatima.
“With business contacts established with Grahams Trading Co.,” wrote Jinnah,
“my father started doing business in isinglass and gumarabic, in addition to his
various other business interests.” By then, Jinnah Poonja had business
connections with a number of countries, in particular with England and Hong
Kong.
She was the Centre of our eyes and ears, and we listened to her, enraptured by
the bewitching way in which she would narrate her stories, night after night. She
told tales of fairies and the flying carpet; of jins and dragons; and they seemed to
our childish minds to be wonderful tales, stories out of this world.
Fatima Jinnah’s devotion to her brother may have had its origins in their close-knit
family. She lost her mother when she was very young, in 1894 or 1895. Her
father, left with the responsibility of a large family and no wife to help care for
them, aged prematurely. His business had collapsed, and he had to rely on his
eldest son to help support the family. When Jinnah Poonja also died
unexpectedly, Mohammad Ali Jinnah took full responsibility for his younger
brothers and sisters. Fatima Jinnah became Mohammad’s ward “at the age of
eight,” she reported, and she lived with him from the death of her father until he
married for the second time in 1918. Mohammad oversaw Fatima’s education,
allowing her to enter the Bandra Convent school in 1902 despite her strict Islamic
upbringing. In a time when Indian Muslim women were expected to stay at home
and concentrate on raising and tending their families and husbands, he
encouraged her plans to enroll in the Dr. Ahmad Dental College in Calcutta.
After the death of Mohammad Ali’s second wife Ruttenbai Petit Jinnah in 1929,
Fatima returned to her brother’s household and lived with him until his death in
1948. She also accompanied him on his self-imposed exile in Europe from 1929 to
1935. When he entered politics in 1936 with the express aim of establishing an
independent homeland for Indian Muslims, she supported and campaigned to
spread his ideas. Her efforts won her a place as a delegate to the Bombay
Provincial Muslim League Council in March 1947, a time when independence for
all Indians was becoming more and more of a reality. Mohammad recognized the
important role his sister played in helping him create his independent Muslim
state, noting, “In the days when I was expecting to be taken as a prisoner by the
British Government, it was my sister who encouraged me, and said hopeful
things when revolution was staring me in the face. Her constant care is about
my health.”
In 1964, she challenged former general Ayub Khan for the presidency of the
country, seeing him as antidemocratic and a threat to the freedom of ordinary
Pakistanis. Although she lost the election and died only three years later, Fatima
Jinnah maintained the loyalty and love of many Islamic Pakistanis. “Whenever
Pakistan faced a political crisis,” writes Atique Zafar Sheikh, director general of the
National Archives of Pakistan, “Fatima Jinnah stood with the people. She always
boldly and courageously challenged every action against people, democracy, and
Islamic ideology. The people of Pakistan had great faith in her.”

Political life and political struggle:

She was involved in politics side by side with her brother. When the All India
Muslim League was being organized, Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah became the
member of the working Committee of Bombay Provincial Muslim League and
worked there until 1947. In March 1940 she attended the Lahore resolution of
the Muslims League. It was because of her that All India Muslim Student
Federation was organized in February 1941 at Delhi. During the transfer of power
Fatima Jinnah formed a women’s relief committee, latter on it was formed as the
nucleus for the (APWA) known as All Pakistan Women’s Association founded by
Rana Liaqat Ali Khan. She did a lot of work for the settlement of the Mohajirs
after the creation of Pakistan. She also returned towards the political life when
she ran for the presidency of Pakistan.
In 1965 she defied tradition by challenging Ayub Khan in a tight race for the office
of President of Pakistan. In her early rallies almost 250,000 people came to see
her in Dhaka and millions of the people, than millions of the people lined from
there to Chittagong. Her train which was called Freedom Special train was 22
hours late because men at each station pulled the emergency break and they
begged her to speak to them. She was hailed as the mother of the nation.
Fatima Jinnah’s contributions in the social development sector has been ignored.
She along with Begum Liaqat Ali Khan made the greatest contribution in the realm
of women’s awakening and participation in national affairs. If Fatima Jinnah
serves as a role model for Pakistani girls, she is indeed a fine one for she had a life
filled achievements.
Became the ward of her elder brother Mohammad Ali Jinnah upon the death of
her father (c. 1901–18); opened a dental clinic in Bombay (1923); moved in with
her brother Mohammad Ali Jinnah upon the death of his wife Ruttenbai (1929);
traveled in Europe (1929–35); entered politics (1936), with the express aim of
establishing an independent homeland for Indian Muslims; elected delegate to
the Bombay Provincial Muslim League Council (March 1947); served as public
speaker and politician (1947–67); supported and nursed Mohammad Ali Jinnah
during his final illness until his death on September 11, 1948; worked to establish
educational institutions, including Fatima Jinnah Medical College for Girls (c.
1949–51); worked to ease the plight of Muslim refugees entering Pakistan by
founding Industrial Homes in Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta (c. 1949–51);
assisted in funding and maintaining scholarships, schools, and hospitals in
Pakistan (1958–59); unsuccessfully stood for president of Pakistan (1964),
challenging Ayub Khan for the leadership of the country.
After death of her brother Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first lady of
Pakistan, Fatima Jinnah devoted herself for the social service of the nation. When
General Ayub Khan announced the presidential elections, the COP – a political
alliance of five political parties – approached her with the request to contest this
election. By that time, aged 71 years, Fatima Jinnah was dissociated with politics,
and hence she regretted to accede to this request. However, on the persistent
persuasion of the political leaders and for deep affection and willingness of the
people, she agreed to contest the election with the aim to terminate dictatorship
from the country and for the betterment and development of the country and
nation by way of bringing about a democratic system of politics. At a time when
even big shots in the politics had not the slightest courage to criticize or confront
the dictatorship of Ayub Khan, this old lady proved so courageous that the entire
public from Khyber to Dacca and from Karachi to Chittagong stood in favour of
Fatima Jinnah. This election was the first occasion after Pakistan came into
Existence, because such enthusiastic exhibition of processions and meetings was
not seen In the previous elections in entire Pakistan i.e. in the eastern and
western wings.
She was a social activist in many forms. To suffer of Flood in East Pakistan and
West Pakistan, resettlement of Refugees, health issues and T.B patients was her
priority (Fatima Jinnah Papers file 174, National Archives of Pakistan Dawn 5
November 1956). As a presidential candidate failure she Put the blame on
pressure of major political parties and her Desire to do some thing for
Pakistan(Ahmed 2003: 155-57). Fatima Jinnah accompanied Jinnah to all political
and social Gatherings. Therefore in various letters to Jinnah a respectful
Reference to Fatima is always made (Abdul Khaliq to M. A. Jinnah file 896: 29,
Ram Nandan Chowdhary to Jinnah file 1083: 31-32). Jamiluddin Ahmad to M. A.
Jinnah dated 4 March 1940 From Aligarh requested Miss Fatima Jinnah to visit
along with Her brother (Zaidi 2007: 188). Even Khawaja Nazimuddin and Qazi Isa
while writing to Jinnah never forgot to pay their regards To her (QAP file 392: 8-
11, file 302: 27-28). Liaqat Ali Khan Wished Miss Jinnah best regards (Zaidi 2007:
300, 366, 609, 673). M A. H. Ispahani always wished her best of luck and good
Health (QAP file 310: 673, file 305: 62). Mohamad Aurangzeb Khan thanked her
for dinners and functions at Jinnah’s Residence (Mohamad Aurangzeb Khan to M.
A. Jinnah QAP fie 329: 101). When Jinnah replied he sent good wishes from her as
Well (Zaidi 207: 583). Mohammad Amir Khan, Liaqat Ali Khan, Haji Abdus Sattar,
Qazi Isa and M. H. Ispahani while Communicating at different years and at
different months to Jinnah never forgot to send Miss Jinnah good wished (QAP
Files 302,335,797 and 95). Most books were penned in 2003 Which was declared
as Fatima Jinnah’s year (Jaffery 2003). Research on speeches and her messages
were started in 1976 (Khan 1976).
In the 1960s, Jinnah returned to the forefront of political life when she ran for the
presidency of Pakistan as a candidate for the Combined Opposition Party of
Pakistan (COPP). She described her opponent, Ayub Khan, as a dictator. In her
early rallies, nearly 250,000 people thronged to see her in Dhaka, and a million
lined the 293-mile route from there to Chittagong. Her train, called the Freedom
Special, was 22 hours late because men at each station pulled the emergency
cord, and begged her to speak. The crowds hailed her as Madr-e-Millat, (Mother
of the Nation). In her speeches, she argued that by coming to terms with India on
the Indus Water dispute, Ayub had surrendered control of the rivers to India. She
narrowly lost the election, winning a majority in some provinces. The election did
not involve direct democracy of the population, and some journalists and
historians believe that if it had been a direct election she could have won. Jinnah,
popularly acclaimed as the Madr-e-Millat, or Mother of the Nation for her role in
the Freedom Movement, contested the 1965 elections at the age of 71. Except for
her brief tour to East Pakistan in 1954, she had not participated in politics since
Independence. After the imposition of martial law by Ayub Khan, she once wished
the regime well. Yet after martial law was lifted, she sympathized with the
opposition as she was strongly in favor of democratic ideals. Being sister of her
beloved brother, she was held in high esteem, and came to symbolize the
democratic aspirations of the people. The electoral landscape changed when
Jinnah decided to contest the elections for the president’s office in 1965. She was
challenging the dictator and self-proclaimed “president” Ayub Khan in the indirect
election, which Ayub Khan had himself instituted. Presidential candidates for the
vote of 1965 were announced before commencement of the Basic Democracy
elections, which was to constitute the Electoral College for the Presidential and
Assembly elections. There were two major parties contesting the election, the
Convention Muslim League and the Combined Opposition Parties. The Combined
Opposition Parties consisted of five major opposition parties. It had a nine-point
program, which included restoration of direct elections, adult franchise and
democratization of the 1962 Constitution. The opposition parties of Combined
Opposition Parties were not united and did not possess any unity of thought and
action. They were unable to select presidential candidates from amongst
themselves; therefore they selected Jinnah as their candidate. Elections were held
on 2 January 1965. There were four candidates: Ayub Khan, Fatima Jinnah and
two obscure persons with no party affiliation.[3] There was a short campaigning
period of one month, which was further restricted to nine projection meetings
that were organized by the Election Commission and were attended only by the
members of the Electoral College and members of the press. The public was
barred from attending the projection meetings, which would have enhanced
Jinnah’s image. Ayub Khan had a great advantage over the rest of the candidates.
The Second Amendment to the Constitution confirmed him as president till the
election of his successor. Armed with the wide-ranging constitutional powers of a
President, he exercised complete control over all governmental machinery during
elections. He utilized the state facilities as head of state, not as the President of
the Convention Muslim League or a presidential candidate, and did not hesitate
to legislate on electoral matters. Bureaucracy and business, the two beneficiaries
of the Ayub Khan regime, helped him in his election campaign. Taking advantage
of political opportunities, he brought all the discontented elements together to
support him; students were assured the revision of the University Ordinance and
journalists the scrutiny of the Press Laws. Ayub Khan also gathered the support of
the Ulama who were of the view that Islam does not permit a woman to be the
head of an Islamic state.
During the years (1937-1947) when Pakistan movement was at its peak, Fatima
Jinnah’s role was nothing less than a beacon of hope for the Muslim women.
Though the guidance of her elder brother Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
she herself became a role model not only for the Muslims women of South Asia,
but for the women of whole Asian society. Her role as a women leader was even
more important when after the death of Quaid-i-Azam in 1948 she became the
focal point for aspirations of Pakistani women. It was under very difficult
circumstances that she worked for the promotion of women’s rights and
privileges in Pakistan. Fatima Jinnah was interested to make women of Pakistan to
become independent in financial matters. She desired an end to women’s
economic dependence on men. Rather both men and women were required by
her to jointly share the responsibility of their family with complete understanding
with each other. These ideas are established in the addresses and teachings of
Fatima Jinnah. She explained that, “it is necessary for women that they should
earn money for themselves. It is the duty of men to take care of women and
financially support them. It is most important that men and women should
understand the problems of one another. With consultation, she can improve the
relations and life style. Women can play an important role as far as mutual
understanding and domestic life is concerned. She can change the mood and
habits of a man. After spending a tiresome period outside the home, there should
be a comfortable environment at home. This is the best characteristics of sensible
woman that she should sense the situation and act accordingly. Variety and
nature exist as the facts of life. To climinate this diversity and nature is, in fact,
exertion and regimentation, whether employed in the name of equality or any
other title. Islam proposes difference at various levels and we accept it. But the
Islamic concept is based on justice and objective realities. This does not at all
affect the position of man or woman, concerning basic level of responsibility or
accountability.
Fatima Jinnah was awake of these orientations of Islam in case of women’s
responsibilities. She believed on essential role of women in the society by which
all the walks of life become balanced. Without women’s contribution a society
cannot be made to play a healthy and balanced role for the development of
society. In various platforms of her role as mother, or a sister, or a wife or a
daughter women’s role in the society is pivotal.

Achievements:
After obtaining a dental degree from the University of Calcutta in 1923, then she
became the first female dentist of undivided India, she became a close associate
and an adviser to her older brother, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who later became the
first Governor General of Pakistan. A strong critic of the British Raj, she emerged
as a strong advocate of the two nation theory and a leading member of the All-
India Muslim League. After the independence of Pakistan, Jinnah co-founded the
Pakistan Women’s Association which played an integral role in the settlement of
the women migrants in the newly formed country. She remained the closest
confidant of her brother until his death. After his death, Fatima was banned from
addressing the nation until 1951; her 1951 radio address to the nation was heavily
censored by the Liaquat administration. She wrote the book My Brother, in 1955
but it was only published 32 years later, in 1987, due to censorship by the
establishment, who had accused Fatima of “anti-nationalist material.” Even when
published several pages from the book’s manuscript were left out.
Jinnah came out of her self-imposed political retirement in 1965 to participate in
the presidential election against military dictator Ayub Khan. She was backed by a
consortium of political parties, and despite political rigging by the military, won
two of Pakistan’s largest cities, Karachi and Dhaka. The U.S. magazine, Time, while
reporting on the 1965 election campaign, wrote that Jinnah faced attacks on her
modesty and patriotism by Ayub Khan and his allies.
Her legacy is associated with her support for civil rights, her struggle in the
Pakistan Movement and her devotion to her brother. Referred to as Māder-e
Millat (“Mother of the Nation”) and Khātūn-e Pākistān (“Lady of Pakistan”), many
institutions and public spaces in Pakistan have been named in her honour.
Death:
On 11 July 1967, in early hours she was discovered Dead. Doctors pronounced
the reason as heart failure due to old Age. Many newspapers published this
report. Others like M. A. H. Ispahani said her death was a result of natural
causes.84 Matlub-ul-Hassan Syed, Quaid’s personal secretary for many Years,
Stated that she was at Mir Laik Ali Khan’s dinner when she Complained of low
blood pressure due to which she was Discovered dead in the morning.85 But
according to Mir Laik Ali Khan himself she left his house in good spirits.86 K. H.
Khursheed declared that her neck had wrinkles but it was wrong To presume that
the cause of her death was strangulation.87When lady Hidayatullah and her niece
opened her Bedroom door they found Fatima Jinnah lying on bed with her Hand
on her neck. They also noticed that her dressing room was Open which she always
kept locked before going to bed and even The door to the gallery was open. But
Lady Hidayatullah said that There were no marks on her neck.88 The first to link
her death With political murder openly was Hassan A. Sheikh who had Handled
her election campaign against Ayub Khan.89 He Demanded to the government of
Yahya Khan to do justice to her Death.90 The murder theory gained currency from
the statement Of Haji Kallu, an aged man who had prepared her body for Burial.
He revealed that there were injuries on her person.91 But The old man was asked
to keep silent.92 Every one had something To say about Fatima Jinnah’s death
once Ayub Khan’s rule came To an end. When Syeda Fatima wife of Syed M. Zafar
started to Give bath to Fatima, she revealed she had deep injuries and her Clothes
were full of blood.93 It may be inferred that when Fatima Jinnah returned from
the function late at night somebody was Hiding in her house. When she fell a
sleep the same person Attacked her for her precious jewelry. It was discovered
later That she had been upset with one of the servants and had fired him.
Household servants were afraid of her. In all probability Some servant might have
murdered her.94 But unfortunately, no In-depth inquiry into her death was held.
Ayub Khan was a Sitting dictator and he did not bother. Later, too, no one
bothered To re-open the issue seriously. Some still believe that her death Was
due to natural causes while others maintain that it was a Murder. Even in 2009
we do not know the real story.
Personal opinion :
My most favorite woman personality is Fatima Jinnah, sister of Mohammed Ali
Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and most commonly known as Quaid-e-Azam . His
sister Fatima, like her brother, was a very intelligent and selfless woman. She
stood shoulder to shoulder with her very hard-working brother and played a
major role in the formation of Pakistan. The reason she is my hero is because
during that time while the subcontinent was struggling for independence, the rest
of the world had not yet given their woman any rights or importance in shaping a
new world. Fatima Jinnah had already become a leading woman figure of the
Pakistan movement because of her firm belief that a woman should have a right
to be educated like men, and because of this passion and aim of training young
Pakistani women, a medical college was opened in her name in Lahore. The thing
that inspires me about her is that what she valued, education, was not for herself
but the young girls of a new nation. She was very supportive to her brother and
showed respect to him.