Justice Markandey Katju, in his recent conversation with Dr. Moeed Pirzada, did not bring forth a new controversy—he merely held up a mirror. He labeled both Jinnah and Gandhi as British agents, holding them responsible for the great divide of 1947. While such a claim stirs emotions and challenges long-held narratives, a closer examination is necessary. Were these leaders truly agents of the British, or were they merely navigating a colonial chessboard designed to divide and rule? If they were British agents, why did the British hastily leave, plunging the subcontinent into chaos? The more reasonable conclusion is that both Jinnah and Gandhi were not colluders but rather leaders maneuvering through an imperial system that thrived on divisions. Their visions, however noble, became casualties of this grand manipulation.

Jinnah, the man who shaped Pakistan’s destiny, was not merely a politician but a statesman whose vision extended beyond the immediate political realities of his time. He envisioned a land where law and justice would reign, where religion would guide but not dictate, where all faiths would find shelter beneath a canopy of equality. He sought a nation built upon principles of democracy and economic self-sufficiency, a homeland where meritocracy would prevail over feudal hierarchies and entrenched power structures.

Yet, his vision was met with skepticism by some, none more so than Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who watched from the sidelines, warning of tempests yet to come. Azad saw not just the partition of land but the fracture of spirit, the breaking of bonds that had taken centuries to weave. He did not rejoice in the creation of a new state; instead, he mourned its inevitable fate. He spoke of shadows lurking behind the celebration, of power slipping into the wrong hands, of a country that would one day devour itself.

Time, ever the silent judge,........

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