The Ham

For years Mohamed Ali Jinnah had kindled the fires of civil war with his slogan "Pakistan or die!" Last week, as tan dust swirled through New Delhi on the year's hottest day (112DEG), it was up to Jinnah to cool off his Moslem League.

In the mirrors of the Imperial Hotel's grand ballroom, 300 of his followers could watch themselves sipping orange pop and looking bored, as the mullah on the stage mumbled a long recitation from the Koran. Then Jinnah rose. Smiling his death's-head smirk, he held up a hand to quiet the thunderous applause. Instantly, it stopped.

He spoke in jubilant undertones, as if letting his followers in on the secret that the British proposal for a free Indian Constitution meant that the Moslems were sure to get their separate Pakistan state. By inference he urged them to accept the plan, although he admitted at one point that the British mission had rejected Pakistan.

In that session his seldom consulted followers were reluctant to go along, although they were as unprepared for civil war as they were for peace. Next day the hammiest actor in world politics (now that Il Duce has made his exit) had to put on another show to make the League see reason.

JINNAH: Did I not ask you to reject the Cripps plan in 1942 and Wavell plan in 1945?

MOSLEMS: Yes!

JINNAH: Why do I ask you to accept this plan now? Have I changed?

MOSLEMS: No!

JINNAH: We have got the first installment of Pakistan without shedding a drop of blood. I know the Mussulmans are all ready to shed blood, but is it necessary when methods of negotiation are still open?

MOSLEMS: No!

JINNAH (raising his bony fist): I promise you, I promise you Pakistan in ten years.

When the voting was over, only thirteen (all Communists or fellow-travelers) out of the bemused 300 were against acceptance. The wilted but grinning Jinnah declared "We have cast the die."

His followers shouted a new slogan: 'Hamara atom bomb Qaid-i-Azam"--The Great Leader is our atom bomb. But the fuse was a little slow; the bomb had not gone off, and it looked at last as if India might achieve independence without civil war.

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