HERITAGE
The House Jinnah built
By Rizvi Syed Haider Abbas
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Jinnah’s sentiments were immediately telegrammed to Nehru and in
accordance with his wish, to allot his house to any foreign consulate,
permission, was sought from Jinnah who replied that not due to any
racial feeling but because his house was built in European style he
wanted it to go to a European family. He was formally offered Rs. 3000
for a month but he left the ball in India’s court to decide on fixing
the rent as Indians prerogative. Jinnah while replying to a letter to
Sri Prakasa had professed to look forward to meeting him on his return
to Karachi, but, unfortunately, he could not do so as he died before that.
Nehru, on his part decided not to declare Jinnah House as an evacuee
property and in a note to the Cabinet on March 7,1955 had said. "I think
we should further be prepared to make a gift of it to the Pakistan
government," as documented in Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru. But,
Nehru could not get approval from his cabinet.
Thereafter, once Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan CC Desai had also
suggested to Nehru on Jan 13, 1956 that Jinnah House be preserved "as a
relic of Jinnah." S. Dutt, foreign secretary, on one occasion, minuted
on Jan. 20, 1956, that Jinnah memorial by India would be inappropriate;
but if Pakistan wanted to buy the house and preserve it as a memorial to
Jinnah, "we certainly should raise no objection" (Selected Works of
Jawaharlal Nehru).
The plan went awry but Islamabad did not give up pursuing it and
perhaps, from the longest time, has requested New Delhi to at least
lease it, if not sell it outright to them. New Delhi nevertheless has
not as yet made a complimentary gesture despite PV Narsimha Rao, Foreign
Minister in 1980, under Indira Gandhi, making a statement in the
Parliament that India has in principle agreed to lease Jinnah House as
the residence of local Consulate-General of Pakistan. Even the recent
foreign- secretaries level talks between Shashank and Raiz Khokhar could
not find anything worthwhile to break the ice. The talks were held in
the last week of June 2004.
Islamabad’s simmering and emotive desire hasn’t as yet been realised but
what is a bit surprising is Islamabad’s near silence on the subject of
the grave of Mariam Jinnah who died at an early age of 28 years and lies
buried in a Muslim cemetery in Bombay. Jinnah at 51 had lost her and
then would, after her death, always hide his feelings for her throughout
his life. His friend Kanji Dwarkadas has given an eye-witness account.
"When the body was lowered into the grave, Jinnah bowed his head and
sobbed."
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http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2004/01-15Sep04-Print-Edition/011509200404.htm