A narrative and information via Liaquat Merchant grandnephew of the late Fatima Jinnah, one of the few surviving members of the Jinnah Family, Liaquat Merchant is the son of Sherbano, and the grandchild of Mariambai Abedin Peerbhoy, Jinnah’s other sister.
Being the President of the Jinnah Society, which is the historical preservation unit of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s record keeping, belonging and estate, We remember his famous speech at the launch of the Jinnah Anthology (2nd Edition), where he spoke about the term ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan”, in 2009. It was taken up as a cultural nomenclature, becoming widely popular with the media, and is a widely popular vision for the people of Pakistan today.
“I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world, one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.”
Impeccably a Lady
In 1964, a young graduate lawyer Liaquat Merchant found himself invited for tea, visiting the “Grand lady” as they used to call her. A visit to Pakistan from India where Merchant lived at that time would include a definite visit to her as she was his matriarchal grand aunt.
He remembers the meeting at her house, Mohatta Palace, the entire home having impeccable taste. Simple yet with a lot of style, both brother and sister had the taste of finer things yet they refrained from being ostentatious. Lady Fatima was as always dressed in white and one of the first things she asked him was a pertinent question which would change the course of his life “When are you coming to settle in Pakistan? Why are you wasting time in India?”
Having grown up and educated by his uncle and guardian Akbar Peerbhoy, Barrister at Law (Jinnah’s nephew, by his sister Mariambai) in India, Liaquat Merchant had no idea she was going to be so blunt about it. He did explain that to her that he was still undergoing training as an advocate with Akbar Peerbhoy after his graduation in Law, in Bombay, and would soon be able to make up his mind about migration. Perhaps it was the need of having more family around her after her brother’s death and being away from the rest of the family made her want the younger generation to join her in Pakistan as she saw plenty of opportunity for them there.
He remembers her as a true lady describing her as being a persona, full of charm and magnetism. A strong presence, exceedingly well spoken with a directness in her speech which was clear, concise and to the point.
With great foresight knowing that the young lawyer would require a set-up immediately on migration, she had already prepared letters of reference for him to Hasan A. Shaikh and A. A. Zari, both very prominent lawyers in Pakistan, asking them to take him into their chambers in the practice of law when he migrated. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1967 a few months before Liaquat Merchant made the final move of migrating to Pakistan.
Lady of the Nation
In 1929, a very independent Fatima Jinnah was managing her own Dental Clinic when she received news about her sister-in law, Ruttanbai’s death. Wanting to be close to her brother and take care of him and his house, she closed her clinic and went to be with him. It is a decision that changed many lives and set the tone for many women in the nation that have followed in her footsteps. It is that close relationship that led to her being one of his greatest supports in life, Fatima Jinnah’s story is a legacy not only of self-sacrifice and devotion to nation building, her social cause and development must be acknowledged with a moment of silence and great understanding that this was perhaps one of the first Woman Empowerment activist of Pakistan. A woman full of grace, wit, intelligence and dignity. This closeness of mutual care-giving was exemplified in later years when she rose in full support of her brother in latter years, accompanying him everywhere and taking part in rally after rally for the Muslim League, gathering and pulling in political support by Muslim women even before 1947.
Early Years
Fatima Jinnah was born in 1893, the youngest daughter of Jinnah Bhai Poonja and Mithibai. She was educated alongside her brothers. It was this same thinking that showed the progressive state of mind when she participated alongside her brother Muhammad Ali Jinnah to form a nation.
After being educated at the St. Josephs Convent in Bandra, Bombay in her early years, she went onto to pursue higher studies at the highly esteemed University of Calcutta in 1919 where she specialized in dentistry at the Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College. She was highly independent and was known to have stayed in a hostel lodging whilst pursuing her studies in Bombay even though her sister Mariambai was living close by. The year was 1923 and even for the most modern state at that time it was a wonder that not only did she do her training and lived independently she went on to utilize her degree and opened a dental clinic.
Although it was rare for a woman to pursue higher studies and an occupation, she was one of the few independent Muslim women of the sub-continent who did.
After the death of her father in 1901, her brother Jinnah, became her active guardian. He was supposed to have financed her education being open-minded and a great modernist. An Independent woman, her photographs portray a very quiet but powerful presence.
She was Jinnah’s support and care-taker as he was hers, being seen with him on every occasion, travelling with him everywhere. It is well known by a close few that after his death, she would visit his mausoleum each week, till she passed away herself.
Scholars on the subject and media in the past have belittled her active role by saying she was not wanting to be in the forefront. One finds it hard to believe that a woman who geared up other women for elections first leading up to the creation of an entirely new country and then ran for President in 1965 at the age of 72, thus, changing the constitution, for future women in the country, would be shy in her steps or way of thinking.
Few people recognize that by igniting the flame and keeping the torch alive for the end of military rule and taking an active role in opposition to Gen Ayub, the country would need to acknowledge in doing all this and much more, how she actually played a contributive element in paving the way for women’s empowerment roles and a thinking that was later buried with other leaders over time. She would rally the women not only in politics, but her emphasis on education was a repetitive and a continuous concern. She already embodied the role model of the modern Muslim woman in her way of living and thinking.
Fatima Jinnah was a firm believer like her brother in active roles, going physically from place to place for speeches and let herself be seen as well as heard by the people an atypical notion of a Muslim woman, and as what the west sees us as today. It is ironic when the outside world fails to recognize reality. She was already on the radio in the early 1950’s and giving political speeches after her brother’s death.
Nation Building and Social Development
Fatima Jinnah’s greatest contribution cannot be marked into one category or one era because she as a woman of a young nation had many roles to play throughout her lifetime. It was a continued process which cannot be diminished to one section alone. Contribution and development for nation building did not end or cannot just be highlighted with just her political career or being defined as an opposition role. The newly formed state required not just speeches but an integrative system of things to occur for it to function. History saw millions of refugees incoming as soon as the radio address was given and Pakistan was announced. It was a crucial moment for all founding fathers including men and women. Soon after Pakistan was created, Jinnah established the first Women’s Relief Committee which later became the foundation for the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA).
Her nation building work is noted greatly in the historical efforts alongside the founding fathers to help facilitate refugees from India in settling into their new lives, following the mass migrations after Independence in 1947. The first Kashmir war, had further led to the result of thousands of refugees who would start to pour into Pakistan under the worst of circumstances. It is here, that the world would see Fatima Jinnah accompanying her brother to refugee camps in assistance, coordination, concern and development for greater solutions for the crisis at hand. Her social development work at the time is incomparable and remarkable in the wake of things. It has inspired and set a precedent for many other organizations which followed in her example after.
Educate, Empower and Enable
Realizing the dire need for empowering the women of a young nation with relevant skillsets, she established the Khatoon-e-Pakistan Industrial and Technical Home for Women in Nanak Wara, Karachi, to teach them various skills to generate income for their families. She knew they had hit the ground running in forming Pakistan the nation in a herculean effort for resettlement would be facing a severe crisis on all fronts but also needed strength and structure from within. She later established Khatoon-e-Pakistan Education and Welfare Board and subsequently the Khatoon-e Pakistan Girls School on Stadium Road, Karachi, with a reiterated emphasis on female education.
Dedicating her entire life in service tothe nation, she used her education and position to create an independent economic framework for the future.
Boldness with no fear
A still very young nation, saw Mohtarma Jinnah run for President of Pakistan in 1965. She was the candidate for a group of opposition parties. Although she lost the election to Ayub Khan, because the voting tallies for both had been so close, her party called for a recount of the votes, however it was decided that Ayub Khan remained the President.
In a famous historical speech to the nation in 1967, she very boldly opposed the ruling party with a Shakespearan quote “Cowards die many times before their deaths the valiant never taste of death but once”, sharply hinting towards the ruling President. She was not one to mince words and she has been criticized for that, however in the perspective of democratic ideology, she was in her own right- speaking her mind.
Death and Legacy
Fatima Jinnah died peacefully in her sleep in July 9, 1967. When she failed to respond to relative’s calls, some friends and family went to Mohatta Palace and found she had passed away. The news of her death came suddenly and was a cause of upset to her family and friends. They knew the impact it would have on the people of Pakistan and chose to make arrangements to have her buried quickly. The nation itself would start to wake up to the news and to the end of an era one could say and crowds would gather in droves to mourn Jinnah’s sister. It is reported that a close to 1 million people attended her funeral. She was laid to rest near her brother’s mausoleum. Over the years, one has seen many debates that have risen and died in her name. What does live on are a few facts that remain untouched. We remember her as being a part of the Pakistan Movement, we acknowledge her role as being one of the founding members of Pakistan, we know that she was the first woman in Pakistan’s history to run for president and most of all she was known and will remain in the hearts of the people of Pakistan as the title vested upon her as “Madar-i- Millat”, Mother of the Nation.
