The Pakistan National Congress (PNC), later known as the Bangladesh National Congress, was a political party that mainly represented the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s and other religious minorities in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.
The party championed
secularism
Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on Secularity, secular, Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic considerations.
Secularism is most commonly defined as the Separation of church and state, separation of relig ...
in the Muslim-dominated state, and its electoral and organisational strength was mainly based in
East Bengal
ur,
, common_name = East Bengal
, status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan
, p1 = Bengal Presidency
, flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg
, s1 = East ...
(also known as
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...
, now the independent state of
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
).
Background
The Pakistan National Congress traces its roots to the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
, which was the largest national political party in India.
The Indian National Congress, led by
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
,
Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar, was an Indian lawyer, influential political leader, barrister and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of I ...
and
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
championed secularism,
composite nationalism
Composite nationalism ( Hindustani: ''mushtareka wataniyat'' or ''muttahidah qaumiyat'') is a concept that argues that the Indian nation is made of up people of diverse cultures, castes, communities, and faiths. The idea teaches that "nationali ...
, religious tolerance and opposed the
Pakistan movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...
led by the
Muslim League Muslim League may refer to:
Political parties Subcontinent
; British India
*All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan.
**Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...
. However, ensuing communal conflict led to the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan from Muslim-majority provinces. The religious violence and mass migration as a result of partition significantly reduced the Hindu, Sikh and non-Muslim population of Pakistan. The leaders and activists of the Indian National Congress who continued to live in Pakistan joined with the representatives of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Christian communities to form a new political party, the Pakistan National Congress.
Although most of them had
opposed the partition of India, the members of the new party accepted the state of Pakistan and did not maintain any organisational links with the Indian National Congress.
Positions
The Pakistan National Congress stood for secularism, equality of all religions and citizens and protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
The party sought peaceful and friendly relations between Pakistan and India. The party was one of many that opposed the suppression of democracy and civil rights by successive military regimes. The Pakistan National Congress also stood against the growth of
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a puritanical, revivalist, and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. Islamic fundamentalists are of the view that Muslim-majority countries should return t ...
in Pakistani society, politics and government. The party also supported the
Bengali language movement in East Bengal.
Bengali Language Movement
National Congress was the only party at the opposition side of the house during the movement. In both Legislative Assembly and in
Constituent Assembly
A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
they exposed of the logical position of the language demand. In doing so some of the members were called Indian agents and were harassed by the government. Some leaders were also arrested and one of them was killed inside the jail.
Electoral Performance
While partition riots and mass migration had significantly reduced the Hindu and Sikh population in West Pakistan, Hindus still constituted twenty percent of the population of East Bengal (also East Pakistan).
Consequently, the PNC's base and organisation were concentrated in that province of Pakistan. In the
1954 elections held for the East Bengal Legislative Assembly, the Pakistan National Congress won 28 seats.
Bangladesh
After the
Bangladeshi War of Independence
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali ...
, the party briefly survived as the Bangladesh National Congress ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় কংগ্রেস ''Bangladesh Jatiya Congress''). The party stood one candidate, Sree Peter Paul Gomez in the
1973 election for Dacca-25, but did not win the seat. The party was dissolved in 1975 after the formation of the
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League as the sole political party of Bangladesh. It is unknown how long the party survived in
West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
.
(Incomplete) List of Congress members in the 1st Constituent Assembly
East Bengal
#
Prem Hari Barma Prem Hari Barman ( bn, প্রেমহরি বর্মন) was a Pakistani politician, and former leader of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Tribes in Dinajpur District, Bangladesh, Dinajpur, East Bengal.
Biogra ...
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Raj Kumar Chakraverty Raj Kumar Chakraverty was a Member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal ...
#
Sris Chandra Chattopadhyaya Siris Chandra Chattopadhyaya (18731967) was a Bengali civil servant and politician from East Bengal. He was a Member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan. He was born in Dhaka.
Career
Chattopadhyaya was a m ...
#
Akhay Kumar Das
Akshay Kumar Das ( bn, অক্ষয় কুমার দাস) (1903 - ?) was a Bengalis, Bengali Dalit politician of Pakistan, who served as a representative of East Pakistan in both the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, First and Second Con ...
#
Dhirendra Nath Datta
Dhirendranath Datta (2 November 1886 – disappeared 29 March 1971)
was a Bengali lawyer by profession who was also active in the politics of undivided Bengal in pre-partition India, and later in East Pakistan (1947–1971).
Early life
Datta ...
#
Bhupendra Kumar Datta
Bhupendra Kumar Dutta ( bn, ভূপেন্দ্র কুমার দত্ত; 8 October 1892 – 29 December 1979) was an Indian freedom fighter and a revolutionary who fought for Indian independence from British rule. In addition to ...
#
Jnanendra Chandra Majumdar
Jnanendra Chandra Majumdar (also Janendra Chandra Majumder) was an anti-colonial Bengali politician, and a representative of East Pakistan to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
A long-time associate of Indian National Congress, Majumdar sided ...
#
Birat Chandra Mandal
Birat Chandra Mandal was a member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan. He had argued for the constitution of Pakistan to be secular.
Career
Mandal represented Bengal Depressed Classes Association at the ...
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Sri Dhananjoy M.A. B.L. Roy Dhananjoy Roy was a Member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, ...
#
Maudi Bhakesh Chanda
Bhabesh Chandra Nandi was a representative of East Pakistan in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
In 1950, Nandi was elected to the East Bengal Provincial Assembly on a Pakistan National Congress ticket from the East Dacca constituency, after t ...
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Harendra Kumar Sur
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Kawivi Kerwar Datta
West Punjab
#
Ganga Saran, Rai Bahadur Lala
See also
*
Indian Union Muslim League
The Indian Union Muslim League (abbreviated as the I. U. M. L. or the League) is an Indian political party primarily based in the Indian state of Kerala. It is recognised as a State Party in Kerala by the Election Commission of India.
The first ...
References
{{reflist
Socialist parties in Pakistan
Hinduism in Pakistan
Defunct political parties in Pakistan
Nationalist parties in Pakistan
Secularism in Pakistan