BOOKS on the freedom movement and Jinnah’s personality have invariably and rightly focused on Jinnah’s political career, highlighting his brilliance as a strategist. Mehrunnisa Ali’s Facets of Jinnah: Personality and Leader­ship, however, dwells on the less-known side of the Quaid’s personality, especially the humane aspects of his character, his wit and humour, and the cogency that often left people speechless.

Ali has taught at Pakistani and foreign universities, and, besides writing Politics of Federalism in Pakistan, she has compiled and edited many books, including the monumental Jinnah on World Affairs.

The target readership of the 100-page book under review is the Pakistani youth at a time when Jinnah is being marginalised by those for whom “the Quaid’s financial and moral integrity exposes the hollowness of their character.”
Spread over 25 chapters, the book presents mostly in chronological order anecdotes and incidents that bring to light many aspects of the leader’s life — as a student, paying guest, attorney, legislator, politician, negotiator and head of state. The sources the author relies on are those who observed the Quaid at close quarters, including sister Fatima, the ADCs and his medical attendants.

Speeches at rallies and quips made at press conferences are prepared in advance; it is remarks made in the quiet of a home or on a patient’s bed that bring to light the true character of a person. Here Jinnah emerges as a man who never compromised on principles, who had an extraordinary sense of honesty and fair play, who upheld the law under all circumstances, who would refuse to shake hands with an individual because that would require shaking hands with all, and who would concede to others the same respect for rules and propriety which he practised.

He once asked his nurse what his temperature was, and when in spite of his insistence the nurse said she would only tell the doctor what it was, Jinnah replied, “I like people like that.” Or his anger when Ruttie, his beloved wife, asked a newspaper not to publish Maulana Mohammad Ali’s columns critical of Jinnah. “Ruttie had no business to intervene in that matter”, he remarked.

Jinnah advised his party and rich admirers against holding dinners in his honour, because he said he didn’t wish to approach people through their stomachs, and when there was a shortage of sugar he refused to use his discretion as Governor General to get it in excess of the quota.

His aversion to titles is well known, he hated publicity, and when someone caught him reading a book on religion and wanted to photograph him, Jinnah said he didn’t want the photograph to be used as a propaganda stunt. He loved his nephew, who was an excellent lawyer, and had come to Karachi after Partition. Jinnah advised him not to practise in Pakistan because courts could feel influenced. The book also serves to break Jinnah’s image as that of a block of ice. On many occasions, Jinnah cried, like when Ruttie was being lowered into the grave and when there was a massacre of Muslims of Bihar.

Ali has done well to add to the literature on Jinnah by choosing a subject that is less pedantic. The book, however, deserved better editing.

Facets of Jinnah: Personality and Leadership

(HISTORY)

By Mehrunnisa Ali

Pakistan Study Centre, Khi

ISBN 978-969-8791-49-0

100pp.