Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India- Review

Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India- Review

Jatin DesaiUpdated: Thursday, May 30, 2019, 07:40 AM IST
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Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India

Author: Sheela Reddy

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Price: Rs. 699

Mohammad Ali Jinnah, once a staunch Indian nationalist who transformed into the flag bearer of a separate land for Muslims called Pakistan, has been written about from many different angles. His politics, intransigence on Pakistan, ‘hatred’ of Jawaharlal Nehru, his rather un-Islamic personal habits and so on have been the subjects of many books. But his married life has not received enough attention of historians and writers on either side of the Indo-Pak border.

Jinnah’s marriage to Ruttie Petit, daughter of his good friend and Mumbai-based wealthy Parsi baronet Sir Dinshaw Petit, became a huge controversy back in those days. When they married, Ruttie was only 18 years old, Jinnah 42. And their worlds were starkly different, so it seemed were their expectations from life. The marriage continued to excite drawing room chatter for years. There was conjecture, there were theories and there were insinuations. Now, finally, there’s a book.

The book “Mr. and Mrs. Jinnah: The Marriage that shook India” by author Sheela Reddy throws light on the relationship between Jinnah and Ruttie, their separation and the love they shared. The book places their unlikely romance in the political scenario of that time and Jinnah’s contribution in bringing Hindus and Muslims together.

Ruttie was only sixteen when she fell in love with a nationalist leader Jinnah. Jinnah approached Sir Dinshaw with his marriage proposal. The proposal was rejected and it shattered their friendship and Dinshaw’s peace of mind. Sir Dinshaw approached court. Finally Jinnah and Ruttie got married when she turned eighteen. Prior to marriage Ruttie converted to Islam in a secret ceremony. Sir Dinshaw came to know about marriage only through newspapers.

Ruttie went into depression after leaving Jinnah. Ruttie passed away on February 20 1929. Incidentally, February 20 was her birthday. Kanji Dwarkadas, a close friend and a leading lawyer, told a Pakistani journalist that Ruttie choose to die on her birthday. She had killed herself by taking sleeping pills that were always by her bedside. Ruttie’s body was buried in the Khoja cemetery at Mazgaon. People attended funeral in large numbers. Jinnah was never known for emotions. He was struggling to keep his image of tough man. When Ruttie’s body was lowered into the grave and Jinnah was called as the nearest relative to be the first to throw the earth on her grave, he broke down. Jinnah wept like a child. But, the book is not only confined to the personal life of Jinnah and Ruttie. It also talks about then political scenario and freedom struggle.

Ruttie was excommunicated by Parsi Panchayat for converting into Islam and getting married to Jinnah. Ruttie was also a politically conscious and a versatile reader. She always used to carry books. Ruttie used to accompany Jinnah to his political meetings. She had developed keen interest in politics when she was only fourteen. She was close to the Sarojini Naidu’s family. She liked philosopher J Krishnamurthy and used to invite him whenever he was in Mumbai. In Paris, she fell ill. Dewan Chaman Lal went to see her and saw she was reading a book. She handed the book to Chaman Lal and told him to read it for her. It was a volume of Oscar Wilde’s poems. Seeing her condition Chaman Lal asked Jinnah to rush to Paris. He came and for next few weeks, he did everything to see Ruttie gets well. He stayed at the nursing home.  At that time, his presence in India was necessary. He was needed for any political settlement between Hindus and Muslims. Many of his Congress friends appealed him to return and participate in the drafting of Nehru Report. The Report was a memorandum outlining a proposed new dominion status constitution for India. It was prepared by a committee headed by Motilal Nehru. Even Sarojini Naidu, Motilal Nehru and M C Chagla could not pursue Jinnah to leave Ruttie in a critical condition.

Jinnah was not used to call Ruttie on her birthday and wish. He was with Chaman Lal in Delhi’s Western Court when he got a trunk call. After phone got over, Jinnah told Chaman Lal, “Ruttie is seriously ill. I must leave tonight. It was my father-in-law. This is the first time we have spoken to each other since my marriage.”

In August 1928, after a lengthy discussion in Muslim League session in Calcutta Muslim League accepted the Nehru Report with six amendments.  Jinnah took it before all-parties conference immediately. The all –parties’ conference was called by Congress in Calcutta itself. Jinnah expected patient hearing but he was shouted down especially by Hindu Mahasabha associates like M R Jayakar. Even Tej Bahadur Sapru, co-author of the report, called Jinnah ‘a spoilt child’. Jinnah appealed to the conference – not as a Muslim but an Indian – to accept these small concessions that Muslims were demanding for the sake of unity. When he failed, he appealed ‘let us part as friends’ and ‘avoid bad blood’. Jinnah wept when he left Calcutta. It was for the first time anyone had seen him cry.  Jamshed Nusserwanjee, his friend, recounts,’ I went to see him off at the railway station. He was standing at the door of his first class coupe compartment, and he took my hand. He had tears in his eyes as he said, “Jamshed, this is the parting of the ways.” Jamshed, a Parsi, later became Mayor of Karachi.

The book is primarily based around a bundle of private letters preserved by Padmaja and Leilamani Naidu, daughters of Sarojini Naidu. The book provides details of much misunderstood Jinnah and Ruttie.

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