Fourteen Points Of The Quaid-e-Azam

    The Quaid-e-Azam gave his own formula for the constitutional reforms in reply to the Nehru Report. He convened the meeting of the Muslim League in 1929 in Delhi and gave his famous Fourteen Points Formula. While delivering his presidential address , the Quaid-e-Azam declared that no constitution shall be accepted by the Muslims of India without Fourteen Points which were as follows :

1.)  The form of the future constitution should be federal with the residuary powers   vested in the provinces.

2.)  A uniform measure of autonomy shall be granted to all provinces.

3.)  All legislatures in the country and other elected bodies shall be constituted on the definite principle of adequate and effective representation of minorities in every province without reducing the majority in any province to a minority or even equality.

4.)  In the Central legislature Muslim representation shall not be less than one-third.

5.)  Representation of communal groups shall continue to be by separate electorates, provided that it shall be open to any community, at any time, to abandon its separate electorate in favor of joint electorate.

6.)  Any territorial redistribution that might at any time be necessary shall not in any way affect the Muslim majority in the Punjab, Bengal and N.W.F.P.

7.)  Full religious liberty, that is, liberty of belief, worship and observance, propaganda, association and education shall be guaranteed to all communities.

8.)  No bill or resolution or any part, thereof, shall be passed in any legislature or any other elected body if three-fourths of the members of any community in that particular body oppose it as being injurious to the interests of that community.

9.)  Sindh should be separated from Bombay Presidency.

10.)  Reforms should be introduced in the N.W.F.P. and Balochistan on the same footings as in the other provinces.

11.)  Muslims should be given adequate share along with other Indians in the services of the state.

12.)  The constitution should embody adequate safeguard for the protection of Muslim culture and for the promotion of Muslim education, language, religion and civilization.

13.)  No cabinet, either Central or Provincial, should be formed without at least 1/3^{rd of the Muslim Ministers.}

^{14.)  No change shall be made in the constitution by the Central Legislature except with the concurrence of the States constituting the Indian Federation.}

 

    The reasonable and moderate demands, contained in the fourteen points, were rejected by the Hindu leaders, which considerably widened the gulf between the two communities.With the rejection of the Fourteen Points by the Congress and other Hindu leaders, the Nehru Report was also doomed. The Nehru Report created great deal of suspicion in the Muslims who were now seriously thinking for the attainment of a separate homeland for themselves.