Speech in Reply to the Address Presented by the Muslims Students Federation, Gaya, January 1, 1938 :: Quaid

Speech in Reply to the Address Presented by the Muslims Students Federation, Gaya, January 1, 1938

It is rather a difficult task for any man to convince the youth because the youth• is a mixture of so many elements full of dreams, sure of everything; he is a mixture of so many elements and so contradictory that to convert him is the most difficult of all the problems. This is the greatest tribute you pay to me. But we want to assure you that in the present troubled state of our country your guidance has diverted the great storehouse of the natural dynamic power of our congenial tendencies into a channel where premature responsibility, sudden contingencies ordained by divine destiny convert juvenile imprudence into mature wisdom and irresponsibility into seriousness. Well, dream your dreams, have your visions, indulge in what elderly people call folly. It is by indulging in follies that we learn wisdom. If I have converted your irresponsibility into seriousness, more than half the

battle is won. I say it not because as people are wont to say, “The students of today are the leaders of tomorrow”, but because you have the advantage of learning the knowledge.

You, students, equipped as you are, you can, if you will, abandon irresponsibility and take to seriousness, then you can bring the senile, who are not following the right course, to the right course. You say in your address, ‘We beg to assure you that the humble offering of our true feelings of esteem, regard and appreciation will not be made by mere words but by our deeds’. Students of the federation, prove it by your deeds, I bless you and bid you Godspèed and may God bless you.

Gentlemen, I have practically exhausted myself: I want to say a few words for your club. The first thing is that I have not seen your club. As I understand the club, it is a very excellent idea. It is medium of meeting people under the most informal circumstances, where each member is not the guest of another but a member of the club, where he belongs to the club and the club belongs to him. The time spent in indoor games and outdoor games provides opportunities of learning other people’s thoughts and of making friendships which may last your lifetime. But, above all, when the clubs grow you know that in the history of many nations they are makers and breakers of empires. Although you may not reach that stage, you may still be a power to be reckoned with.

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Speech at the Meerut College,

Meerut, February 21, 1938

Students should learn to listen to different points of views and to think over them. It was no good to be influenced by one side only. It was essential for them to have correct perspective of the issues facing their country, The minority question was the most fundamental question of this country, and it was engaging the attention of all politician. As soon as this question was solved, the freedom of their country would be achieved by them.

Here in India, there was a vast minority community. The majority community, whose social fabric was quit different from the minority community, was conscious or unconsciously bound to impose its culture on the minority community. It was that fear, of the minor: community, that promoted them to safeguard that position.