The Fourteen Points of Quaid-e-Azam were designed to protect the constitutional rights of Muslims who lived in India. This presentation was given in March 1929. The main ideas of the Fourteen Points are presented below.
1. The form of the future constitution should be federal.
2. Provinces should be autonomous.
3. Minorities should be represented on elected bodies such as the legislature.
4. Muslim representation should not be less than one-third of the Central Legislature.
5. Communal groups should have representation by means of separate electorate unless they decide otherwise.
6. Muslim majorities shouldn’t be impacted in the Punjab, Bengal, and the North West Frontier Province by the distribution of land.
7. Religious freedom must exist.
8. No bill should be passed if three-fourths of a community opposes a bill.
9. Sindh should be separate from the Bombay Presidency.
10. Reforms in the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan should...
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be introduced in the same manner as reforms in other provinces.
11. The constitution should ensure that Muslims and other Indians have a share in the services of the state and local governments.
12. Muslim culture and ways of life must be protected.
13. The cabinet should have at least one-third Muslim ministers.
14. The Central Legislature shouldn’t be able to change the constitution unless the states approve.
References
Here is a short form version of Muhammad al Jinnah’s attempt to reform the Indian constitution to protect the rights of Muslims in 1929.
- The government should be federal. (This meant there would be a central government and provincial governments, and any powers not given to the central government would belong to the provinces.)
- All provinces will have equal autonomy.
- Minorities must have effective representation in the legislatures and other elected groups in every province.
- At least 1/3 of the central legislature will be Muslim.
- Communities can choose whether to have a separate or joint electorate.
- No territorial changes can be made which affect the Muslim majority in Punjab, Bengal and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
- Full religious liberty – belief, observance, education, etc.
- If ¾ of a community’s representatives in a legislature think a bill would hurt their interests, the bill cannot be passed.
- Sindh should be separated from the Bombay Presidency.
- Implement reforms in NWFP and Baluchistan.
- Muslims should get an adequate share of government services.
- Muslim culture (education, language, religion, charities, etc.) should be protected and get a fair share of government money.
- Both central and provincial cabinets must have at least 1/3 Muslim ministers.
- Changes to the Constitution must be approved by States.
These points were approved by the All India Muslim League, but rejected by India’s Congress party.