The Muslim Mass Contact Campaign-An Attempt at Political Mobilisation

An Attempt at Political Mobilisation Mushirul Hasan The Muslim mass contact campaign, conceived after the 1936 elections in which the Congress fared poorly in Muslim constituencies, constituted the last serious attempt of the Congress to mobilise the Muslims in a joint struggle against colonial rule. Though based on a set of assumptions which did not adequately take into account the presence of the 'third party' and the complexity of the communal problem, it was nevertheless conceived at a crucial historical juncture and was a significant move in the right direction. Pursued purposefully, it had the potential of weaning large sections of the Muslim community away from the Muslim League. In letting the mass contact campaign peter out, the Congress allowed Jinnah, perhaps involuntarily, to take advantage of the deteriorating communal relations and rally his community around the divisive symbol of a separate Muslim homeland.