Adil Najam
By way of an Independence Day Special, ATP has dug up for you some historic video footage from 1947.
In fact, we have three separate newsreels; the first two from 14 August, 1947 and the third from July of that year. These should be of interest to subcontinental history buffs and also include some fascinating video clips of what Karachi used to look like.
This first video is from 15 August, 1947 and shows the opening session of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. Produced by Gaumont British News, it is placed for public viewing by the Germany-based GandhiServe Foundation.
click on the play (arrow) button on the image below:
Please note in particular the Chairman (Speaker) of the Assembly (in the robe-like garment). This is Jogindar Nath Mandal (1904-1968), a Hindu Dalit from Bengal, who later became Pakistan’s first Law Minister (and then resigned from in protest, but that is a post that will come later).
There is more of Jogindar Nath Mandal in this second clip which is (as far as I can tell) from 14 August, 1947. This newsreel is from Universal Newsreel and was made for a US audiences (note, also, how Liaquat Ali Khan’s name is mispronounced; some things never change!). I should add that this newsreel was also part of an earlier ATP post (courtesy www.harappa.com).
click on the play (arrow) button on the image below:
For Karachites: see if you can recognize Karachi landmarks including the Sindh Assembly Building and Elphinstone Street. And if you can, see how much you can recognize in this earlier newsreel (also from Gaumont British News, placed by GandhiServe Foundation) which shows Karachi in July 1947 as it readied itself with construction and activity to become the seat of government of the new country.
This newsreel also shows clips of New Delhi railway station as people readied to leave for Karachi. This, of course, was before the carnage of partition. Also shown is the arrival of Mr. Jinnah in Karachi and footage of Mr. Jinnah, Mr. Nehru and Lord Mountbatten together. In my opinion, the only one who gets undeserved praise from the commentator is Mountbatten.
click on the play (arrow) button on the image below:
All videos from video.google.com placed for public viewing by www.harappa.com and by GandhiServe Foundation.
Yasser, Thank you very much for the information on this statute. I am glad that it was saved and still stands. I assume Ardeshir Cowasjee has written about this incidence and will seek a reference, but wondering if you have one handy.
Humair,
That statue is indeed of Gandhi- it was there infront of the Sindh High Court untill a mob tried to break it but Jinnah saved it and handed it Cowasjee’s father for safekeeping … it was eventually handed over to the Indian high commission as a gift… This statue is still there in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
Tell us more about Jogindar Nath Mandal.
Mera Old Karachi!! Mey is road se kitni he baar guzra houn and never realised how Important it was as he had foot prints of my Quaid!!
Mr Jinnah really had a wonderful personality,see the way he walks is enough to show his confidence.
Question for everyone.
In the third video, when they introduce ‘Karachi’ they show a large building in front of which there is a statue that looks like Gandhi. Does anyone know if that is Karachi? Or is that a Delhi shot they mixed up. If it is, is teh statue still there?