Partition 'most traumatic event' of 20th century, India-Pak should accept reality:Singh

Lahore, Apr.17 (ANI): Former Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh has described the bifurcation of the Indian subcontinent as the 'most traumatic event' of the 20th century and said that both India and Pakistan must accept the reality and find ways to move ahead.

Speaking during the launch function of his controversial, yet popular book: "Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence" here, Singh said people of both India and Pakistan should accept the reality and find way to move ahead and end the animosity as envisioned by Muhammed Ali Jinnah.

Describing Jinnah as an ardent supporter of Hindu-Muslim unity, he said Jinnah wanted to separate religion from politics.

"Jinnah was a pure secularist and constitutionalist who believed in logic and wanted to separate religion from politics, but the consequences of the Lukhnow Pact of 1916 and the Uttar Pradesh elections of 1937 disheartened him so much that he quit politics and returned to England," The Daily Times quoted Singh, as saying.

Singh said Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi had different opinions over bringing reforms in society.

"Gandhi supported civil disobedience while Jinnah, who was five years his senior in Congress, believed in changing the society through education," Singh said.

Responding a question over his basic aim behind writing the book on Jinnah, Singh said he wanted to help people understand the past, which he said is shared by both countries.

"We should not stumble again," Singh said. (ANI)