communal divisions, one scholar aptly remarked: partition, “the only
means of real freedom to the Indian Muslims,... was anathema to Mus-
lims elsewhere.”^78 In rejecting the majority proposal for Palestine but
still emigrating to Pakistan himself, Rahman refl ected the prevailing
dilemma facing the Muslim League: partition was justifi able in India but
was sacrilege in the Islamic land of Palestine!
These shortcomings aside, the Indian plan failed mainly on the po liti-
cal front. It failed to secure the support and endorsement of the interna-
tional community, especially the two principal parties, the Arabs and
Jews.
The Partition of Palestine
Following the submission of the UNSCOP report, the interna-
tional focus shifted back to New York. For the next twelve weeks, the fate
of Palestine was the main agenda of the annual session of the General
Assembly. After a general debate, two subcommittees were established.
The fi rst subcommittee was asked to draft a viable partition plan.^79 The
second subcommittee, composed largely of Islamic countries, was asked
to produce a scheme for a unitary Palestine.^80 The federal plan so vocifer-
ously proposed by Nehru was not even considered by the United Nations
and was quietly consigned to the archives.^81
The Arab leaderships in Palestine and in the region were opposed to
any dilution of their demand for a unitary Palestine. This contributed to
the international indiff erence toward the Indian proposal. The entire
drama also underscored the inability, unwillingness, or failure of Indian
diplomacy in convincing the Arabs of the validity and advantages of the
federal plan. A well- argued plan was rendered futile. On October 8, more
than six weeks before the UN vote, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, the leader of
the Indian delegation to the 1947 UN session, warned New Delhi: “The
majority report satisfi ed [the] Jews. It is naturally opposed by [the] Arabs.
The minority report, on the other hand, is acceptable neither to Jews nor
Arabs. For us to advocate Minority report would please no one and lead
us nowhere.”^82 Even this last- minute advice went unheeded.
Things moved rather rapidly at the United Nations. The reports of the
two subcommittees were submitted on November 19 and 11, respectively.
After a lengthy debate, on November 24 the ad hoc committee rejected
the unitary- state proposal.^83 The following day, the committee approved
104 the partition of palestine