A Courage of One

Under duress by shadowy powers to refrain from creating a Constitution, Pakistan’s maiden Constituent Assembly’s feudal leaders decided to prorogue rather than perservere. None of the powerful feudals, chieftains, or ’progressive’ editors who sat as members had the courage to defy the looming shadows of autocracy. Yet, one woman did. One of the only two women in the Assembly, Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah cast the sole ’no’ and then took the unprecedented step of resigning from the ruling Muslim League. This was the mettle that her mentor, the Quaid-e-Azam himself, was built of.