As Jinnah’s political lieutenant, Ruttie’s decision to marry Jinnah owed a lot to his politics, which is what had mesmerised her in the fir...
As Jinnah’s political lieutenant, Ruttie’s decision to marry Jinnah owed a lot to his politics, which is what had mesmerised her in the first place. Hence her participation in Jinnah’s political activities began from Lucknow, well before their marriage.
Despite her father’s opposition, the young Ruttie attended the joint annual sessions of the Congress and the Muslim League, held in the city in December 1916. Jinnah had joined the All India Muslim League in 1913, reportedly on Gokhale’s insistence, to bring Muslims into the fold of the mainstream nationalist struggle. Within three years, he had become important enough to be elected as the All India Muslim League president for the Lucknow session. It was in this capacity that he signed the Lucknow Pact with his friend and Congress president Tilak.
It was to witness this glory that Ruttie had come down to Lucknow from Bombay.
By early 1918, she was Jinnah’s wife. Within a year of their marriage, Mrs Jinnah proudly saw the elevation of Jinnah as the overall president of the Muslim League in 1919. Her husband’s new position meant that she would be seated with him on stage during public meetings of the Muslim League, just like she had been beside...
