Following the Lahore Resolution of 1940, the All-India Muslim League set the Partition of India and formation of Pakistan as its primary goal. However, the Muslim League had no actual forum to argue their case. Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress – the Muslim League's biggest rival – had the National Sandesh newspaper present and defend their views.
"Their [National Sandesh newspaper] coverage was very pro-Congress, they would run editorials that were critical of Jinnah," says Rohit Inani, a journalist based in Delhi.
So, in October 1941, the first-ever edition of Dawn was printed in Delhi and the front page read that it was to be the "Muslim Mirror of India".