FORGOTTEN
HEROES OF THE INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE
by Obed Khan- Teacher / Trainer / Life Coach
obedkhanin@gmail.com
VOWEL EDUCATION ACADEMY
“Those who do not remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.”- George Santayana
Introduction-
In
its pursuit of freedom India has witnessed great sacrifices. The Indian flag unfurled on 15th August and 26th
January, testifies the blood of those who died defending its
honour. Our flag envelops myriad unknown stories in its folds and narrates the
history of our Nation through its silence. Our flag is more than just cloth and ink.
It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty and freedom. The
flag is the history of our Nation and is marked by the blood of those who died
defending it. While many were recorded and acknowledged multiple
times, others have been forgotten and buried in dust.
Our
pens would dry and words wouldn’t suffice while we remember the heroes of India
who fought bravely against the British for the country and laid down their
lives for the same. We remember the freedom fighters of India, the
heroes of India who fought for the country, suffered for the country and even
died for the country. And
today, we are going to remember some of the forgotten heroes of the Indian
freedom struggle who do not have any mention or very less mention in history. It is of utmost importance that we realize
that they too were equally involved and had a great role to play in the freedom
struggle of our country. Even they fought for the country, even they
made sacrifices for the country, even they suffered for the country and even
they died for their country…… but they are forgotten. We are going to remember
the Muslim freedom fighters of India. This discourse is a very brief input on
the topic. This presentation which
briefly covers the events of the freedom struggle, aims to present these forgotten
heroes of the Indian freedom struggle, who keep on shining on the horizon of
history, although enveloped in the darkness of ignorance, falsehood and
fallacy.
The objective of the Talk-
The phrase “Unity in Diversity” perfectly
applies to India, where people of so many faiths live peacefully, with their
own separate religions, cultures, customs, languages, food habits etc. The
British were forced to leave India in 1947, but they left their ‘Divide and
Rule’ policy and unfortunately this policy is still being used to divide the
Indian people. Attempts have been made, to sow the seeds of doubt and discord,
to alienate people from each other and to change history. As a result, some
people have started looking at people of a particular faith, specially Muslims
as unpatriotic, ungrateful and traitors although they have always loved their
country as others, sometimes even more. This presentation attempts to present
the amazing contribution of the Muslims in the freedom struggle, to remove the
dark atmosphere of doubts and apprehension, to break the mental barrier between
people of various faiths, and to make people realize that the blood that was shed to free this country
belonged to people of all faiths. And most importantly, the objective of this
presentation is to make people realize the importance of unity which
freed them from the slavery of the British and made them masters of their own
country and that the same unity will liberate us in the real sense.
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a
tree without roots.”-
Marcus Garvey.
The role of Muslims in the Indian freedom
struggle-
The
role of Muslims in the Indian freedom struggle is a glorious episode in the
history of India. The history of our freedom struggle would be incomplete
without the proper presentation of the actual role of Indian Muslims. The
Freedom struggle lasted for about a century and in this historic struggle,
Muslims did play a crucial role and they shared the responsibility of
liberating India from the British rule, along with people of other faiths,
especially with the Hindus. Unfortunately we see in history that there are only
passing references about the role of Muslims in the freedom struggle. This article
attempts to present the amazing contribution of the Muslims in the freedom
struggle to the Indian people, especially the new generation who are unaware of
the history of their country. A free, fair and objective approach towards this
presentation will make it visibly clear that Muslims have always considered
India as their Motherland and its people as their fellow countrymen.
The East India Company and the first battle
against the British-
The East India Company’s presence in India
can be traced as early as 1612. They began consolidating their rule in India,
which upset many native Rulers. Nawab Siraj ud Daulah of Bengal was one of
them.
Many of us are ignorant of the fact that
the first battle against the British was fought nearly 100 years before the
1857 war for freedom. Nawab Siraj ud Daulah was the first native ruler who
fought against the British in the battle of Plassey in 1756. Because of the
betrayal of his minister Mir Jafar, he lost the war and was hanged by the
British at the age of 24 years. Thereafter, on 22 October, 1764, with the army
of the then Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, Mir Qasim fought against the British
at Buxar and even he was defeated. The British were then able to establish
their rule in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Tipu Sultan (martyred on 4th May
1799)
Tipu Sultan continued his struggle against
the British, initiated by his father, Hyder Ali. He was killed by Lord Wellesly
at the battle of Srirangapattam on 4th May 1799. It was only after
the death of Tipu Sultan, that the British military officer General Harris
could declare that “….from today India is ours.” He is rightly called the
‘Tiger of Mysore’. This shows how Tipu had proved to be a great obstacle in the
way of the British. There was no other hero for half a century, who firmly
challenged the
British after the martyrdom of Tipu sultan.
British after the martyrdom of Tipu sultan.
The book ‘Muslims and India’s Freedom
Struggle’-
The book ‘Muslims and India’s Freedom
Struggle’ authored by, Aligarh Muslim
Professor Shan Muhammad is a marvellous book on this subject. It was recently
published and this project was encouraged by the Institute of Objective
Studies, New Delhi. It throws light on the events of 1857 war against the
British. Dedicated to those who suffered for the cause of India’s Independence,
it is a fantastic work in this regard. It was Institute of Objective Studies,
New Delhi, which extended due encouragement to bring this work in its present
shape. An objective study of the national movement reveals that Muslims have
never been wanting in nationalist upsurge. Shoulder to shoulder they have
fought with the other communities for the Independence of India.
Another
book, ‘Muslim Freedom Fighters: Contribution of Indian Muslims in the
Independence Movement’ and its Urdu version ‘Muslim Mujahideen-e-Azadi aur
Tehrik-e-Azadi Mein Unki Khidmat’ have been authored by well-known Delhi based
author and journalist Syed Ubaidur Rahman.
The
book documents the lives of forty renowned Muslim freedom fighters including,
Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mahmud al-Hasan, Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, Hakim Ajmal
Khan, Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Mohammad Ali
Jauhar, Dr Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari, Ashfaqulla Khan,
Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Maulana Muhammad Mian Mansoor Ansari, Asaf Ali, Husain
Ahmad Madani, Aruna Asaf Ali (Kulsum Zamani), Peer Ali Khan, Saifuddin
Kitchlew, Mohammed Abdur Rahiman, Captain Abbas Ali, Abdul Qaiyum Ansari, Prof.
Abdul Bari, Moulvi Abdul Rasul, Nawab Syed Mohammed Bahadur, Rehamatullah
Mahomed Sayani, Syed Hasan Imam, Sir Syed Ali Imam, M.C. Chagla, Yusuf
Meherally, Justice Fazal Ali, General Shah Nawaz Khan, Allama Fazle Haq
Khairabadi, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Syed Mahmud, Maulana Mazharul Haque, Badruddin
Tyabji, Col Mehboob Ahmed, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Maulana Shafi Daudi, Rafi Ahmed
Kidwai, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri, Batak Mian etc.
The two books try to fight the oft-repeated
allegations that Muslims are anti-national and have not contributed for the
freedom of the nation. The books try to nail the lie and prove that Muslims didn’t
just participate in the freedom movement, rather, they lead the freedom
struggle for a long time.
Muslim fakirs unfurled the first flag of
revolt….. the Fakir-Sanyasi Movement-
Muslim Fakirs of Bengal unfurled the
first flag of revolt, roughly 100 years before the First War of India’s
Independence. The British who were getting some hold over the affairs of native
rulers were conspiring to loot the wealth of the natives, and trying to get control
over Bengal with the active help of native rulers. Around 1763, for the first
time Muslim fakirs revolted against the English East India Company under the
able leadership of Majnu Shah Fakir. Sanyasi leaders like Bhawani Pathak
supported Fakir’s revolt against the company and its stooges. The first and
foremost combined revolt of Fakirs and Hindu Sanyasis against the British was
called the Fakir-Sanyasi Revolt.
Faraizi movement-
Haji Shariyatullah, the pioneer of the
Faraizi struggle, started an armed
struggle against the British. This stuggle has come to be known as the Faraizi
struggle. It was the most active struggle during 1830 to 1900. The Faraizi
heroes continued the struggle for a period of 50 years.
The Wahabi movement-
Historical documentations indicate that the Muslims were the first to
stand against the tyranny of colonial rule. Among them, the Ahl-e-Hadees or
Wahabis as they were called, were the most prominent. Sayyed Ahmed and Shah
Ismail Shaheed constituted an anti-imperialist front after Shah Abdul Aziz
issued a 'Fatwa' against illegitimate British occupation. Many of the members
of this anti-imperialist front were Ahl-e-Hadees.
This front launched its unstopping confrontation against the British
rule and fought for over one-and-a-quarter century. This front was
characterized by mass participation including Wali Mohammed Phalti, Maulana
Wilayet Ali, Maulana Inayat Ali, Maulana Naseeruddin Dehlvi, Maulana Naseer
Mangalori, Gazi Abdullah, Fazle Ilahi Wazeerabadi and Ameer Abdul Kareem. They
fought for at least fifty years before the Mutiny 1857 erupted and sacrificed
their lives and belongings for their motherland.
In the year 1820, inspired by Syed
Ahmed Shah, the Muslims revolted against the British. The followers of Syed
Ahmed Shah were called Wahabis and they continued their heroic struggle until
1870. Inspite of the many trials, conspiracy cases, severe punishments, the Wahabis
continued their struggle. This struggle is known as the Wahabi Movement in the
history of India. Syed Ahmed Shahid was martyred in the year 1831 at Balakot.
It is a pity that their role in the struggle for freedom has not been
adequately presented in history.
The contribution of Ulma-e-Sadiqpoor fighting
along with the front is unprecedented. Their sacrifices are too enormous to be
preserved in an archive. There are records to show how Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
acknowledged the sacrifices of the Muslim scholars of Sadiqpoor i.e. Ulema-e-Sadiqpoor
(Patna). While acknowledging the contributions of the family of Ulema-e-Sadiqpoor,
Pandit Nehru said to Maulana Abdul Khabeer, the then President of Emaarate
Ahl-e-Hadees, Sadiqpoor (Patna), "If we compare the overall sacrifices of
all the Ulema in the history of united India with those of the family of
Ulema-e-Sadiqpoor then the latter's contributions would prevail the former's
concerted efforts in Indian freedom."
The
soldiers of the Murdan Regiment rebelled as a result of the concerted efforts
by Maulana Wilayet Ali. Bahadur Shah Zafar handed the reins of the army at
Delhi's Red Fort to one General Bakht who was from this group (see the preface
of 'The Historical Booklet of 1857'). During this period, a number of 'Fatwas'
were issued against the British rule that were mostly signed and supported by
the Ulema from this sect along with the Ulema of Deoband etc. specially by
Shaikhul Kul Nazeer Husain Dehlvi. Hence it can be stated that the Ahl-e-Hadees
along with other Muslim groups played the most prominent role and stood against
the English establishment in tandem with their compatriots.
William Hunter prepared a report on the behest
of British government depicting the members of Ahl-e-Hadees sect as the real threat
to the empire and held them responsible for the 1857 rebellion. He christened
them as ‘Wahabis’ and recommended strict punishments for them. This is categorically
mentioned in the book ‘Our Indian Muslims’ by William Hunter. Consequently,
lakhs of Muslims, especially from this group fell prey to the ire of the
British government.
According to Dr. Tara Chand, half a million 'Wahabis' were massacred in
united India. Many of them were condemned to serve 'Kalapani' at Andoman and
Nikobar islands. Their assets were attached. Fifteen Madrasas were brought down
to the ground in the Capital (Delhi) alone. The Mutineers (Wahabis) were
pronounced with the most severe and most excruciating punishments. Even the
British parliamentarians, unbearable to hear the horrendous atrocities, walked
out of the house. Some broke down in the middle of the session. (see 'The Other
Side Of The Picture').
The trials and arraignments of these
Wahabis by the English establishment are glorious and inseparable part of Indian
political history and independence. These trials are popularly called as the ‘Wahabi Trials’ that have been recorded in
the government documents.
The 1857 Uprising-
It is called the first war of independence. People from all faiths, Hindus, Muslims and others fought shoulder to shoulder against the British. This Uprising was led by the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. This event in History is known as the great Indian war, the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, the revolt of 1857 etc. It started on 10th May 1857 and ended on 1 Nov. 1858. In the annals of the archives of ‘Qaiserul Tawarikh’ the events of 1857 are recorded in great detail.
Unfortunately, the 1857 war met with
failure. Due to lack of modern warfare, co-ordination and united effort we lost
the war. After the recapture of Delhi, in September, the British unleashed a
reign of terror. In only one year 1857-58, 27000 Muslims were executed by the British,
apart from the hundreds killed in the general massacre. Nearly 30,000 were
exiled. Many of the royal family, including the Emperor’s sons were killed
inside the Red Fort itself. Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured and exiled to
Burma. He died on 7th Nov. in the year 1862 in a jail in Burma. Some
of the British officers viewed the 1857 revolt as an Islamic Revolt.
The multifarious role played by the Ulema-
Several fatwas were issued by the ulema
to wage a war against the British, which stirred the whole community to fulfill
the obligations enjoined on it. Moulvi Fazle Haq and Moulana Sarfaraz Ali who
wielded enormous influence upon the people closely aligned themselves with the
revolt. Haji Imadadullah gave stiff resistance fight to the British while
commanding the Mujahids in the plains of Shamili. In UP, Moulana Qasim Nanutvi
and Moulana Rasheed Ahamed Gangohi led the rebellious forces during the
uprisings. Thus Ulema, along with others, made it obligatory upon the Muslims
to wage a holy war against the British.
In spite of the divide and rule policy
pursued by the British, the religious leaders of Muslims i.e. the Ulemas
declared total support to the national movement. Ulemas of Darul Uloom at Deoband,
Shamli, and Fhirangi Mahal continued the struggle against Brithish. The
Moulanas of these institutions issued Fatwas stating that it was the duty of
all Muslims to participate in the national movement. To this effect an anthology
of hundreds of fatwas was released as a book with the title Nasratul Abrar.
Great Islamic theologians like Moulana Mahammad Hasan Madani, Moulana Obedulla
Sindhi, Moulana Saifulla, Moulana Mahammad Shiroji and many others waged war
and lived in exile for a number of years. Dr. Barkatulla Bhopali, Dr. Mansur, Abdul Wahab worked as members of the Gadar party. The first Indian Government in exile was formed in 1916 with Kabul as the headquarters. Dr. Barkatulla was the Prime Minister and Moulana Obedulla Sindhi was the Deputy Prime Minister.
and lived in exile for a number of years. Dr. Barkatulla Bhopali, Dr. Mansur, Abdul Wahab worked as members of the Gadar party. The first Indian Government in exile was formed in 1916 with Kabul as the headquarters. Dr. Barkatulla was the Prime Minister and Moulana Obedulla Sindhi was the Deputy Prime Minister.
Moulvi
Ahamadullah Shah Fayzabadi marched forward victoriously and inflicted heavy
losses on the British. The British could never catch Moulvi alive. The price of
50,000 pieces of silver was announced to capture him. While being a practicing
Muslim, he was also an epitome of religious unity and Ganga-Jamuna culture of
Faizabad. In the rebellion of 1857, royalties like Nana Sahib and Khan Bahadur Khan fought
alongside Ahmadullah. The Raja of Powain betrayed him and shot him to death,
and his head was cut off and sent to the British lords, to get the reward. Only
after seeing the head of Ahamadulla Shah, the British officers with a sigh of
relief declared that the most formidable enemy of the British in northern India
was dead. G. B. Malleson describes his
death as,
“Thus died the Moulvee Ahmed Oolah Shah of
Faizabad. If a patriot is a man who plots and fights for independence,
wrongfully destroyed, for his native country, then most certainly, the Moulvee
was a true patriot.”— G. B.
Malleson (Colonel George Bruce Malleson, English officer in India and author).
Known as ‘Krantidoot’, Azimullah Khan
was involved in the Indian
Rebellion of 1857, primarily ideologically, influencing
important nobles such as Nana Sahib. Azimulla Khan, who was the vakeel of Nana
Saheb of Kanpur, wrote several letters to the native rulers and public infusing
in them patriotic zeal. Thus there is a long list of Muslim patriots who
bravely fought the British. The list, among the others, includes Moulana Liyakhat Ali Khan, Hikmatulla Khan, Khan
Bahaddur Khan, who became a symbol of Hindu- Muslim unity, Muhammad Bakht Khan,
appointed by Bahadur Shah Zafar the military general of the first war of
India’s independence, Shehajada Feroz Shah and several others.
Tehreek-e
Reshmi Rumaal
Moulana
Mahmood Hasan and Muhammad Mian Mansoor Ansari of Deoband are known for the letter to Indian soldiers requesting them to
revolt against the British. This letter was written on a silk cloth in code
language. Hence this was known as The Conspiracy of Silk Letters. As a
consequence of the disclosure of ‘Silk Letter Conspiracy’, as in the British
record, or ‘Tahreek-e Reshmi Rumaal’ of 1916 against the
British Empire, 222 pioneering Ulama from all over the country were arrested on
this charge. (Muqaam-e Mahmood 297-298)
Many Muslims got capital punishment for
participating in Singapore revolt of March 1915. They refused the proposal of
repentance and took the gallows. The Indian soldiers of Mandalay Conspiracy
Case, Musthafa Hussain, and Ali Ahmed were executed.
Contribution of Muslim women-
Begum Hazrat Mahal led the struggle from
Lucknow and offered stiff resistance to the British for 14 months. And many
Muslim women likewise, fought for independence. In this struggle the courageous
role played by Begum Hazarat Mahal of Oudh is laudable. She fought the foreign
rulers, challenged them and offered stiff resistance for a period of 14 months,
declaring her child as the ruler of Oudh. She inspired the native rulers and ruled
her state in the time of crisis. It is remarkable to notice, that in those days
the so-called developed countries like England did not have women in military.
But here in India, we find women in patriotic military force with proper
training, under the leadership of Begum Azizun, a woman of just 25 years old.
She fought on the side of Nana Saheb. Azizun sacrificed her life for the sake
of motherland. She preferred death to surrendering to the enemy. There were
other courageous women like Habeeba Begum and a women donned in green dress,
who fought violently for the motherland and courted the gallows without any
fear. Begum Rahima bravely fought the enemy forces. In this revolt, Asghari Begum,
mother of Qazi Abdur Rahim, the revolutionary of Muzaffarnagar, fought against the British but
she was defeated and for not disclosing the secrets of revolutionaries she was
burnt alive by the British. It is estimated that no less than 225 Muslim women
gave their lives in this revolt. Not only young men, but even young women like
Razia Khatoon, joined and worked with the spirit of sacrifice in several
revolutionary associations like Juganthar, Gadar party, Hindusthan Republic Association
etc. Muslim women continued the tradition of the women of the First War of
India’s Independence. While the police was searching for the legendary
revolutionary Khudiram Bose, who killed the wife of a British officer, the
sister of revolutionary leader Moulvi Abdul Wahid gave shelter to him and
afterwards became so popular as Khudiram ki didi in the history of freedom
movement.
The Mopla movement-
In August, 1921, the police issued rule
144 in the two Talukas of Ernad and Valluvamad, because these two were
strongholds of the Mopla Muslims. The police also tried to arrest on 20th August
1921, the Secretary of the Ernad Khilafat Committee. The Moplas resisted this
arrest with swords and spears. Led by the Police Superintendent of Ernad, a
huge
By 28th August, 1921,
the British rule totally collapsed in the areas of Malappuras, Tirurangadi,
Sazeri and Perinthalmanna. Historian Roland Miller wrote that while British
controlled the main cities, the entire rural area of Malabar was completely
controlled by the Mopla rebels for 3 whole months. More than a million Muslim people in 220 sub districts were involved in
this mass uprising.
The British Government invoked Marshal
Law to crush the rebellion. Then started the reign of terror. An instance is
the episode of 19th November, 1921. On that day in a small
compartment of a train, 122 Moplas were packed like Sardines and were taken to
Coimbatore, 90 miles away. At Coimbatore, when the doors of the compartment
were opened, it was found that 64 prisoners had been suffocated to death. At
least 10,000 Moplas were killed in the name of crushing down the rebellion and
3,000 more were sentenced to transportation for life and shipped off to the
Andamans. Except the revolt of 1857 and the Santhal revolt prior to that so
many people had never been killed by the British in any other single movement.
(From:
“India's Struggle for freedom”, published by Government of West Bengal, 1987)
Jalianwala Baugh Massacre-
The 1919 Amritsar massacre, the grim
anniversary of which India marked on Saturday, is one of the best-known
examples of the atrocities committed by the British during their two-century
colonial rule of India.
Dr. Ansari and Dr. Abdul Rahaman, became
the president and secretary respectively of the Satygraha meeting against the
Rowlett Act. On this occasion there was grand Hindu-Muslim unity. At the Jama
Masjid in Delhi, the Arya Samaj leader Swami Sraddhanand, and in Bombay Masjid
Mahatma Gandhi and Sarojini Naidu addressed the meetings organized on March 30,
1919. To protest the inhuman acts of the British officers a meeting was
organized in Jalianwala Baug. General Dyer opened indiscriminate fire and
relentlessly killed 378 persons. Among the dead 55 were Muslims.
Kakori Hero Ashfaqulla Khan-
Youths like Ashfaqulla Khan, who believed
that there was no other way except taking up armed struggle to achieve
independence, became the members of the Hindustan Republican Army. In the
Kakori Train Robbery, planned by the HRA, he played a significant role. One year
after the heroic act the British police arrested him. It was hinted that simple
confession involving his comrades would secure his release. But Ashfaqulla scornfully
rejected the proposal. Later on he was hanged in the year 1927.
The confidants of Netaji- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose accepted the
help of Japan for the liberation of the motherland. There were several Muslims
in the Azad Hind Fauj as officers and soldiers. General Shahnwaz Khan, Colonel Aziz
Ahmed, Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chaudhary, Colonel Habiburrahman, and Abid Hasan Safrani
of Hyderabad etc played a key role in the Azad Hind Sena.
Ghadar Party-
Barkatullah and Syed Rehmat
Shah of Ghadar Party sacrificed their lives. Umar Subhani, an industrialist and
a millionaire of Bombay, presented a blank cheque to Gandhiji for Congress
expenses and who ultimately sacrificed his life for the cause of independence.
Maulana Hasrat Mohani, with his poetry, infused zeal of freedom in young
hearts. Likewise, the present generation does not know about Khan Abdul Gaffar
Khan, a great nationalist who had passed 45 years of his 95-years of life in jail
for the freedom of India and thus awarded ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1987.
Indian National Congress-
“If anyone has any doubt about the Muslim
contribution in the freedom movement, the fact that the Indian National
Congress had as many as nine Muslims as its president till the year 1947 will
remove such doubts,”……
The
1885 setting up of the Indian National Congress saw a mass participation from
the Muslims. They were great votaries of Hindu Muslim unity. Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad and Maulana Sayyed Dawood Ghaznavi were two prominent members of
Ahl-e-Hadees sect who fought for independence from the Congress platform. They
are undoubtedly counted as the heroes of India's freedom struggle. Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad, at the age of 35, became the youngest person to serve as the
President of the Indian National Congress. He was the icon of Hindu-Muslim
unity. Raj Mohan Gandhi in his book ‘Understanding Muslim Minds’ mentioned that
Maulana went straight to Congress office just after the funeral procession of
his wife, Zuleikha Begum and led Quit India Movement.
Khilafat Movement-
Muslim
leaders like Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali were the major figures behind the
Khilafat Movement. Under the Khilafat Movement Muslims, participated largely in
the Non-Cooperation movement which became the first mass movement in the Indian
freedom struggle.
Conspiracy to divide Indians on the basis
of Religion-
The British rulers were afraid of the
unity exhibited by Indians against them and felt that it would be a danger for
them in future. Hence, they decided to break this unity in the name of
religion, to ensure their continuity as the rulers of the country. For this purpose
British historians and civil officers of British Govt. like H.M. Elliot and
John Dawson (The History of India: As Told by Its Own Historians- the Muhammadan
Period); John Malcolm (A
memoir of Central India); John Briggs (British
India: Speeches); Mountstuart Elephinstone (The History of India) etc. were engaged and they were directed to write
the history books that could set the mind of the people in favour of British,
and that their rule was far better than that of the tyrannical Muslims rule.
This attitude towards the Muslims
continued to be the cornerstone of British Policy in India for quite a long
time. The Muslims were debarred from lucrative government jobs and were ejected
from all other gainful occupations; their trade was ruined and endowments, from
which their schools were maintained, were confiscated. The divide and rule
policy adopted by the British to consolidate and perpetuate their power in
India, the circumstances that led to the partition of British India and the
gruesome communal riots that erupted eventually broke the unity of Indian
people, who otherwise fought united against the British. Muslims contributed largely to the Indian
National Movement however due to the British policy of divide and rule there
was excessive communalism among the masses. People were divided into the lines
of religions and there were frequent communal riots. Such communalism planted
by the Britishers concretised the divisive wall between Muslims and other
communities.
The
role of Muslims in the Indian freedom movement has gathered so much dust that
an archeologist may be needed to clear it. Muslims are questioned about their
sincerity and integrity towards their motherland. Traitors, Anti-Nationals,
Unpatriotic……. labels given generously. Indian Muslims hang their heads in
shame and suffer the guilt. You
give your blood to free the country and get hatred in return? How unfair and
unjust! So much time has passed, generations have
passed, the text of the times are dissolving into a haze and a few headlines
remain. Eventually, even words die.
On 14th August 1947, the June 3
Plan or the Mountbatten plan was put into effect and India was partitioned. On
15th August India was declared as an Independent State. The rich, English educated,
capitalists, land lords, industrialists, big business magnates, among Muslims,
who wanted to grab the opportunities in a new country, the politicians who were
power hungry left for Pakistan. But those Muslims, many of them poor, who loved
their motherland, continued to live in India. They became an inseparable part
of India by participating in several developmental activities, and contributed
their fullest might for the progress of India. They wish to live in their country and even die
here. Time and again the Muslims have proved to be true patriots, in the past
as well as in the future. No one can show a candle to the Muslims regarding
sincerity and loyalty towards their motherland.
The main point is that Partition was done
in five months……. in haste! Before British rule, there were no organized
Hindu-Muslim clashes. While volumes have been written about incompatibility of
Hindus and Muslims, nothing has been written about western agenda to divide the
country on religious lines in order to weaken it. The key to peace in the
subcontinent is to realize the virulent false propaganda and clear the misconceptions
and misunderstandings about each other and stand together to uphold the
integrity and peace of our motherland India. Therein lies the key to peace in
the subcontinent…. therein lies the end to extremism and terrorism…. therein
lies the future of India.
To conclude in the apt words of Moulana Abul
Kalam Azad-
“I am indispensable to this noble edifice.
Without me this splendid structure of India is incomplete. I am an essential
element that has gone to build India. I can never surrender this claim…I am
proud of being an Indian. I am part of the indivisible unity that is Indian nationality.”
It is the dream of every Indian Muslim to see their country progress
peacefully and rise high amongst the top most developed countries but this
dream will remain in shut eyes unless the country works unitedly!
Obed Khan,
Teacher / Trainer / Life Coach
(obedkhanin@gmail.com)
Vowel Education Academy.
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