India’s history of independence from the British rule is unfortunately associated with the terrible memories of mass migration, bloodshed, communal riots and violence, following the partition of the country in 1947. Many writers and filmmakers made it the theme of their fictions and films to narrate tragic stories and incidents of separation of members of family, relatives, neighbours, friends, and near and dear ones.
Lamenting over it, noted Urdu poet Gulzar says, “The wounds will take decades to heal, and centuries to overcome the trauma of them.”
The Partition caused a heavy blow to the Muslim community in India and apparently it was pitch dark all around and there was no roadmap for the community to start its journey afresh in Independent India. The Muslim community, which really bore the repercussions of Partition, nearly had lost its morale, confidence, identity and self-image apart from other material damages. The fringe elements had launched a malice campaign and propaganda against the community, assigning sole responsibility on Muslims for the Partition.
Consequently, waves of communal riots and anti-Muslim violence were sporadically erupting, mainly across the north and western India, forcing surviving members of the community to migrate from their ancestral homes. This pathetic situation had also mounted the fear of spreading apostasy among the poor, suppressed or weaker sections of the Muslim community. East Punjab was almost emptied of its Muslim population except a couple of places, including Malerkotla. Practically, Muslims were given two options, either to flee to Pakistan or else be killed while a very few managed to survive by hiding themselves.
Indian-American writer Nisid Hajari, in his book Midnight’s Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India’s Partition, depicts the horrible scenario: “Gangs of killers set whole villages aflame, hacking to death men and children and the aged while carrying off young women to be raped. Some British soldiers and journalists who had witnessed the Nazi death camps claimed Partition’s brutalities were worse: pregnant women had their breasts cut off and babies hacked out of their bellies; infants were found literally roasted on spits.”
Historian William Dalrymple in his article,“The Great Divide the Violent Legacy of Indian Partition,” published in The New Yorker weekly magazine talks about the post-Partition casualties and bloodbath, “By 1948, as the great migration drew to a close, more than fifteen million people had been uprooted, and between one and two million were dead. The comparison with the death camps is not so far-fetched as it may seem. Partition is central to modern identity in the Indian subcontinent, as the Holocaust is to identity among Jews, branded painfully onto the regional consciousness by memories of almost unimaginable violence.”
The biggest problem for Muslims in the country was to restore their morale and protect their faith along with stopping mass migration and rehabilitating the riot-hit people.
The question was also tormenting the persons, who merely six years ago had established an Islamic reformist and revivalist movement – Jamaat-e-Islami in Lahore on 26 August, 1941 under the leadership of great Islamic scholar and thinker Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, based on the Qur’ān and Sunnah with a plan to create a just and peaceful society, by spreading the universal message of Islam among all people of the subcontinent regardless of their caste and creed.
Mentioning about the communal situation and the negative role of the law enforcement agencies and government officials in a book titled,Proceedings of Jamaat Islami – Volume 5, then Jamaat’s Secretary General says, “Not only was every nook and corner of the country gripped in riots and violence but in some areas an entire community armed itself and waged an all-out war against its rival community (like a genocide). The police and law enforcement agencies also took part in this macabre dance of death and the most unfortunate part of this entire episode was that it took place at the instigation of local government ministers and if not then at least they remained silent throughout this brutality (and became complicit in crime).”
Despite living together over a thousand years, the level of hatred and communal strife among different communities had risen so much so that even Gandhiji who used to attend inter-faith or communal amity programmes, had faced opposition for it. At that time, once Gandhiji wanted to recite the Qur’ān in a temple, he was hooted out of the place and the police had to be called to intervene. On another occasion, when Gandhiji attended an annual conference of the Jamaat in Patna, Bihar to see the organisation closely, had also faced opposition by the communal frenzied elements; however, he responded to them in these words, “I have no regret about attending their (Jamaat Islami) convention. Rather, I am glad to have attended it. If they invite me again, I shall go to their convention on foot.” (Dawat paper)
In spite of all this, the Jamaat leaders always reiterated that the enmity of Non-Muslims was with the political demands of Muslims as a rival community, not with Islam and its teachings. Sharing their good experiences during the adverse situation, Jamaat leaders stated that on many occasions when they presented the message of Islam to Non-Muslims, even most hardcore opponents, unexpectedly surrendered, lavishly praising the teachings of Islam. Even in some riot-hit areas where both Muslims and Non-Muslims suffered a lot, Jamaat members succeeded to prevent further incidents of violence after visiting there to convince the people to maintain peace and communal amity, and uphold morality, humanity and justice. In many instances, Non-Muslimseven praised the efforts of Jamaat openly, by saying that wherever Jamaat is influential, no riot can take place over there. At one place, where common Muslims had suffered huge loss in the communal violence, even a Non-Muslim man shielded the offices of Jamaat from the furious mob because he had read its literature.
When the wave of communal fire was catching everyone including the upper and middle classes and the incidents of killings, mob lynching and slaughtering were heading the country towards a civil war while the community and religious leaders and newspapers were adding fuel to the fire, a very few sane people including Jamaat leaders and cadre got up against the tide of communalism, nationalism and racism, viewing the situation with humanitarian angle. Without wasting a single minute, the Jamaat leadership kicked off a wide drive to douse the raging communal fire by reaching out to the common people apart from meeting with religious leaders of all communities – Hindu, Sikh and Muslim – with a message of peace, justice, tranquillity, brotherhood and piety.
Although many members of the newly formed Islamic movement happened to be there in Pakistan after Partition, only a few remained here in India.
In such a volatile atmosphere that too when there was lack of bold and strong leadership, these visionary personalities from every nook and corner, risking their lives, stood up with a vision to ameliorate the worsening situation, convey the peaceful message of Islam to the fellow countrymen for their wellbeing and salvation, and reorganise the scattered and disheartened Muslim community into a ‘Khair Ummah’ group, which was raised by Allah, for the good of mankind with a duty to enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil. As many as 240 remaining members of the Jamaat converged in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh during the very turbulent time when modes of transport had become so scary, unsafe and dangerous and formed Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), afresh with a separate constitution and structure, on 16th April 1948 and elected well-known Islamic scholar Maulana Abul Lais Islahi Nadvi as its first president.
They started their more challenging journey as compared to the earlier one with firm determination and dedication to unite the divided people in a strong bond of brotherhood and save them from the growing malice, hatred, animosity and evils by building the nation on divine guidance which was sent by the Creator of the universe. Their journey of conveying the message of Islam to the countrymen and establishing the Islamic way of life in every sphere of life was not easy because they had both internal and external challenges. On one hand, uncertainty, inferiority complex, agony, utter perplexity, disappointment, apprehensions and animosity had penetrated deep into the hearts of Muslims. On the other hand, the hostile atmosphere of hatred and suspicion had widened the gulf between Hindus and Muslims.
However, its cadre was instructed to firmly stick to moral behaviour and good attitude during the communal strife, rising above nationalism, racial prejudice and hatred, apart from inviting people towards good and righteousness. All members were directed that they should make all efforts to protect every innocent person whether Muslim or Non-Muslim if a frenzied mob wanted to harm the person, even so it might entail risking their own lives. Similarly, every member was ordered to give shelter and help to any family or group of people irrespective of their religion in case of danger during riots. They were also instructed to get an opportunity to talk to the people, and rioters as well for their counselling and warning them from God’s wrath. Following these instructions, the Jamaat cadre, sympathisers and associates set an example by serving all communities with their exemplary character and sense of service.
“In one locality of Amritsar, one of our sympathisers had stopped two armed groups of the opposite community confronting each other for a full 24 hours.” (Proceedings of Jamaat Islami)
It records, “After the riots, Jamaat’s volunteers reached the civil hospital and started serving the injured irrespective of their religion. As a result, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs now started trusting them more than their relatives.”
On one hand, the JIH started to form relief committees and establishing rehabilitation camps at various places for working among riot-hit people without any discrimination between communities. On the other hand, it took the task of encouraging Muslims, who were very few in number at many places and remove their fear and apprehensions that had been instilled by the majority community. Therefore, the JIH especially made all efforts to inculcate the right spirit of Islam among Muslims, which could enable them to overcome their depression and fear.
When the JIH leadership started their struggle to establish the final divine way of life based on the Qur’ān and Sunnah, they, surprisingly enough, faced strong opposition and criticism from within the community itself. Some Muslim religious groups and leaders were aggressively involved even in the propaganda and spitting venom against the JIH. Trying to brand it as a deviant group, such elements not only used to level false allegations against the organisation but they made all efforts through slanderous campaigns and spitting venom to stop the common Muslims from being part of the noble cause of JIH.
In addition, some of the Non-Muslims unknowingly and sometimes deliberately levelled false allegations against the JIH of being a communal group while the ruling dispensation used to look at it with suspicion.
According to an estimate, over 10,000 people have been killed since 1950 in 6,933 instances of communal violence. Among the biggest incidents include the largescale violence against Muslims following the Operation Polo in Hyderabad, anti-Muslim riots in Kolkata in the aftermath of 1950 Barisal Riots, Jabalpur riots and Sagar riots.
Indian American scholar Omar Khalidi says,“Anti-Muslim violence is planned and executed to render Muslims economically and socially crippled and, as a final outcome of that economic and social backwardness, assimilating them into lower rungs of Hindu society.”
Unfortunately, during the first decade after the Independence, communal riots were erupting frequently.The JIH had to exert all its might in relief and rehabilitation measures. For this purpose, in 1950, it launched the relief operations for victims on a very large scale.
The issues like interfering in the Muslim personal law, implementing uniform civil code, eradicating the Muslim heritage and culture, distorting history and trying to relaunch the Shuddi drive to turn Muslims apostate, were timely taken notice of by the JIH. With every passing day, new issues were being raised to demoralise the Muslim community, but the JIH took proactive steps against them.
Resolving the common issues, safeguarding identity and keeping unity and amity within the community, JIH made selfless efforts to establish a common platform of all Muslim organisations and different segments. JIH leaders like Maulana Abul LaisNadvi, its first secretary general Maulana Mohammad Yusuf and Maulana Muhammad Muslim played leading roles in forming the joint platforms such as All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) and DeeniTaleemi Council.
The JIH drew attention of various Muslim organisations, educators and leaders for making a comprehensive plan to impart religious education and taking notice of objectionable content in the government textbooks. To achieve this goal, the JIH decided to focus on setting up schools on the local level after establishing an excellent school on the central level. It prepared a model syllabus and curriculum, which is being followed in various schools of the country.
In spite of adverse conditions and lack of resources, the JIH made ample contributions for all-round development of the Muslim community and the country. It also made progress in the fields of education, economy, social work and media and worked hard to create Islamic awareness, convey the message of Islam among fellow citizens and dispel their misconceptions. The JIH prepared a valuable Islamic literature and curriculum and got the Qur’ān translated into regional languages.
JIH has been proactive in peacekeeping, protecting human and civil rights in the country and extending all possible support to the Muslim community in resolving all its problems, including social and economic ones and prevailing un-Islamic practices and traditions.