Is it not our responsibility that we all come together to launch a struggle to free ourselves from communalism, casteism, and regionalism also as we did to throw the yoke of British rule? urges SAMIR KHAN.
India gained independence on 15 August 1947. Many people sacrificed their life to achieve it. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other communities came together to fight for the freedom. And it is their efforts and their vision that have laid the foundation for a robust India. An India where we are free from foreign rule.
But many great men who fought for the freedom of our country have been forgotten. Regarding the personality of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, former President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, has remarked: “We are too near the tragedy even to make a proper assessment of the great services rendered by Maulana Azad to our freedom movement and to our progress thereafter. He was a great scholar; a self-sacrificing patriot and a statesman. One great thing for which our people have to remember Maulana Azad is his work for India’s unity.” (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad; by Arsh Malsiani, Government of India publication, 1988) This comment proves true to almost all Muslims. The great reformer Maulana Syed Abul Aala Maudoodi was against dividing India. He also stood for a united India with the strong belief that a united India could progress more than a divided India.
The Freedom Movement in India started from 1782 onwards when Haidar Ali Khan, the Sultan of Mysore, fought against the British. It was carried on by Tipu Sultan, the greatest enemy of the British. At the time of Sultan’s martyrdom British authorities screamed: “We won India.”
The Freedom Movement was strengthened in 1857 beginning with mutiny in the military. The Mughal Emperor, who was reduced to the ruler of Delhi, was the leader of the movement in 1857. Bahadur Shah Zafar was expelled to Burma where he met his end.
The role of Muslim fighters was not highlighted as it should have been. Across Indian region the Muslims cooperated with the rest of Indians as they were committed freedom fighters. Bipin Chandra writes: “The positive development within the Congress and within the Muslim League led to the broad political unity among the two, an important role in this being played by Lokmanya Tilak and M.A. Jinnah.” (Advanced History of India, p. 20)
When many native rulers found their allies in the British Ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan smelt danger in the policy of the British in India. The British were not like Muslim rulers, who utilised the Indian wealth to the benefit of Indians. The British exploited Indian wealth and shifted it to their country, England. Tipu Sultan fought vigorously and bravely, despite betrayal from some of his ministers. Writing on the joint effort of Hindus and Muslims in the Freedom Movement, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote: “We feel as Asiatic a common bond unity as against the aggression of Europe.” (Autobiography, p. 471) Sarojini Naidu considered Jinnah the ‘best ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity’. Yet, it was the fanatics who criticised him.
HINDU-MUSLIM UNITY
The two major communities, which formed 97 per cent of Indian population, fought together against the British in the beginning. The British realised the ‘danger’ of this unity, and tried to weaken it by playing the ‘divide and rule’ policy; they helped Hindutva extremists belonging to Hindu Mahasabha. In India’s Struggle for Independence, Bipan Chandra writes: “The nationalist movement and the Hindu-Muslim unity took giant steps forward after the World War I during the agitation against Rowlatt Acts, and the Khilafat and the Non-cooperation Movements. As if to declare before the world the principle of Hindu-Muslim unity in political action, Swami Shradhanand, a staunch Arya Samajist, was asked by Muslims to preach from the pulpit of Jama Masjid at Delhi, while Dr. Siafudeen Kichlu, a Muslim, was given the keys of the Golden Temple, the Sikh shrine at Amritsar. The entire country resounded to the cry of ‘Hindu Muslim ki Jai’.” (Cited in Discovery of India, p. 41)
D. Mahajan reviews the social situation in Medieval India and writes: “It is contented that there were many Muslim kings who treated the Hindus well. This was true not only of Akbar, the Great but also of many (other) Muslim kings. Moreover, there were common festivals, common social customs, common literature, common complimentary architecture, etc. among Hindus and Muslims.” (Advanced History of India, p. 311, 1990) Instead of communalism people were more united by cultural or racial intimacy. Pandit Nehru remarks: “A Bengali Muslim is far nearer to a Bengali Hindu than he is to a Punjabi Muslim. So also with others.” (Discovery of India, p. 334)
Summarising the glory of Islam, Gandhiji writes: “Islam’s distinctive contribution to India’s national culture is its unadulterated belief in Oneness of God and a practical application to the truth of brotherhood of man for those who are nominally within its fold.” (The Mind of Gandhi, R.K. Prabhu & V.R., p. 100)
Raj Mohan Gandhi, in his Understanding Muslim Mind, has given the contribution of Muslims to freedom movement as well as Hindu-Muslim unity. He has narrated the personality of Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Maulana Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Fazlul Haq, Abul Kalam Azad, Liaqat Ali Khan and Dr. Zakir Husain. Raj Mohan Gandhi quoted a historian who writes: “Hakkim Ajmal Khan’s belief in Hindu-Muslim unity was not a matter of policy, it was a part of his heritage; it was in his blood, and substance of his everyday life.” (Ibid, p. 8) Hakkim Ajmal Khan through his speeches continued to preach communal amity. Raj Mohan Gandhi has quoted poet Hali whose slogan of Hindu-Muslim Unity, “If you desire the good of your country, then do not consider any compatriot you’re a stranger. Be he a Muslim or a Hindu” is still valid.
In 1914, Mazhar-ul-Haq visited England and addressed Indians on ‘Indian Nationalism’, and called both Hindus and Muslims to unite to free their motherland from slavery. Many Muslim leaders worked for Hindu Muslim unity along with freedom struggle.
HINDU-MUSLIM PROBLEMS
V.D. Mahajan writes: “It was during the British rule in India that Hindu-Muslim riots took place. The British government encouraged these riots wherever there was great political activity so that the Hindus and the Muslims may start quarrelling and fighting the nationalist movement may get setback.” (Advanced History of India, S. Chand & Co, 1990, pp. 312)
It was the British who created schism in the minds of Hindu and Muslim communities who were living harmoniously till the British dominance in India. To implement the policy of ‘divide and rule’ the British poisoned the minds of Hindus and Muslims. Two religious communities which formed 97 per cent of India’s population were divided and the Indian strength was reduced, which in turn, strengthened British hold in India.
The British purposely alienated Muslims from Hindus. V.D. Mahajan writes: “In 1843, Lord Ellenborough declared the entire Muslim community to be disloyal and recommended the policy of favouring the Hindus. (We must note that fanatic Hindutva organisations still speak the language of Ellenborough). After 1858, men like John Lawrence advocated the policy of straining the relations between the Hindus and the Muslims. The policy of the government gave a death blow to Muslims; it was specially stated in the government advertisements that only Hindus were eligible and others.” (Advanced History of India, p. 308)
Narrow minded policies of Sardar Patel and V.D. Savarkar alienated Muslims from the mainstream and national movement. However, Muslims fought against the British more vigorously for independent India. Pandit Nehru remarks that the heavy hands of British fell on Muslims more than the Hindus, since Muslims were the real enemies of British. In his autobiography Pandit Nehru writes: “In recent years Indian Muslims have had repeated shocks and many of their deeply cherished notions have been shattered.” (pp. 471)
NATIONAL MOVEMENT AND MUSLIMS
Muslims were patriotic and are devoted people, and hence, struggled hard to expel the British who were exploiting India. “The Revolt of 1857 was a joint affair, but in its suppression Muslims felt strongly, and to some extent rightly, that they were the greatest sufferers.” (Discovery of India, p. 342) Many Muslims joined hands with Jagdish Subhash Chandra Bose and I.N.A, and Abdur Rahman was his close friend and associate.
During Gandhiji’s all India tour gaining support for the movement, many Muslims contributed a lot of money and ornaments. In Kerala, Mappila ladies contributed their gold ornaments during his tour along with Abdur Rahman Sahib, the Congress leader of Kerala. Even Muslim League, formed for Muslim unity, cooperated with Congress and other national movements. The fanatical attitudes of certain anti-Muslims in the Congress Party provoked them to think that Muslims are a separate community.
Referring to Muslim freedom fighters, Jaswant Singh writes: “In Aligarh and Rohilkhand they (Muslims) were mostly with uprising” (Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence, p. 24). He also adds that due to poverty of Bengal Muslims they were not powerful to raise their voice against the British. Jaswant Singh continues, “The Pathans, Rajputs and Bundalas participated with robust vigour in this struggle.” (p. 24)
Jaswant Singh writes that Muslims lost most of their wealth. He continues: “Without doubt Muslims suffered grievously, paying a price for 1857; their sense of honour was outraged, their self-pride broken. Through economic deprivation their lifestyle altered permanently.” (Ibid, p. 26)
CONTRIBUTION OF MUSLIMS TO FREEDOM MOVEMENT
At Jalianwala Bagh, many Muslims lost their life. Dr. Saifudin Kichlu and Dr. Satya Pal were the leaders of the meeting; Dr Basheer was the chief guest.
Urdu played a very crucial role in the freedom movement. There were many scholars in the Urdu language. Poets, literary scholars, journalists, orators and writers promoted the cause of freedom movement. The publications like Al-Hilal, The Comrade and Al-Balagh were parts of freedom movement. The leaders of Jamiat-ul-Ulama toured every district of Bengal and preached Hindu-Muslim unity and importance of freedom movement. Majlis Ashraful Islam, Khudai Khidmatgar, Shia Political Conference and other Muslim organisations lent their support to their national movement.
MUSLIM FREEDOM FIGHTERS
There were many Muslim leaders forgotten by historians and writers. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Barkathulla, Bi Amma (mother of Ali brothers), Badarudeen Tyabji, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Dr. M.A. Ansari, Dr. Siafudeen Kichlu, Dr. Basheer Ahmad, Syed Ameer Ali, Dr. Syed Muhammad, Hazrat Mohani, Nawab Abdul Latheef, Althaf Hussain Hali, Syed Ahmad Sirhindi, Syed Ahmad Barielly, Maulana Shibli Numani, Munshi Karamat Ali, Poet Hali, Munshi Zakaullah (Delhi) were very few names in the history of freedom movement.
But, there are many Muslim leaders who were forgotten by our writers. Muhammad Barkathullah worked along with Ram Chandra and Bhagat Singh. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was closely working with Gandhiji and so, he was called Frontier Gandhi. Pandit Nehru writes: “There were many Muslims in the Congress. Their numbers were large and included many able men and the best-known and the most popular Muslim leaders in India were in it.” (Autobiography, p. 139)
In his tribute to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Gandhiji writes: “I have had the privilege of being associated with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in national work since 1920. His nationalism is robust as his faith in Islam.” (Arsh Malsiani, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Publication Division, Government of India, 1988, p. 173)
Who can forget the immense role played by Ulema (Islamic religious scholars) who were hanged in thousands for taking part in the freedom struggle. What is saddening is that the contribution of Muslims to free this country has been cleverly sidelined by historians who wrote history with British and fascist perspective.
Our history is replete with many such examples of how Hindu, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and people from other faiths sacrificed their lives for our country. We are into the 68th year of independence. Although we are directly free from the shackles of British rule we have not yet been able to remove the shackles of communalism, casteism, and regionalism from our yokes. Our country is crying to free itself from these shackles also. Is it not our responsibility that we all come together to launch a struggle to free ourselves from these as we did to throw the yoke of British rule?