MUSLIM MAJLIS-E-MUSHAWARAT – EK MUKHTASAR TAREEKH
(A brief history of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat)
Mohammad Alamullah
Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, India
Year: 2015
Pages: 198
Price: Rs 200
ISBN: 9788172210663
Reviewer: FARHAN SUMBUL
When one starts reading or writing on the Indian Muslims and their politics, one has to traverse through the various regions and geographies of Muslim politics. Muslim politics in Kerala is very different from that in UP or Bihar. Kashmir stands exclusive in the debates and discussions of Muslim politics in India. Hence it becomes very complex for the writer or reader to understand the post-colonial phenomena of Muslim politics in India at one attempt.
The recently published Urdu book Muslim Majlis e Mushawarat – Ek Mukhtasar Tareekh is written by a young journalist Mohammad Alamullah. The author of this book hails from a modest suburb of Ranchi called Itki and has written many articles and stories on Indian Muslims. If the name of this book can be translated into English then it would probably be – Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat – A Brief History. The irony of Muslims in India is that they are always attached to past events for seeking the right course for future. Very less is written to draw the future course based on current events. But, as the author says in the Preface, his idea behind writing this book was to present the history of struggles and strategies of Muslim leaders in post-Independence India who wanted to change the social and political status of Muslims in our country.
Those who follow the developments of Muslims’ social and political activism should be very much aware of the fact that All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat has been, since its inception in 1964, a sincere platform for Muslim leaders and intelligentsia.
AIMMM, an apex body of Indian Muslim organisations, was established at a representative meeting of the community leaders at Lucknow on 8-9 August 1964. Dr Syed Mahmood was the first President and MN Anwar its first General Secretary.
The book highlights the massive devastation of Muslims in North India, especially unstoppable sequence of brutal riots after 1961 at Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Rourkela and the ongoing stigmatisation of Muslims as the background of the formation of AIMMM. Calcutta (now Kolkata) too had witnessed anti-Muslim riots in early 1964. These riots left the entire community broken and shattered. Peace loving and secular Hindus were also appalled at the worrisome happenings at that time and were seen in solidarity with the Muslim leaders.
The history of Mushawarat compiled in this book gives me a good introduction of the 50 years of development of Muslim political activism in North India. The book truly highlights the failure of Muslim leadership in keeping themselves united for the cause of Indian Muslims. In fact, in its true sense, this author has not only compiled the history of Mushawarat but has covered the successful and failed social and political experiments of Muslims in post-colonial India. Successful experiments give us strength and failed experiments warn us before hand for future course of actions.
There is very less written on Muslims’ tryst with politics and relevant social activism in Independent India and this book probably tries to create one dot in that quest. The author has also wisely penned down the successful decisions community leaders took at the time of foundation of Mushawarat and has precisely put before the readers the failures of decision making processes of Muslim leaders at different points of time, and the grievous marks it left on the conditions of Muslims in political and social spheres. This book should be a guide for the current leadership and members of Mushawarat and all the Muslim leadership of the country. As the book highlights, Mushawarat has done a great job for the Muslims in India and has contributed hugely to keeping the secular ethos of the country intact from any external harm. But the book also underlines the fact that a lot more has to be achieved. No community can bear the loss of 50 years for being loosely coupled in their struggle for dignity and security in India.
The author has also mentioned the great contributions of Ibrahim Seth and MN Anwar who were from South India along with other stalwarts from North like Ali Miyan Nadvi, Abul Lais Islahi, Dr Syed Mahmood, Mohammad Muslim and many more. Participation of South Indian Muslim leaders in Mushawarat shows that AIMMM, in its early days, had good social engagement in the Muslims of South India as well. But now, as it appears to me, the existence of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat is more seen for the Muslims in North India than for those belonging to South. This could be the indication of AIMMM becoming reduced to North.
This book should reach to wider audience and especially to the new generation. Mushawarat should get it translated into English and Hindi as well so that larger audience of the Muslim history should get benefitted with it.
Mr Navaid Hamid was elected its new President in January 2016 but the website of Mushawarat still mentions Dr Zafar-ul Islam Khan as the President of AIMMM. In this digitalised world, every Muslim organisation should furnish updated information on Internet. Youth are watching our community leaders and they should respond to them. They have great aspirations and hope from their leadership abilities and skills. Our leaders must not allow the desperate Muslim youths lose their heart.