Hereunder are a selection of newspaper clippings, mainly from the US Press, extracted from the well-researched book just released titled, “Sultan Variomkunnan” by young historian Ramees Mohammed on the Mappila Uprising. These clippings furnish further evidence that the Mappilas were fighting for India’s Freedom and were not Anti-Hindu.
The following statements by the correspondent of the Chicago Tribune are pertinent:
“Hindus Shared the Unrest and ‘Gandhi ki Jai’ was the Watchword” “The Moplahs Revere the Sultan Caliph and Loathe his Enemies”
The Mappila Uprising was to Destroy British Rule
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“Hindus Shared the Unrest and ‘Gandhi ki Jai’ was the Watchword” “The Moplahs Revere the Sultan Caliph and Loathe his Enemies”
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British Police and Intelligence responsible for forced conversions to discredit Mappilas
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source: http://www.turkvehind.org / Turkiye Ve Hindistan / by Noor Mohammed Khalid
Popularly known as Frontier Gandhi, Badshah Khan, Bacha Khan and Fakhr-e-Afghan, his indomitable political spirit has found a place in all of his names.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (L) with Gandhi at King Edward’s College, NWFP, in 1938 | Wikimedia commons
Buried under the historical violence of Pakistan’s tribal belt is a sliver of peace—and it is because of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a lifelong pacifist who mobilised Pathans against British colonialists in India. Popularly known as ‘Frontier Gandhi’, Badshah Khan, Bacha Khan and Fakhr-e-Afghan, his indomitable political spirit has found a place in all of his names, a reminder of peace, secularism and unity even 35 years after his death in January 1988.
Born into a wealthy Sunni Pashtun family in Pakistan’s Utmanzai in 1890, Khan hailed from the landowning Mohammadzai clan. He devoted his life and resources to upending poverty and promoting education and Hindu-Muslim harmony. But his biggest contribution to the Indian subcontinent, perhaps, came with the ‘Khudai Khidmatgar’, or Servants of God, movement in 1929—the beginning of mass mobilisation against an exploitative British Raj.
Khan’s innate ability to unite the masses non-violently turned him into a ‘powerhouse Muslim leader’ from the erstwhile North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Crackdowns, custodial violence and imprisonment only hardened his anti-colonial stance, laying the foundations for a spiritual resilience which is talked about to this day.
“It is my inmost conviction that Islam is amal, yakeen, muhabat – selfless service, faith, and love,” Khan had said. He had also urged Pathans to “arise and rebuild” their “fallen house.”
Powerhouse Pathan
While Khan’s life was fraught with hurdles and clashes with the colonial government, his political fervour refused to die. For instance, in 1921, he was asked to lead the Khilafat Committee in Peshawar as its president. During his tour of the province, he delivered speeches and emphasised the need to eliminate British imperialism in South Asia. He was subsequently jailed and tortured by the British for three years.
“When Abdul Ghaffar came out of jail in 1924, he was frail and worn-out in body, but his spirit was unvanquished. His blue eyes were proud of their suffering, determined and cold. The Pathans looked at Abdul Ghaffar with admiration; they had found their leader, thanks to the British,” writes documentary filmmaker Dinanath Gopal Tendulkar, in his book Abdul Ghaffar Khan: Faith is a Battle.
Khan led the Khudai Khidmatgar movement with the call to lay down arms and use civil resistance to challenge British rule. This massive movement involved 100,000 Pathans who took an oath to join the movement: “Since God needs no service, I promise to serve humanity in the name of God. I promise to refrain from violence and from taking revenge. I promise to forgive those who oppress me or treat me with cruelty. I promise to devote at least two hours a day to social work.”
Within a short time, they established a network in the province, particularly in neglected rural areas.
The leaders of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement put great emphasis on discipline. The volunteers were organised and drilled in a military fashion, given the ranks of generals, colonels, captains, etc. They even wore identical shirts in shades of brown or dark red. This move invited extensive propaganda from the British Indian government, which equated Khidmatgars to the Bolsheviks. But Khan never left his non-violent ideals.
“There is nothing surprising in a Muslim or a Pathan like me subscribing to the creed of non-violence. It is not a new creed,” Khan had once declared, as per his biographer Eknath Easwaran.
Friendship with Gandhi, relationship with Congress
Khan is also often remembered in history for his curious and close friendship with M.K. Gandhi. The link that connected the two has its roots in the 1919 Rowlatt Act. Khan stood up against the Act—which promoted indefinite imprisonment without a trial—and mobilised 50,000 people in Utmanzai to raise their voices in protest.
Scholars have differentiated how Khan and Gandhi approached their respective philosophies of non-violence. In popular discourse, it is often portrayed that Gandhi heavily inspired Khan’s ideals of non-violence. But J.S. Bright, a biographer of Khan, thinks differently.
Bright also said that in Gandhi’s case, his ideals received more publicity and that he should be called “Indian Khan” instead.
Khan never supported Partition
In December 1929, Ghaffar Khan and other prominent members of the Khudai Khidmatgar attended the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress to raise awareness of the volatile situation in the NWFP.
Impressed with the Congress’s support, Khan endorsed the party’s programme of complete independence and non-payment of taxes and revenues.
But when it came to the issue of Partition, Khan felt “betrayed” by the Congress Working Committee. Owing to the violence and realpolitik, most Congress leaders agreed to the Partition plan laid out by British viceroy Louis Mountbatten, with the Congress Working Committee overwhelmingly ratifying it. Only four leaders held out – Gandhi, Khan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan.
“You have thrown us to the wolves,” Khan said in resentment, according to an article about his death published in Los Angeles Times.
The Pashtuns were only given the choice of going with India or Pakistan; independence was out of the question. Convinced that his participation in the decision-making referendum would lead to violence and bloodshed among Pathans, Khan and the Khudai Khidmatgars left the ball in the Muslim League’s court.
The NWFP eventually voted to join Pakistan, where Khan fought for a better deal for the frontier region and advocated for the province’s autonomy. For this, he spent years in prison.
After 17 years of isolation and imprisonment in Pakistan, Khan went on to live in Kabul in the mid-1970s.
He spent his last years in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, visiting India occasionally for medical treatment, mainly for arthritis. Khan died on 20 January 1988 of complications from a stroke while under house arrest in Peshawar and was laid to rest in Jalalabad.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> The Print Profile / by Shania Mathew / January 20th, 2023
Tipu descendant Rahimunissa and husband Mansoor Ali (second and third from left)
Bengaluru:
In the backdrop of the dissolution of the Tipu Sultan Waqf Estate (TSWE) which was chaired by Congress MLA Tanveer Sait, descendants of Tipu Sultan suggested that the new committee should rehabilitate all of them using revenue generated from said properties.
They added that they should especially get some monetary benefit from the properties for essential matters like health care and education. They also demanded establishment of a library and a research centre, which would deal with Tipu’s history.
They also said that historical structures could do with better upkeep, for which at least four of them be made members of the new committee when it is formed. Mansoor Ali, who is married to Rahimunissa, a descendant of the 18th century sultan from one of his younger sons, said that he was thankful to the Waqf Tribunal for its judgement, which was favourable to them. “We will approach the government and demand rehabilitation of the entire family,” he said.
“Instead of asking votes in the name of Tipu Sultan, at least give minimum help by way of medical and educational help to the family of Tipu Sultan who are in difficulty. We are not demanding palaces, nor are we demanding properties.
We are saying that we be included in the managing committee, which deals with the upkeep of places like Masjide-Aalaa and religious activities,” he added. Mansoor said that the earlier committee hadn’t been following waqf by-laws. “We had approached the High Court who referred the matter to the Waqf Tribunal. In 2021, Rahimunissa told the court that the committee (TSWE) has not been made according to the by-laws.
As per the rules, the committee should not have a chairman for more than two terms. It ought not to have two vice chairmen. The Secretary should be an ex-official. There should be an audit report every 11 months. There should be a meeting every month because they are heritage properties. There should have been a research centre and a library.
“Despite these deficiencies, he (Sait) used his political influence, as an MLA, as a Waqf Board member to violate by-laws and misused his power. However, we got justice from the judiciary. When he claimed that we were not real descendants, we produced documents to prove that as well,” he said.
source: http://www.newstrailindia.com / News Trail / Home / by NT Correspondent / January 14th, 2023
When the English imprisoned Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar (1775-1862), the last Indian Moghul Emperor, in the Jail of Rangoon in 1857, instead of Indian Flag, Union Jack started hoisting at Dehli’s Red Fort and Queen Victoria became the full-fledged ruler of India without any obstacle, at that time, many country patriots came into field united to fight against the British rule.
Maulana Muhammad Qasmi Nanautavi (1832-1879) was one of them too.
In 1857, one Fatwa for Jihad against the English was issued.
The Fatwa carried the signature of 34 prominent Ulama. One among them was Maulana Nanautavi himself. As other elders had participated in the Jihad of Shamli in 1857, Maulana Nanautavi also had participated personally with his colleagues. Briefly in the battle of Shamli, Nanautavi and his colleagues got defeated to British forces.
He was a far sighted scholar. He comprehended that the British has not only occupied India and would attack the Indian culture, but even the faith of Indians would be at risk. Therefore, while on the one hand, he started fighting against the English, he began debating with clergyman on the other. But to that time, the freedom wasn’t destined for India, so he didn’t succeed in the mission.
In this situation, intending to free India from the British rule, in the company of some friends, Maulana Nanautavi adopted another policy to establish a Madrasa on 21st May, 1866 (a famous learning centre of Indian Subcontinent, Darul Uloom, Deoband) beneath a pomegranate tree in Chattah Masjid of Deoband. So that the trained products of the Madrasa would sacrifice themselves to preserve the country and Islam both in British India. Alhamdulillah, Nanautavi succeeded in his mission and a good number of Darul Uloom’s product gave sacrifices for the sake of Indian freedom and Islam.
The noted Islamic scholar Maulana Manazir Ahsan Gilani (1892-1956) quoted in his book, “Ihaatae Darul Uloom Men Beete Huwe Din” (The Days Passed in the Campus of Darul Uloom) from his teacher and the first graduate of the seminary, Shaikhul Hind Mahmood Hasan Deobandi (1851-1920) saying:“Did my teacher (Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi) establish this seminary only for the teaching and learning? The seminary was established before me, as far as my knowledge goes, my teacher established this one in 1866 to compensate the defeat of 1857 from the British. I have chosen the same mission for which it was established before me.”
Very few people know the fact: “In the meeting of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind at Kolkata in 1926, the participants included graduates of Darul Uloom, Deoband and they supported the group which called for complete independence of India from the British rule.
Indian National Congress was to declare complete independence as its goal three years later, in its session at Lahore.” (Wikipedia, Darul Uloom Deoband)The famous freedom fighter, Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdu Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988), who visited Darul Uloom, during his visit to India in 1969, had said, “I have had relation with Darul Uloom since the time, Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan, was alive. Sitting here, we used to make plans for the independence movement, as to how we might drive away the English from this country and how we could make India free the yoke of slavery of the British Raj. This institution has made great efforts for the freedom of this country.” (Wikipedia, Darul Uloom Deoband)Due to the great interest in India’s freedom struggle, Shaikhul Hind became an icon of Indian independence movement. Though he was a teacher of Darul Uloom, but made much effort to start an armed revolution against British rule from the both inside and outside India.
He started a programme to train volunteers and his students in the seminary from India and abroad for that goal. The most eminent among those who joined the movement were his students: Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi (1872-1944), Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani (1879-1957), Maulana Muhammad Mian Mansoor Ansari etc.Shaikhul Hind sent Maulana Sindhi to Kabul and Ansari to the North-West Frontier Province to mobilize the popular support and recruit volunteers. And he with Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani travelled to Hijaz (KSA) to secure Turkish support. Getting the Turkish governor, Ghalib Pasha’s signature on a declaration of Jihad against the British, he planned to return to India via Baghdad and Bluchistan to start the rebellion.When Shaikhul Hind planned to return, the Silken Letter Movement was captured by Punjab CID.
Due to this movement, Shaikhul Hind was arrested in Hijaz. He was imprisoned in Malta, where he was tortured mercilessly, for more than three years.
Here it seems necessary to mention that what was the Silken Letter Movement. Shaikhul Hind wanted an armed revolution against the British rule, as I mentioned. So, he needed arms and ammunition. He and his colleagues, therefore, travelled to different countries to seek support from the anti-British countries; such as Afghanistan, Turkey and Russia. During the visiting different countries, letter exchanged between Shaikhul Hind and his colleagues, containing the outlines of the plan to recruit the volunteers for army and to establish a national government were written on silk piece of cloth. That is why the movement was known as the Silken Letter Movement/Tahreeke Reshmi Rumal (in Urdu)/Silk Letter Conspiracy (according to British government).When he returned to India, after release, was conferred upon by the title of Shaikhul Hind, leading leader of India.
Now he issued a Fatwa making it a duty of all Indian Muslims to support and participate with Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and the Indian National Congress, who had prescribed a policy of non-cooperation and mass civil disobedience through non-violence.
He died on November 30, 1920 wishing to get martyrdom for India’s freedom.
Though Shaikhul Hind was no more, but he left a good number of students, who followed the footprint of their elders and worked tirelessly for the freedom of India.
Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi (1872-1944), a 1891’s graduate of Darul Uloom, was also among them. He was the most active and prominent member of India’s freedom movement. He was among those leaders of Darul Uloom who left India, following the commandment of Shaikhul Hind, during World War 1, to get support of the anti-British central powers for an armed revolution against British rule.
Maulana Sindhi reached Kabul to rally the Afghan Amir Habibullah Khan.
After a period of time, he offered his support to Raja Mahendra Praratab’s plans for revolution in India with German support. He joined the Provisional Government of India formed in Kabul on 1st December, 1915. In this government, he was nominated the Minister for India. It was declared a revolutionary government in exile, which was supposed to take the charge of independent India, if the British government has been overthrown according to the plan. But unfortunately, in 1919, the provisional government was dissolved under the diplomatic pressure to Afghanistan.
He stayed in Afghanistan for 7-year nearly.
Then visiting Soviet Russia,he reached Turkey, where he issued the charter for the independence of India from Istanbul.
He left Turkey for Hijaz and remained there until 1929. He journeyed from a country to country for the sake of India’s independence. He died on 22nd August, 1944, at Deenpur in Pakistan.
Shikhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani (1879-1957) was also one of the Shaikhul-Hind’s students and graduate and latter Professor of Hadith at Darul Uloom, Deoband.
Though he had been not convicted, but he accompanied Shaikhul Hind to Malta voluntarily, to take care of him. He stayed in Malta three years upto the release of Shaikhul Hind. Returning to India, he actively became involved in the freedom struggle. He had been imprisoned several times by the British authority for his participation in the freedom movement. It was he who dared to issue a Fatwa in the meeting of Indian National Congress at Karachi that working as British army and police is Haraam. After this Fatwa, he was rewarded two years rigorous imprisonment. He never stepped down from the freedom struggle movement, until India got freedom.
At the time of independence, the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress were at logger heads on partition of united India. On that occasion, Madani opposed the partition thoroughly. He journeyed the different provinces of India along with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958) and Mahatama Gandhi to assure the people safety and security and tried his level best to stop them to migrate from India to Pakistan. Many people targeted him, but he never conformed to the opinion of the partition.
After the independence, he was served a ministry, but he refused and restricted himself under the four walls of Darul Uloom and Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind for teaching and social works.
Like Madani and Sindhi, there were hundreds of Darul Uloom’s graduates, who actively took part in the freedom struggle of India. To mention the works of those patriots, the volumes and volumes are required.
It’s sorrowful matter that historians of modern India ignored completely the role played and efforts made by Darul Uloom for India’s freedom struggle. Today, most of the people aren’t aware of this historical institution. Some people know that Darul Uloom is a conservative seminary that produces merely Maulanas or a factory that only issues Fatwaas. And some say that Darul Uloom is “a Station of Terrorism” and “it produces terrorists”. This one is a famous opinion among Hindu fundamentalists, while the fact is otherwise as I stated in the essay.
It’s a bird’s eye view of the role of Darul Uloom, Deoband in India’s freedom struggle.
One who is interested on the topic, should go through the book, “Taarikhe Darul Uloom” (History of Darul Uloom).
May Allah accept the works of the seminary!
source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> Special Column / by Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi , Email: qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in / August 15th, 2022
Contrary to the popular notion that wars are fought by the armies alone, the whole nation including Bollywood personalities and leading artists get involved in the national efforts to fight the enemy.
The Chinese invasion in October 1962 was a shocking moment for India. Traditionally, India had supported China at every international forum for at least half a century. The invasion was the least expected from China and India was not at all prepared for it. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru urged the nation to stand united in that hour of emergency and in response Indians donated generously to the National Defence Fund.
The film industry did not lag. Film Industry’s war efforts were led by legendary filmmaker Mehboob, singer Mohammed Rafi and music composer Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi (Khayyam).
In less than a week they collaborated to produce two music videos, which were to be played in film theaters, on the radio, and on the roadsides to raise funds for the war.
One of those two songs, “Awaz do hum ek hain…”, by Jaan Nisar Akhtar is now a popular political slogan in India. On Nehru’s call to the nation, Jaan Nissar Akhtar wrote the song to which music was given by Khayyam and the voice by Mohammad Rafi. The song is an invocation to Indians to unite in the face of an invader became a national passion and remains so till today.
The song starts with:
ek hai apni zameen, ek hai apna gagan
ek hai apna jahaan, ek hai apna watan
apne sabhi sukh ek hai, apne sabhi gham ek hai
Aawaz do ham ek hai
(We have a common earth, we have a common sky
We have a common world, we have a common motherland
All our joys are common, all our sorrows are common
Say it aloud that we are one!)
The powerful lyrics were turned into a national rage by the soulful singing of Rafi. Jago watan khatre me hai, sara chaman khatre me hai (wake up our motherland is under threat, whole garden is under siege) and dushman se nafrat farz hau, ghar ki hifazat farz hai (hating your enemy is a duty, to guard your home is a duty), aroused patriotic emotions among millions of Indians. The song asks the youth to join the army and fight the aggressor.
The song was picturized on Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Raj Kumar, and Kamal Jeet.
Another song produced along with this was written by Sahir Ludhianvi, “watan ki abroo khatre main hai…” (dignity of the nation is under threat). It was also produced by Mehboob and sung by Mohammed Rafi. The song specifically points to the Panchsheel pact and other friendly gestures made by India towards China. It says,
Wo jinko saadgi mein hamne
Aankhon par bithhaaya thha
Wo jinko bhai kehkar
Hamne seene se lagaaya thha
Wo jinki gardanon mein haar
Baahon ka pehnaaya thha
Ab unki gardanon ke waaste
Talwaar ho jaao
(The people we honoured because of our innocence
The people we embraced and called brothers
The people we received with love
Now, do become swords for their throats)
The song also points toward the internal threats at the time of war.
Khabar rakhna koi gaddaar
Saazish kar nahin paaye ae
Nazar rakhna koi zaalim
Tijori bhar nahin paaye ae
(Be vigilant that no traitor conspires against the nation
Be vigilant that nobody makes money out of our war efforts)
The song was picturized on Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kumar, and Kamal Jeet in a video produced by Mehboob.
Lorries with speakers would roam around playing these songs and prompting people to donate generously. It is said that when one such procession reached the house of Shammi Kapoor his wife actor Geeta Bali started crying. She rushed inside her house and told Shammi that she needed to do something for the nation. Geeta took all her jewelry, even the pieces she wore, and gave it away for war.
Rafi felt that singing in the safety of Mumbai was a disgrace in the line of his national duty. He discussed with Dilip Kumar and urged PM Nehru to send them to the border. What would they do there? Rafi felt that his songs could boost the morale of Indian soldiers and the presence of Dilip Kumar would assure the troops that the whole nation is standing behind them.
It was a dangerous mission. It was unprecedented for the artists to perform at the war front. In the cold, Rafi and Dilip reached the war frontier. He sang songs, interacted with soldiers, and boosted their morale. Dilip Kumar later recalled, “needless to say he was the star attraction with the jawans and the young newly commissioned officers”.
After the war ended with a ceasefire the collected funds were used to recover the economy and modernizing the Army.
On 27 January 1963, Mehboob organized an event in Delhi where he invited.all the prominent film stars to perform in the presence of President S Radhakrishnan and PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The event is often remembered for the rendition of “Aey mere watan ke logo…” by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi sang two songs. One was written by Shakeel Badayuni and its music was composed by Naushad, “Apni azadi ko hum hargiz mita sakte nahi.” The song was later adapted into the film Leader and the other was “Kar chale hum fida….” written by Kaifi Azmi and composed by Madan Mohan, which was later adopted in Haqeeqat, a movie based on the India-China war.
The fact that Rafi went to the war frontier and stayed there for a few days to play what turned out to be a big morale booster for the troops remains an unprecedented manifestation of one’s sense of responsibility towards his country.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Culture / by Saquib Salim / December 24th, 2022
Administrator of Ajmer Sharif Aley Mohammad Shah donating gold to the minister (Courtesy: Md Umar Ashraf)
If I tell you that the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, Rajasthan, played a role in the war against China when India was invaded in 1962, will you believe it?
In October 1962, the Chinese Army invaded India which had gained freedom 5 years ago. Such national crises test the character of a country. Indians of all creeds, castes, races, and social groups joined hands to fight the mighty enemy.
After 200 years of British colonialism, the Indian economy was in shambles when the colonial rulers left in 1947. When China invaded, India was not as big an economy as it is now. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appealed to his compatriots to donate gold and money to the defence funds.
Responding to the call, Dargah at Ajmer opened its vaults for the country’s defence forces. The management of the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti believed that national service comes before any other service. The administrator of the committee handed over 2 kilograms of gold and invested Rupees one lakh in Defence Saving Certificates to the Union Minister of Irrigation and Power at a meeting held at the Dargah. It also announced holding special prayers for the success of the Indian Army daily.
The administrator who handed over the gold, to the minister was Aley Mohammad Shah. His elder son Zameruddin Shah rose to become the Deputy Chief of Army Staff in India while his other son Naseeruddin Shah is a popular film actor.
The episode is a testimony to the fact that for Indian Muslims following Islam and serving the nation are not contradictory.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Culture / by Saquib Salim / December 14th, 2022
In a glittering ceremony, two books on Muslims’ contribution in India’s Freedom movement were launched here in Patna on 17th December. The function was presided over by Harsh Mandar, former IAS officer and human rights defender in the country.
The books ‘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 Delhi based author and journalist Syed Ubaidur Rahman.
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 nail the lie and prove that Muslims not just participated in the freedom movement, they went on to lead the freedom struggle for a long time. The first war of Independence or Mutiny of 1857 was led by Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi and Begum Hazrat Mahal in Lucknow. The Independence Movement in the first two decades of the twentieth century was led by Mahmud Hasan and ulama of Deoband and they had respect and support of everyone including Hindus and Muslims.
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.
While speaking on the occasion, Harsh Mandar said that the divisive forces in the country are trying to divide the nation on the basis of religion and faith. He said that the danger from such forces for the national fabric and its unity has become grave.
Harsh Mandar added that the threat to the communal amity in the country was never so high as is today as divisive forces are doing every thing to pit one community against the other and create a fear psychosis among the majority community prompting it to turn it against minorities.
Khursheed Mallick, a Chicago based urologist, philanthropist and director of IMEFNA said that the book is a timely reminder to the nation that Muslims and Hindus both sacrificed for the nation and this fact must be clearly told to our young generation. He said Muslims sacrificed heavily for the cause of the freedom of the nation and efforts must be made to tell the history.
Syed Ubaidur Rahman, the author of the two books, while speaking on the occasion said Muslims have been rather loath to write about the sacrifices they have made for the cause of the Independence and freedom. He said Muslims suffered badly throughout the freedom movement. They were the worst suffers in the wake of the mutiny of 1857 and its aftermath when Muslims were hounded across North India and beyond. Tens of thousands of Muslims lost their lives for the freedom.
Syed added that ulama of Deoband played a stellar role in the freedom movement. Unlike the common perception, they were secular to the core and when they established a government in exile in Kabul in 1915, they appointed Raja Mahendra Pratap as its President and Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali as its Prime Minister.
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, Rahimtulla 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
The book launch function was organized at Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu and was presided over by Abdul Qaiyum Ansari, chairman of Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu Bihar.
Name of the Book: Muslim Freedom Fighters: Contribution of Indian Muslims in the Independence Movement Author: Syed Ubaidur Rahman ISBN: 81-88869-43-0 Price Rs 225/- Global Media Publications E-42, G. Floor, AFE, Jamia nagar, Okhla, New Delhi-110025
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by ummid.com News Network / December 12th, 2017
Kumrava, Nawada District) BIHAR / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :
He had accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the Dandi March and later spent several days with him in a prison in Cuttack. In 2007, he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan for his fight against the British rule in India.
Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri being conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Late on Monday night, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri, who was affectionately referred to as hakim sahab in his neighbourhood in Rippon Street, passed away three days after celebrating his 114th birthday.
Quadri, a renowned Unani practitioner who was instrumental in founding the Unani Medical College and Hospital in Abdul Halim Lane in central Kolkata, was born on December 25, in 1901 when Kolkata was still the capital of the country and Mahatma Gandhi had not returned to India.
“My father was imprisoned with Gandhiji by the British in Cuttack. He would accompany him everywhere during the Civil Disobedience Movement,” said son Manzar Sadique in the family’s home in 84/9 Rippon Street.
“In October, abba had travelled to Lucknow where he was the chief guest at a conference of Unani practitioners. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had invited him over to his house,” informs Sadique.
Quadri was born in the remote village of Kumrava in Nawada district of Bihar on Christmas Day in 1901. His family moved to Calcutta in the mid-1930s. Hakimji would begin his day with Fajar (the morning namaaz) at the break of dawn followed by his visit to his chamber, Swadeshi Dawa khana on Haji Mohammed Mohsin Square, where patients would already be waiting for him. He would examine more than 100 patients every day free of cost, says son Sadique.
“Unani was his passion and he could identify the ailment just by feeling the pulse of the patient,” says Sadique.
The centurion who specialized in treating infertility would never miss his customary walk after work. “He suffered from arthritis which is why he took special care of his fitness,” said Sadique.
Quadri who began an informal school for children and triggered an adult literacy campaign in Rippon Street was the founder member of the
Once Quadri once revealed the secret behind his fitness and longevity to his friends. “I drink two glasses of neem juice every day,” he has said. This fitness mantra was handed over to him by his father Mohammad Mohibbudin who had died at the age of 121 years!
Hasnain Imam, a teacher and resident of Rippon Street fondly recalled the time he had spent with “hakim sahib” when he was in college. “He was a treasure trove of knowledge. From politics to medicine to Sufism, we would discuss a wide range of topics. They don’t make people like them anymore,” said Imam.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> News> Kolkata News / by Zeeshan Javed / TNN / December 30th, 2015
Meet 108-year-old Imamuddin Qureshi who had slapped a British officer during a protest in Agra, only a few days before India got its independence.
Imamuddin Qureshi, the man who had slapped a British officer, during a protest in Agra. (Photo: India Today/Siraj Qureshi)
While Independence was primarily won through the non-violent means adopted and propagated by Mahatma Gandhi, a lot of people had to lay their lives and suffer pain in achieving this. Those fearless freedom fighters were not afraid of sticks or bullets, and defied the British officials at every turn, to show them that Indians have had enough.
One such person is Imamuddin Qureshi, who had even slapped a British officer just days before independence. Imamuddin had fought alone with the British without caring for his life. Whenever the topic of Indian independence is discussed, 108-year-old Imamuddin Qureshi gets lost in the memories of those days when the country became independent.
Imamuddin told India Today that back in August 1947, the country was about to get independence. Everyone was full of enthusiasm. The elders and the children had the tricolor in their hands and happiness in their hearts. People used to take out rallies in the streets, localities, and markets with the Tricolor in their hands. Angered by this, the British officers used to rain batons on them.
He recalled the day he slapped a British officer and said, on August 12, three days ahead of the independence, Hindu and Muslim brothers from Lohamandi, Syedpada area were taking out a rally with the Tricolor in their hands. Then a British officer came there and lathi-charged the people. Many innocent people were arrested. Seeing this, Imamuddin’s blood boiled and he attacked the British officer in anger. He slapped the officer on the cheek several times and escaped after freeing his arrested comrades. The police kept looking for him, but in three days, the country had become independent, and he was able to return home.
Imamuddin said that when the country was nearing independence, he was made a member of the Khaksar committee. At that time, no one dared to speak against the British and members of the Khaksar committee had their own separate dress. He said that at that time, he was about 24 years old and used to do wrestling, so he was made a member of the Khaksar Committee due to his physical prowess.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> India / by Siraj Qureshi / August 15th, 2022
Hakim Ajmal Khan a philanthropist, freedom fighter, famous hakeem and nationalist is a well known personality.
So I was very surprised when I was told that his grave was I one corner of The Hazrat Rasool numa compound in Panchkuian Road of Delhi
Now it’s a slum
In between a whole row of beds tucked away in one forgotten corner sleeps one of the greatest leaders of our Freedom movement. Revered by Muslims and Hindus alike.
Yes it was Hakim Mohammad Ajmal Khan. I checked up his dated on the net to find they were correct.
The lady who lives there then showed me many graves of Hakeems from his family scattered around the beds and chores of daily life.
Amita Paliwal a Delhi historian and keen heritage lover informs me this is probably the famous Doctor’s lane where Bernier apprenticed to learn Unani medicine.
It may have been famous then but it’s forgotten now and I don’t know why his very rich trust( he had gifted most of his income to charity) and rich family doesn’t do something about it.
You can read more about him below I have taken it from
He was the founder of the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. He is the only person to have been elected President of both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, as well as the All India Khilafat Committee.Hakim Ajmal Khan was born in 1863 to the illustrious Sharif Khani family of Delhi, family that traces its lineage to court physicians who served the Mughal emperor Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
Khan studied the Qur’an and traditional Islamic knowledge including Arabic and Persian in his childhood, before studying medicine at home, under the tutelage of his relatives. All of whom were well-known physicians.
His grandfather Hakim Sharif Khan sought to promote the practice of Tibb-i-unani or Unani medicine and for this purpose, had setup the Sharif Manzil hospital-cum-college that was known throughout the subcontinent as one of the finest philanthropic Unani hospitals that charged no fees from poor patients.
Once qualified, Hakim Ajmal Khan was appointed chief physician to the Nawab of Rampur in 1892. Soon he met Syed Ahmed Khan and was further appointed a trustee of the Aligarh College, now known as the Aligarh Muslim University.
Hakim Ajmal Khan took much interest in the expansion and development of the indigenous system of medicine, Tibb-i-Yunani, or Unani. Khan’s family established the Tibbiya school in Delhi, in order to expand the research and practice of Unani.
As his family of Hakims served as doctors to the British rulers of India, in his early days Hakim Khan supported the British. He was part of a deputation of Muslims that met the Viceroy of India in Shimla in 1906 and even supported the British during World War I. In fact, the British Government awarded him the titles Haziq-ul-Mulk and Qaiser-e-Hind for his contribution to the expansion of the Unani system of medicine.
But once the British government changed its stance and sought to derecognize the practice of Indian schools of medicine such as Ayurveda and Unani, this turn of events set Hakim Ajmal Khan gathering fellow physicians on one platform to protest against the Raj.
Actually, Hakim Ajmal Khan’s political career commenced with his writing for the Urdu weekly Akmal-ul-Akhbar, which was founded in 1865-70 and run by his family.
Subsequently, when the British clamped down on the freedom movement and arrested many Muslim leaders, Hakim Ajmal Khan solicited Mahatma Gandhi’s assistance and together they joined others to start the Khilafat movement. He was elected the President of the Congress in 1921, and joined other Congress leaders to condemn the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. He was imprisoned for many months by police authorities. Hakim Khan’s pursued his political career side-by-side his medicinal and educational endeavours. Often, the interests overlapped.
Hakim Ajmal Khan resigned from his position at the AMU when he realized that its management would not endorse the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by the Indian National Congress. He envisaged a place of learning that would be free of government control. He worked towards this aim with the help of other Muslim luminaries. Together, they laid the foundations of the Jamia Millia Islamia (Islamic National University) in Aligarh in 1920, in response to Mahatma Gandhi’s call for Indians to boycott government institutions. The JMI subsequently moved to Delhi and slowly grew to be the prestigious university it is today.
Ajmal Khan served as its first Chancellor until his death. He was a key patron of the university, financially bailing it out of sticky situations throughout the rest of his life.
In fact, Hakim Ajmal Khan also established the Tibbia College for higher studies in medicine. Realizing the need for private funding, he simultaneously established a commercial venture the Hindustani Dawakhana to manufacture Unani and Ayurvedic medicines and issued a diktat that doctors practicing in the Sharif Manzil could only recommend medicines from the Dawakhana. The Dawakhana is known to have patented 84 magical herbal formulas.
Tibbia College is presently located Delhi’s Karol Bagh area. As a mark of respect to this man, Karol Bagh’s most popular part is still called Ajmal Khan Road.
Hakim Ajmal Khan died in 1927. In the ensuing years, both the Sharif Manzil and the Dawakhana have languished for want of upkeep and restoration.
Although Hakim Khan renounced his government awards during the freedom movement, Indians who appreciated his work and held him in high esteem conferred upon him the title Masih-ul-Mulk (Healer of the Nation).
Freedom fighter, educationalist and beyond doubt, the greatest contributor to Unani medicine in India in the 20th century: Hakim Ajmal Khan.
Dr. Khan died of heart problems on December 29, 1927. He was succeeded in the position of JMI Chancellor by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari.
Rana Safvi is the author of the book “Where Stones Speak”.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Articles / by Rana Safvi / May 08th, 2016
