Muslims in India’s freedom struggle
Muslims contribution in India's freedom struggle is unforgettable
Rayees Ahmad Kumar
The famous writer, Kushwant Singh,once wrote: “Indian Freedom is written in Muslim blood, since their participation in freedom struggle was much more, in proportion to their small percentage of the population.”
There are 95300 names of freedom fighters written on India Gate Delhi, out of these 61945 are Muslims which means 65% freedom fighters are Muslims.
Muslim leaders who contributed in India’s freedom struggle include, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shuakat Ali, Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Barkathulla, Bi Amma (mother of Ali brothers), Badarudeen Tyabji, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Dr. M.A. Ansari, Dr. Siafudeen Kichlu, Dr. Basheer Ahmad, Syed Ameer Ali, Dr. Syed Muhammad, Hasrat Mohani, Nawab Abdul Latheef, Altaf Hussain Hali, Syed Ahmad Sirhindi, Syed Ahmad Barielly, Maulana Shibli Numani, Munshi Karamat Ali, 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. Fanatics say they left India.
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.”
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.”
The first freedom struggle against the British in eighteenth century was initiated by the Mysorean ruler, Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, during the 1780s and 1790s. Mysorean rockets were the first iron-cased rockets, successfully deployed for military use. Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, used rockets and cannons effectively against the British invaders during the 1780s and 1790s.
Everyone knows that Rani of Jhansi fought to get the kingdom for her adopted child but hardly anybody knows that Begum Hazrat Mahal was the unsung heroine of the first war of Independence, who shot the British ruler, Sir Henry Lawrence and defeated the British army in a decisive Battle at Chinhat on 30thJune, 1857.
The organizer and leader of “First Indian freedom struggle” was Moulavi Ahamadullah Shah – many were killed, among them 90% were Muslims!
Ashfaqulla Khan was the first to be hanged at the age of 27 years for conspiring against the British Raj.
Maulana AbulKalam Azad was an Indian scholar and the senior Muslim leader of the Indian National Congress during the Indian independence movement.
In the picketing protest against ‘liquor shops’ by Mahatma Gandhi, ten participants were Muslims out of nineteen participant!
The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was the first to strongly fight for Indian freedom which led to the 1857 independence struggle. Former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi wrote at Bahadur Shah’s grave thus: “Although you (Bahadur Shah) do not have land in India, you have it here; your name is alive… I pay homage to the memory of the symbol and rallying point of India’s First War of Independence….”
K M Ameer Hamza, donated multi-million rupees for Indian National Army (INA), and he headed the Azad library reading propaganda of INA.
Memon Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani, donated almost his entire fortune of one crore rupees to the Indian National Army – a princely sum in those days by completely donating his entire assets to Netaji’s INA.
Shah Nawaz Khan was a soldier, a politician, and a Chief Officer and Commander in the Indian National Army (INA).
Netaji’s ministry had nineteen ministers-out of these, five were Muslims.
Beevimma, a Muslim lady, donated over 30 lakhs rupees for the Indian freedom struggle.
Abul Kalam Azad, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Nawab of Bihar were the three who made the plans for total independence.
Suraiya Taiyabji (a Muslim lady) designed the current Indian National Flag.
Muslims used Masjids for the freedom struggle. When an Imam was addressing about Indian freedom in a Holy Masjid in Uttar Pradesh, British Army shot all the Muslims in that Masjid –you can still see the dried blood of the freedom fighters shed on the walls of that.
Muslims ruled India over 800 years and they didn’t steal anything from India as the British, the Dutch and the French did.
Muslims lived here, ruled here and died here. They developed India into a unified and civilized country by bringing in abundant knowledge in literature, architecture, judicial and political structure, Government body and management structure, which is still used in Indian management strategy!
In Tamil Nadu, Ismael Shaheb and Maruda Nayagam fought against British for seven continuous years. They made British fear like hell.
Tiruppur Kumaran (Kodi kata Kumaran) participated in the Indian independence movement. With Kumaran seven other participants were arrested – all were Muslims: Abdul Latheef, Akbar Ali, Mohideen Khan, Abdul Rahim, Vavu Shaheb, Abdul Latheef and Sheikh Baba Shaheb.
So Muslim contribution in India’s freedom struggle is unforgettable.
KV Network
