Asghar Ali Engineer
(Secular Perspective August 1-15, 2007)
We are celebrating 150 years of our first war of independence this year. All communities in India, Hindus, Muslims and others not only took part in this war but also made supreme sacrifices for this cause. This war of independence created unprecedented unity between people of India from top to bottom, from ruling classes to common people. All united to mount greatest challenge to the British rule in India.
Not only that Muslims played frontal role in this fight they also paid heavy price as the British wrath descended mainly on them. From emperor to ordinary peasants to Ulama were severely punished for taking part in 'mutiny' as the British chose to call it. The Muslim Zamindars lost their jagirs (landed estates) and large number of Ulama were exiled to places like Malta (an island near Italy) and Andaman Nicobar. Most eminent 'alim (theologian) of his time like Maulana Fazal Khairabadi was exiled to Andman where he died just before order for his release was received by the authorities.
In this line of eminent scholars, intellectuals and litterateur was Hasrat Mohani who was a great uncompromising freedom fighter from early twentieth century. He was graduate from Anglo Mohammedan Oriental (AMO) College, Aligarh, founded by Sir Syed. Hasrat Mohani was an eminent poet who used Ghazal poetry - a purely genre of love poetry - for political subjects and gave it a new turn. His contribution to Urdu Ghazal poetry was also of great significance. However, here we are mainly concerned with his role in freedom movement.
Hasrat Mohani (he is called Mohani as he was from Mohan in U.P.) was great freedom lover and never accepted British rule over India. He was great admirer of Lokmanya Tilak as he said 'freedom is my birth right' and always used to refer to him as Tilak Maharaj, even in his poetry. It is important to note that even his wife Nishatunnisa Begum, a woman who had always lived in purdah, also participated in freedom movement along with her husband.
He was so absorbed in the freedom movement that he became totally indifferent to any suffering, pain or pleasure. He maintained equanimity in all conditions. He could live on very little income or sometime no income at all. He was repeatedly jailed by the British but never complained about his imprisonment. His greatest quality was that whatever he thought was true will say it without any fear of consequences. He was totally uncompromising in that.
He never went back on his word. Once he published an article in his magazine. The writer had requested anonymity. The article was against the British rule. The authorities demanded from Hasrat the name of the writer. He refused. The British authorities threatened to confiscate security deposit and stop his publication. Hasrat still refused to disclose the name and not only his security deposit was confiscated, he was arrested, his precious library was destroyed and he was put in jail. But he refused to disclose the name of the writer of the article.
Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a very orthodox Muslim but at the same time he was also a communist. He used to call himself in his ghazal verse as 'Sufi Mu'min' and 'ishtraki Muslim' (a Sufi believer and a communist Muslim). He was one of the founders of Communist Party of India in 1925. He had great sympathy for workers and used to say Islam is very close to Soviet Communism. He even maintained that the word 'soviet' is from Arabic 'saviyyat' which means equality. Islam's fundamental principle is equality and communism also stand for equality.
When the Indian National Congress held its session in Kanpur in 1925, Hasrat and his wife Nishatunnisa Begum came to the Congress Pandal with a procession of workers and peasants and wanted to enter into the Pandal but were stopped by Sevadal volunteers led by Jawaherlal Nehru. Nehru asked Seva Dal volunteer to lathi charge them. Begum Hasrat was furious and slapped Nehru and scolded him for such dictatorial order. Nehru realized his mistake and apologized to Begum Hasrat.
Begum Nishatunnisa herself was a great freedom fighter and stood firmly with her husband. A Muslim women from orthodox background played such dynamic and important role in freedom movement in early 20th century is really very refreshing and goes against the stereotype about Muslim women imprisoned in four walls and stepping out only wrapped in Purdah. Nishatunnisa was bold enough to confront even great personality like Pandit Nehru and scold him for stopping workers and peasants from entering into the Congress Pandal.
Maulana Hasrat Mohani was involved in freedom movement right from his college days and constantly faced problems during his college days for his uncompromising attitude. After coming out of college he started apparently an Urdu literary magazine called Urdu-e-Moalla but, as pointed out before, used to publish articles of political nature supporting freedom struggle.
He joined the Indian National Congress in 1904 and continued to participate in its session as a delegate until 1907 (Surat session). He also used to publish the reports of various Congress sessions like Calcutta, Benaras, Bombay etc. in his Urdu-e-Moalla. But in the Congress session of Surat in 1907 there was confrontation between naram dal (those who advocated soft approach) and garam dal (those who supported total freedom) Hasrat left Congress along with Tilak and he began hating the Congress as much as he hated the Muslim League which had come into existence and comprised of feudal elements and was loyal to the British government.
Hasrat remained great advocate of garam dal after leaving the Congress and published articles in support of it in his magazine and argued that the only destiny of Indian subcontinent is complete freedom from British imperialism. He continued to admire Lokmanya Tilak and his advocacy of complete freedom until Tilak's death. Maulana was also believer in struggle for freedom and said that any freedom given as a gift does not last for long.
Maulana never accepted pro-British stance of Muslim League. He severely criticized it in his articles in Urdu-e-Moalla. The Muslim league leaders used to highly praise the British government and what it is doing for Indians. On this he wrote an article in his magazine saying it is not necessary to thank the British for some incidental and temporary benefits accruing to Indians. He maintained that real thing is to judge what is intention of the British rulers. He was challenging the speech of Nawab Waqarul Mulk in this article as the Nawab had praised the British government for what it was doing for the Indian people.
It is interesting to note that Maulana Hasrat Mohani participated in the congress session in Ahmedabad in 1921 and moved resolution for complete freedom for India whereas Gandhiji was yet not prepared for it and was talking of Home Rule under the British supremacy. However, Hasrat did not succeed in view of Gandhiji's influence and his resolution was rejected. Muslim league session also had taken place in Ahmedabad simultaneously.
Maulana Hasrat addressed the Muslim League session as its president and spoke about complete freedom with enthusiasm but there too he did not succeed. Gandhiji referred to this in Young India and said that Hasrat did not succeed in his attempt for full freedom both from the Congress and Muslim League platform. Hasrat in his Muslim League address also proposed that we should establish United States in India on the lines of United States of America and give maximum rights to federating unit so that Muslims will also enjoy maximum autonomy in Muslim majority provinces. Thus the Maulana foresaw the later Cabinet Mission Plan proposed by the British Cabinet Mission in 1946 which could have saved partition of India.
Hasrat Mohani had proposed similar resolution in the Muslim League session of 1937 in which on one hand he proposed that the aim of Muslim League would be complete freedom from India and would strive to set up a democratic federation of India whose constitution will give full guaranteed to safeguard rights of minorities and their welfare. Thus even from the Muslim league platform also the Maulana continued to advocate complete freedom and a democratic and secular set up for India.
Hasrat Mohani also started a Swedeshi store in Aligarh to support the civil disobedience movement of early twenties. He started this store when his magazine was confiscated by the British and Hasarat was such great supporter of Swedeshi that he even refused to use a foreign blanket in a cold December night when he had to sleep in Suleman Nadvi's office. Maulana Suleman Nadvi himself has narrated this event. Hasrat Mohani spent whole night shivering but did not use the blanket.
He was very diligent in observing all Islamic rites and used to fast during Ramadan in Jail when he had to grind one mound of grain every day in the month of May. But at the same time he was very active in the Communist movement and played very important role in founding the Communist Party in 1925. Such was the multifaceted personality of Maulana Hasrat Mohani who lived and died for freedom of India and a just social order in independent India. New generation should draw inspiration from his personality.
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Centre for Study of Society and Secularism
Mumbai.
E-mail: csss at mtnl.net.in