Mewat, RAJASTHAN /HARYANA/ UTTAR PRADESH:

December 19 is celebrated as ‘Mewat Day’, for it was on this day in 1947, soon after the partition of India, that Mahatma Gandhi’s appeal to the Meo Muslims living in what is today the border areas of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan, made them shun their desperation to move to Pakistan.

The community members were all packed with some belongings after facing harassment and violence at the hands of officials in the post-partition mayhem that had gripped both India and Pakistan. Lakhs of Mewatis got together and declared they would go to Pakistan when Mahatma Gandhi came on the scene.  He assured to protect the life and property of Mewatis and give them full respect.

At the time of the partition of India, Mewat, Gurgaon, and Faridabad of Haryana were ruled by the British, and Alwar, Bharatpur of Rajasthan by the kings. At the time of partition, like other parts of the country, Mewat also saw communal violence.

At this stage freedom fighters Abdul Hai, Himmat Khan, and a few other Muslim leaders came to know of a conspiracy to force Mewati Muslims to leave India for Pakistan and they met Mahatma Gandhi and invited him to visit Mewat.

Mahatma Gandhi reached Ghaseda village of Mewat on 19 December 1947. He was accompanied by many leaders including the then Chief Minister of Punjab Gopi Chand Bhargava, Ranbir Singh Hooda, father of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Mahatma Gandhi’s speech on 19th December 1947 in the village of Ghaseda before lakhs of Mewatis is historic. He said, “Today my sayings do not have the same power as it would have earlier.

“But what I say any as much impact as it would have earlier, today not a single Muslim would need to leave the Indian Union, nor would any Hindu-Sikh be required to leave their homes in Pakistan and seek refuge in the Indian Union.

A sorrowful Bapu said: “My heart is filled with sorrow after hearing what is happening here. All around arson, looting, killing, coercive religious conversion and kidnapping of women, and demolishing temples, mosques and gurudwaras is madness. If this is not stopped, both communities will be annihilated.”

Historian Siddiq Ahmed Meo, who has 10 books on the history of Mewat to his credit, says, “Gandhiji also read out the complaints sent to him by Mewati Muslim representatives to the assembled crowd.”

He assured the Mewatis that they would be given full respect. If any government official commits any atrocity with the Mewatis, then the government will take strict action against him. Gandhiji said, “I will be happy if my words can console you a little.”

He expressed grief over the Muslims who were expelled from the princely states of Alwar and Bharatpur.

Gandhiji said in his speech, “A time will come in India when all hatred will be buried in the ground and both societies will be able to live in peace.”

Mewat’s social worker Fajruddin Besar says, after Gandhiji’s assurances, the Muslims reversed their decision. “If they were not stopped at that time, there would be not a single Muslim in Haryana and Rajasthan today.” He says Gandhiji did a big favour to the Muslims by stopping them from going to Pakistan. “Today, Muslims in India are living a life of more peace and respect than in Pakistan. In Pakistan, there is always fighting among Muslims.”

In 2007, chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda declared Ghaseda an ideal village and renamed it Gandhi Gram Ghaseda. He also released about Rs 10 crore for development works in the village.

This year Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will also reach the village on December 22 and celebrate Mahatama Gandhi’s visit to the village on that day.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> India / by Yunus Alvi, Nuh (Haryana) / December 19th, 2022