Category Archives: World Opinion

Yusuf Meherally, The Forgotten Freedom Fighter For Whom Bombay Once Stood Still

January 8, 2018Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, World OpinionFreedom Fighter Yusuf Meherally, Indian Freedom Fighter - Yusuf Meherally, Indian Muslim Freedom Fighter - Yusuf Meherally, Quit India, Simon Go Back, Slogan 'Quit India' coined by Yusuf Meherally, Slogan 'Simon Go Back' coined by Yusuf Meherally, Yusuf Meherallympositiveone@gmail.com

Bombay (now Mumbai), MAHARASHTRA :

Both “Quit India” and “Simon Go Back” slogans were coined by a lesser-known hero of India’s struggle for freedom, Yusuf Meherally. Here’s his untold story.

India’s fight against colonial rule was a long drawn out battle that gained momentum in several phases since it started in the early 20th century. Examples of these phases are the Non-Cooperation movement of 1920-22 and the Civil Disobedience movement of 1930-32. However, the one rallying call that gave the country its ultimate push towards complete independence was “Quit India”.

By far the strongest and most vociferous appeal made by the Indian National Congress (INC), “Quit India” asked the British, loud and clear, to leave India once and for all. Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t Mahatma Gandhi who coined this iconic slogan.

Both “Quit India” and “Simon Go Back” slogans were coined by a lesser-known hero of India’s struggle for freedom, Yusuf Meherally.

The son of a well-to-do businessman, Yusuf Meherally was born in Bombay on September 3, 1903. Fifty years earlier, his great-grandfather had established one of Bombay’s first textile mills and the family had prospered ever since.

As a young boy, Meherally was curious about the nationalist movements developing around him. While he was in high school, he would spend much time reading about the revolutionary movements of the different nations and the role youth had played in them. Having witnessed his family’s upper class prejudices all his life, the sensitive boy was also deeply affected by the struggles of the working class.

Having soon become a staunch supporter of the freedom struggle, young Yusuf was looked upon as an embarrassing renegade by his pro-British family. Unaffected by their disapproval, he joined the movement immediately after finishing his schooling from Bharda High School.

After earning a B.A. in History and Economics from Elphinstone college, he was studying law at the Government Law College in February 1928 when Simon Commission reached Bombay. A group of seven British Members of Parliament, the Simon Commission had arrived in India to suggest constitutional reforms but didn’t have a single Indian member. This unfair and insulting decision had led to much anger and disappointment among Indians.

Having founded the Bombay Youth League the very same year, Meherally immediately organised a protest against the Simon Commision. He had initially planned an ambitious expedition on boats to meet the members at sea itself, but the plan was leaked and the police took stringent steps to prevent it from happening.

Undaunted, Meherally and other young men dressed up as coolies to get access to the Bombay port where they greeted the members of the commission with black flags and the slogan “Simon Go Back”. The resolute demonstrators were lathi-charged thrice but they did not budge an inch. As the news of the demonstration spread like wildfire, establishments across the city began observing spontaneous hartals.

Overnight, Meherally’s courage and slogan were on everyone’s lips, including Mahatma Gandhi’s. Not only had he dared to shout his slogan to the face of a powerful British politician, he had also defied the directions of his political seniors who counselled inaction.

Threatened by his growing popularity and radical views, the British debarred him from practising law to the consternation of his family. The rarity of this action can be seen from the fact that though several nationalist leaders were lawyers, none of them had been barred from practising law.

Two years later, when the Civil Disobedience movement was launched, Meherally and his band of young volunteers worked tirelessly to keep the morale of the public up in face of the severe repressive measures that the British unleashed.

As INC’s prominent leaders courted imprisonment and went to jail during the Salt Satyagraha, Meherally kept the movement running till he himself was arrested in 1930 and sentenced to four month’s imprisonment.

Gandhi during the Salt March, March 1930

In 1932, Meherally was again arrested for conspiracy and sentenced to a two-year term in the Nasik prison. It was here that he met and interacted with the radical socialist leaders of the freedom struggle.

After his release in 1934, he joined hands with Jayaprakash Narayan, Asok Mehta, Narendra Dev, Achyut Patwadhan, Minoo Masani and others to found the Congress Socialist Party. The organisation hoped to transcend communal divisions through class solidarity and bring about economic empowerment through decentralized socialism (i.e farmer co-operatives and trade unions).

In 1938, Meherally led the Indian delegation to the World Youth Congress in New York before attending the World Cultural Conference taking place in Mexico. Here, he was struck by the lack of literature on contemporary issues in India when compared to the West. Determined to fill this gap, he authored a series of books titled ‘Leaders of India‘ that focused on current topics and translated them to Gujarati, Hindi and Urdu.

Here is an excerpt from the foreword he wrote:

“The rise of the pamphlet and the booklet as a powerful weapon for the spread of ideas has been truly remarkable. During my visits to these continents (US and Europe) I was greatly impressed by the part that such brochures play in moulding public opinion. In Europe and America there exists a wealth of topical literature that is in striking contrast to its scantiness in India.

The Current Topics Series of Padma Publications is an attempt to meet this need. The idea is to publish every few months a booklet on a subject of topical or special interest having regard to present-day controversies and their bearing on the future. The series will not be restricted to political questions only. Every title will be published in a pleasing format, at a price within the reach of all.”

In the next few years, Meherally was arrested several times for defying prohibitory orders and participating in Individual Satyagraha (launched by Gandhi to affirm one’s right of speech and oppose the British decision to involve India in World War II without the consent of its people).

In 1942, he was still in Lahore Jail when he was nominated by INC for the election to Bombay Mayoralty.This nomination was personally backed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who knew that Meherally belonged to that rare breed of leaders for whom personal gratification meant ensuring the well-being of fellow countrymen.

Released from prison to participate in the elections, Meherally won comfortably, becoming the youngest Mayor in the history of Bombay’s municipal corporation. During his tenure, he became immensely popular among the public due to his dedication towards ensuring effective civic service.

One of Meherally’s first steps as a mayor was to introduce a quick dispatch system for files and deal with slacking officials with an iron hand. Other than personally attending to citizens’ complaints on civic issues, he took the unprecedented decision of refusing to pay municipal money for the British Government’s Air Raid Precautions (ARP) scheme.

The ARP scheme was a programme initiated for the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. It included the organisation of ARP wardens, messengers, ambulance drivers and rescue parties who would liaison with police and fire brigades in case of an air raid.

Earlier, Bombay’s municipal corporation used to pay Rs 24 lakh to the British government for the ARP scheme but an adamant Meherally argued that the defense of the city should be in the hands of those who would remain on the scene no matter what and not the British who would probably withdraw in case of an attack (just like they had done in Malaya and Burma).

This led to the organisation of the People’s Volunteer Brigade in Bombay and the city became the only one in India where the municipal corporation was allowed to run the ARP scheme.

Indian women training for air raid precautions (ARP) duties in Bombay, 1942. IND 1492 Part of WAR OFFICE SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION No 9 Army Film & Photographic Unit — Indian women training for air raid precautions (ARP) duties in Bombay, 1942.
IND 1492
Part of
WAR OFFICE SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION
No 9 Army Film & Photographic Unit

All this while, he continued being involved in the country’s fight for freedom. On July 14, 1942, INC’s working committee had met at Wardha and demanded complete independence, failing which a massive civil disobedience movement would be launched.

Soon after, at a meeting in Bombay, Gandhi conferred with his closest associates on the best slogan for the movement. C Rajagopalachari suggested ‘Retreat’ or ‘Withdraw’ but it didn’t find much favour with the leader. It was Meherally who then came up with the succinct phrase — ‘Quit India’ — that got Gandhi’s approval.

In preparation for the nationwide movement, Meherally published a booklet titled Quit India (that sold out in a matter of weeks) and got over a thousand ‘Quit India’ badges printed to popularise the slogan. On August 8, 1942, Gandhi delivered his powerful Quit India speech at Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank Maidan. The next day, he was arrested along with practically the entire INC leadership.

Realising that these arrests had created a vacuum in the communication between the leadership and the masses, Meherally immediately mobilized his socialist colleagues – Aruna Asaf Ali, Ram Manohar Lohia and Achyut Patwardhan – to take charge of the Quit India movement while hiding underground, just before he himself was caught and put in prison.

It was during this last tenure in prison that Meherally suffered a debilitating heart attack. The prison authorities offered to shift him to St George Hospital for special treatment but the principled man demanded that two other ailing freedom fighters should also get the same facilities. When the authorities refused, he chose to remain in prison.

Over the following few months, freedom fighters across India responded with waves of civic rebellion despite the violent backlash from the British authorities. While the Quit India Movement did not result in immediate attainment of freedom, it did indeed create the massive pressure that resulted in India bidding farewell to the British just three years later.

By the time he was released in 1943, Meherally’s health had deteriorated sharply but he continued to contribute to the cause of Indian independence. The selfless leader was over the moon when his beloved motherland finally unshackled the chains of colonialism and awoke to freedom on August 15, 1947.

Independence day of India, August 15, 1947

However, the years of struggle had taken its toll, rendering him weak and bed-ridden, though only physically and not in spirit. Even from his hospital bed, he continued to work to highlight India’s vibrant diversity and rich heritage.

In October 1949, Meherally organised a one-of-its-kind exhibition that displayed more than 200 pictures and paintings that traced the evolution of India’s freedom struggle since 1857. He also organised several cultural and literary events at Bombay’s famed Kala Ghoda, inviting Indian personalities who were legends in their respective fields.

On July 2, 1950, Yusuf Meherally passed away at the age of 47, his death rousing the same passion in the public as his slogans. Shocked at the loss of their beloved leader, all of Bombay was in collective mourning. The next day, as the clock struck noon, buses, trams and trains across the city stopped for a few minutes.

Almost all schools, colleges, shops, factories and mills remained shut. The Bombay Stock Exchange, an iconic symbol of the city’s financial strength, witnessed no trading though officially open for business. The city that never stopped, Bombay stood still in the memory of the man who had literally given his lifeblood for the city’s well-being and the country’s cause.

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Freedom Fighter> History> Lede / by Sanchari Pai / September 28th, 2017

Remembering Fathema Ismail’s battle against polio

January 7, 2018Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, Science & Technology, World OpinionAruna Asaf Ali, Aruna Asaf Ali (Kulsum Zamani), Fathema Ismai, Kulsum Sayani, Mohammad Hasham Ismail, Society for Rehabilatation of Crippled Children -SRCC, Umar Sobhani, Usha Cunninghammpositiveone@gmail.com

Bombay (Mumbai), MAHARASHTRA :

IN 1942, a daughter was born to Fathema Ismail, the sister of cotton king and Congress financier Umar Sobhani, and Mohammad Hasham Ismail, a government of India trade commissioner posted in Mombasa. She was fondly named Usha – after the Goddess of dawn – in the expectation of a new dawn as the city and the country was immersed in the Quit India movement. Fathema Ismail was closely involved with Kulsum Sayani (the mother of Ameen Sayani) in women’s education and the establishment of All India Village Industries Association. When Usha turned three the family discovered that she had polio.

“Amma was dejected with the news, but at the same time she was determined to get the best treatment for me,” recalls Usha Cunningham who is now based in New York. She recalls the turbulent years where India fought and finally achieved freedom from the British, which ran parallel to her own fight with polio. Patel Manzil at Nepean Sea Road, where Usha grew up was a safe haven for underground activists. “Aruna khaala (Aruna Asaf Ali) and other leaders would live under assumed names in our house. My mother’s nationalist leanings were well-known but as my father was a trade commissioner, we escaped scrutiny.”

In her search for a doctor, Fathema was referred to Dr M G Kini, an orthopaedic surgeon based in Madras. “Dr Kini was a crusty, old man who first declined to accept my case. Amma would literally sit outside his residence and accost him in the morning, afternoon and evening when he would travel between his house and clinic. He ultimately agreed and we stayed in Madras for around eight months,” recalls Cunningham. Under Dr Kini’s guidance Usha showed tremendous improvement.

The Madras visit also marked the beginning of Fathema’s discovery about the lack of facilities for children afflicted with polio. Soon her husband Mohammad was transferred to Iran from Mombasa, but she stayed in India. After Madras, the next stop was Pune, where, Fathema had gathered, there were some facilities for rehabilitating injured soldiers at the British Army Hospital. “There were three British physiotherapists who would treat the injured soldiers with the help of a few trained Indian assistants. Amma requested similar training and after some reluctance was allowed access,” remembers Cunningham.

What worked in her favour was the fact that Fathema had gone to Vienna to study medicine in 1920 after finishing her schooling, but had to return due to a financial crisis in the family. For three years she had stayed alone in Vienna absorbed in her studies. Decades later, those three years of study helped facilitate a better understanding of the process of rehabilitation. More than two years of treatment and therapy changed Cunningham’s life. From “totally paralysed”, she regained remarkable mobility in her right leg. Little did she know that she would soon become an exemplar of how patients with polio need not be confined within the walls of their house – ignored and neglected.

Fathema was now determined to start a facility for the countless poliostricken children and their parents. Her experience and observation in Madras and Pune gave her the confidence to start a clinic in Bombay (as it was known then). But finding a suitable space amidst a financial crunch plus low awareness of the disease were formidable hurdles. She also had to ensure she had enough medical equipment to attend to the children. The war had ended and the imminent departure of the British meant that the Army hospital in Pune faced an uncertain future.

In 1946 she had established the Society for the Rehabilitation of Crippled Children (SRCC) but despite her pleadings, the hospital was not willing to share or sell the equipment. She then convinced two of the Indian assistants to get the various equipment and kits transferred to Bombay while the hospital was winding up. “She promised them jobs and convinced them of the immense good this would do for the poor patients,” recalls Cunningham, the excitement in her voice palpable as she recounted her mother’s exploits.” Not many people know that six truckloads of machinery were taken out from Pune,” she says.

These surreptitiously transported kits formed the base for a polio clinic that was opened in May 1947 in the empty Chowpatti premises offered by Dr A V Baliga, who was going to the United States on a study tour. After few months the Bombay government gave space in the empty barracks at Marine Drive as the clinic’s immense popularity led to a waiting list. In the wake of Independence, Bombay and India, had woken up to the need of rehabilitating the differentlyabled. Medical journals and international aid organisations took note of Fathema Ismail’s enterprise.

Fathema Ismail and Jawaharlal Nehru at the opening of her clinic in the military barrack at Marine Drive in 1947

In 1951, she visited the United States on the state department’s invitation for a four-month tour of various hospitals, and the same year went to Europe to attend international conferences. She was now determined to open a full-fledged hospital. “She caused quite a headache to Prime Minister Nehru as she demanded a plot near the race course at Haji Ali. It was a prime location and Nehru would say ‘Fati, why only that plot? I can request the Bombay government to give some other place’. But Amma was insistent. The racecourse was frequented by the rich and the famous and one of the reasons for the request was that she wanted larger society to be fully aware and responsive to the problem of polio.”

The result was a children’s orthopaedic hospital, which opened in 1952 and was inaugurated by Nehru, which continues to operate to this day. After roughly 30 surgeries and years of therapy, Cunningham who is now 75 years old, has no regrets. “I have climbed mountains, ran a business in Delhi, shifted to America, got married, have a caring husband and daughter. This is what Amma wanted. Similarly she convinced several industrialists to offer training for the handicapped at her centres so that they could get employment.” In 2011, India announced that it had eradicated polio but the foundation stone for this incredible campaign was laid by a lady who had the grit and determination to envision a polio-free society over 70 years ago.

source: http://www.ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com / Ahmedabad Mirror / Home> Others> Sunday Read / by Danish Khan, Ahmedabad Mirror / August 20th, 2017

Fort museum opened in Bidar

January 7, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World OpinionAbdul Samad Bharati, Allauddin Hasan Gangu, Allauddin Hasan Gangu Bahamani, Bahaman Shah or Allauddin Hasan Gangu, Founder of Bahman Dynasty, Hassan Gangu Behman, Historian Abdul Samad Bharati, Rangeen Mahal, Rangeen Mahal - Bidar, Turkash Mahal, Turkash Mahal - Bidarmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bidar, KARNATAKA :

An amazing collection of artefacts, inscriptions and photographs are on display at the refurbished tourist information centre and museum opened by the Archaeological Survey of India on the fort premises here on Wednesday.

The museum had been closed for two years for restoration.

The old museum housed in the Royal Bath room inside the Turkash Mahal complex has been moved to the Awwal Talukdar office near the front gate, opposite Rangeen Mahal.

It has tools used by hunters in Neolithic times that were found in 11 archaeological sites in Bidar district. Stone tablets dating from the 1st century; inscriptions that speak of the genealogy of Hassan Gangu Behman, the founder of the Bahmani dynasty; and a space saving tablet that has an inscription on one side and a design on the other, are among the exhibits.

The weapons section is full of guns of various shapes and sizes, cannon balls and thorns and grenades. Metal armour, swords, and khanjars are on display.

Of special interest are implements used by doctors in the 14th century, ornaments made from sea shells, terracotta tiles and painted wall hangings.

It also has artefacts found in neighbouring sites of Sannati, Maski, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Basavakalyan.

Archaeologist Prasanna Kumar took visitors and students around the museum and explained the significance of the artefacts. He spoke of sculptors used soap stone to carve female figurines to symbolise that beauty fade away over time, like the rock it was carved on. Abdul Samad Bharati read Persian and Arabic inscriptions to the delight of young visitors.

A.M.V Subrahmanya, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, pointed out that some Madanika busts found in Basavakalyan and other sites in Bidar district were older than those found in Belur and Halebid.

A 30-minute audio guide about Bidar would be prepared to help tourists, he said. He also said work would start on an interpretation centre and sound and light show in Bidar fort.

The ASI is working with various government departments to draft a proposal to be sent to the UNESCO seeking heritage city status to Bidar- Kalaburagi and Vijayapura, he said.

Hanchate Sanjiv Kumar inaugurated the museum and asked youth to take pride in their history. Prakash Nikam, Superintendent of police, asked youth to desist from defacing monuments. “If we don’t etch on the walls at home, why should we do so on the walls of monuments that are national treasures?” he said

source: http://www.thehindu.com/ The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Bidar – February 05th, 2016

Inscription traces genealogy of Bahmani Kingdom founder

January 7, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion'Historic Monuments of Bidar', Abdul Samad Bharati, Allauddin Hasan Gangu, Allauddin Hasan Gangu Bahamani, Bahaman Shah or Allauddin Hasan Gangu, Bahmani Kingdom, Bijapur Adil Shah, Book 'Historic Monuments of Bidar', Esfandiyar Goshtap, Farishta, Farishta - Court Historian of Bijapur Adil Shahi's, Founder of Bahmani Dynasty, Historian Abdul Samad Bharati, King Ahmed Shah Bahmanimpositiveone@gmail.com

Bidar, KARNATAKA :

Historian Abdul Samad Bharati showing the stone inscription to visitors in the Bidar ASI museum.— File Photo: T. Gopichand

History textbooks in the State say that Allauddin Hasan Gangu, founder of the Bahmani dynasty, began his life as the slave of a Brahmin in New Delhi. However, other versions of history strongly claim that he hailed from Iran and served in the army of the medieval Delhi kings.

The latest evidence that argues against the slave-to-king theory is a stone inscription unveiled at the Archaeological Survey of India museum in Bidar that opened last month.

The inscription of two sets of seven lines, with neatly carved rectangular borders, starts with hailing King Ahmed Shah Bahmani and how his rule brought prosperity to the region. It speaks of how he was the ninth king of the Bahmani Sultanate founded by Allauddin Hasan Gangu Bahmani . It identifies Hasan Gangu as a descendant of the legendary warrior Esfandiyar Goshtap. It describes him as a proud son of a Bahmani village in Iran. “Experts have dated this tablet between 1350 and 1550,” said Prasanna Kumar, archaeologist with the Bidar ASI office.

“For long, scholars have argued with evidence that Allauddin was a general in Mohammad Bin Tughlaq’s army. He founded the Bahmani Kingdom in Kalaburagi, after rebelling against the Delhi kings in 1347. But, we continue to teach the legend that Allauddin was a slave who became a king by chance. This is unfortunate,” said Abdul Samad Bharati, historian and author of the book ‘Historic monuments of Bidar’. He hoped the Bidar inscription would help change the minds of history writers. “There are two other documents that refute the theory about Allauddin’s humble beginnings, a book published by University of Dhaka that speaks of the life and contribution of the hero and medieval era historian Abdul Mallik Esami, who said Allauddin was an Iranian, who joined the Delhi army,” he said.

International scholars also feel the same. “The whole story of Hasan Gangu being a slave to Gangadhar Shastri is a legend that is not supported by any primary source,” said Sara Mondini, art history scholar from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, who is on a tour of Ashtur near Bidar. Helen Philon, historian of the Deccan Heritage Foundation, says history books need to accommodate changes over the years. “Farishta, a court historian of the Bijapur Adilshahis accorded legitimacy to such legends and hearsay in the 17 th century. Most historians and writers seemed to have believed Farishta, without considering theories that offered alternative explanations,” she said.

Ashwath Narayana, professor of history in Bangalore University, and a member of the Karnataka state textbook review committee, said history textbooks should change with the emergence of new sources. “If history is an attempt at truth-telling, new research should prompt us to change the way it is written. We will study this inscription and make suitable changes to the history of the Deccan, if need be,” he said.

A stone inscription unveiled at the ASI museum in Bidar is evidence that negates the slave-to-king theory in history textbooks.

source: http://www.thehindu.com/ The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Bidar – April 04th, 2016

Lucknow, recovered

January 7, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion4th Nawab of Awadh, Amjad Ali Shah, Amjad Ali Shah - 4th Nawab of Awadh, Heritage Activist Sye Mohammad Haider Rizvi, Master Mason Ansaruddin, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Rana Safvi, Shia Waqf Board, Sibtainabad Imambara, Sibtainabad Imambara - Lucknow, Sultan Bahadur, Syed Mohammad Haider Rizvimpositiveone@gmail.com

Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH :

Lessons in conservation at the Sibtainabad Imambara

As a young girl, when I was studying in Lucknow, I would often go to Hazratganj to buy storybooks. Browsing through the collection in the market and buying a book would be the highlight of every week. I only had my eyes on the bookshops and never on the name of the market or the dilapidated gateway, which had once been impressive but now looked the worse for wear.

Even on subsequent trips as an adult, I never bothered to think about it till the day a Lucknow-based heritage activist and lawyer, Syed Mohammad Haider Rizvi, invited me to speak at an inter-faith assembly in Sibtainabad Imambara.

As a devout follower of Imam Hussain, I had visited almost every Imambara in Lucknow for the majlis, or assemblies, to commemorate his sacrifice, but never this one. I wondered why I hadn’t even know it existed. I soon found out.

Origin of the Imambara

Amjad Ali Shah was the fourth Nawab of Awadh and ruled from 1842 to 1847. Since he had a religious bent of mind, as a child he learnt Islamic values of faith and piety. His piety as a ruler earned him the sobriquet of Hazrat. The famous Hazratganj of Lucknow is named after him and that’s the area where he chose to build an Imambara which would also house his mausoleum.

It was started in 1847 and completed after his death by his son Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. It was named Sibtainabad as the two Shia imams Hasan and Hussain (grandsons of the Prophet) are known collectively as Sibtain.

When I entered, I found myself inside a huge open area from where I could see a compound with a beautiful Imambara, a congregation hall for assemblies where Imam Hussain is mourned.

The Imambara architecture comprises a main hall (with additional halls depending on the size) where the mourners gather, a raised shahnasheen (platform) where the taziyas and alams (replicas of the shrine of Imam Hussain and his standard) are kept. A pulpit would be kept on one side for the speakers who would speak of the tragedy of Karbala.

The reason I had never been to this Imambara when I was living in Lucknow soon became clear. Once a beautiful Imambara covered with fine carpets, silk curtains, priceless art treasures and exquisite chandeliers, it was vandalised in 1857 during the First War of Independence. Nawab Amjad Ali Khan lay buried here in a vault under the central hall, forgotten by all.

It was even used as a church by the British officers till 1860, while the Christ Church was being built, and Lord Canning attended a service in the building.

In 1919, it was declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Despite this, it was sold by one Sultan Bahadur in 1921, who claimed to be a descendant of Nawab Amjad Ali Khan, to the Lucknow Improvement Trust (LIT). The LIT, in turn, allotted the surrounding land for residential purposes. The Imambara fell into disuse and disrepair.

The main Imambara post-1947 was used as a workshop and storehouse for furniture as well as by the government census office. A motor workshop had sprung up outside.

In 2008, Rizvi was appointed the joint mutawalli by the Shia Waqf Board and he started the long fight to free it from encroachment and illegal occupation. He took recourse to judicial avenues and slowly, with the help of Right to Information applications and public interest litigations, he succeeded. Then came the task of restoration, which was undertaken by the ASI.

The splendour inside

The approach to the Imambara is through the gateway and into an open space which gives way to an enclosed court. The Imambara stands on a high platform and its arched façade looks very impressive, with its delicate floral stucco and stained glass doors. The inner walls, which had got blackened with neglect and abuse, have been lovingly restored, and its green and white paintings and stucco work are exquisite. The roof and “its beams, which formed a vault over the grave of the late king, had collapsed in a heap of rubble,” according to a 1945 report. It once again supports beautiful glass chandeliers.

A recurring motif on the archways inside the halls is a painting of the Prophet’s celestial steed, the ‘buraq’, that carried him to heaven on the night of ascension. The master mason, Ansaruddin, traced out the designs and restored the paintings and stucco work very carefully.

Preservation of our heritage is our fundamental duty as it is an important source of history of the era in which these buildings were built. If other ‘lost monuments’ received such dedicated and methodical renovation, they could also be rehabilitated and restored to us.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Opinion> Columns / by Rana Safvi / November 26th, 2017

‘Baghi Banjara’ traces life, works of Barkatullah Bhopali

January 7, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion'Baghi Banjara', Abdul Hafiz Mohamed Barakatullah, Barakatullah Bhopali, Freedom Fighter Barakatullah Bhopali, Ghadar Party, Maulana Barakatullah Bhopali, Scriptwriter - Waseem Khan, Stage Play 'Baghi Banjara', Theatre Director - Waseem Khan, Waseem Khanmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH :

Bhopal :

Centered on the life of freedom fighter Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, a play ‘Baghi Banjara’ was staged at Shaheed Bhawan on Friday. Scripted and directed by Waseem Khan, the play was staged for the first time in the country.

Abdul Hafiz Mohamed Barakatullah, known with his honorific Maulana Barkatullah (7 July, 1854-20 September 1927), was an anti-British Indian revolutionary with sympathy for the Pan-Islamic movement.

The whole journey from birth to death of the great freedom fighter was beautifully shown in the one-hour-twenty-minute-long play. Barkatullah was born on 7 July 1854 at Itwara in Bhopal.

He fought from outside India, with fiery speeches and revolutionary writings in leading newspapers, for the independence of India. In 1988, Bhopal University was renamed Barkatullah University in his honour. He was educated from primary to college level at Bhopal.

Later he went to Bombay and London for his higher education. He was a meritorious scholar and mastered seven languages: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, English, German, and Japanese. Despite a poor background he topped the list of successful candidates in most of the examinations for which he appeared, both in India and England. He became the Quondam Professor of Urdu at the Tokyo University Japan.

He was one of the founders of the “Ghadar” (Rebellion) Party in 1913 at San Francisco. Later he became the prime minister of the Provisional Government of India established on 1 December 1915 in Kabul with Raja Mahendra Pratap as its president. He died in 1927 at San Francisco.

The play was presented by mainly young cast of Swabhiman Shikshan Samiti. Suggestive sets, costumes and lights were used.

A patriotic song ‘rang de basanti chola…,’ of movie ‘Shaheed’ (1965) was used in the play. Gaurav Jaat as Maulana Barkatullah, Badra Wasti as Tarik Nigar, Shakeel Chand as Kadar and others were in lead role.

“For the first time, the play centered on the great freedom fighter is being staged for the first time in India. I don’t know why no play was staged on the tenacious fighter. I wrote the play at the instance of Shriram Tiwari, former director of culture. The writing took one year and the rehearsals lasted for one-and-a-half- months,” said Waseem Khan.

source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> Bhopal / by A Staff Reporter / January 28th, 2017

Singapore Mutiny of 1915: A standalone episode not linked to freedom struggle

January 7, 2018Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), World OpinionGhadar Party, Ghadarites, Havildar Abdul Ghanny, Havildar Rahmad Ali, Hindustani Pathan, Hindustani Pathans, Jemadar Chisti Khan, Sepoy Hakim Ali, Sepoy Ismail Khan, Singapore Mutiny of 1915, Subedar Dande Khanmpositiveone@gmail.com

SINGAPORE :

On August 4, 1914, the British Empire declared war on Germany, making WWI a truly global war. As Britain observes the centenary of the war on Monday, TOI takes a look at one episode of 1915 that rattled Britain and her empire.

On February 15, 1915, the 5th Light Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army was getting ready to embark on a voyage to Hong Kong from Singapore. A little after 3pm, one sepoy Ismail Khan of C company fired at an ammunition lorry from the quarter guard near Alexandra Barracks. Soon, sepoys and VCOs (viceroy’s commissioned officers) of four predominantly Muslim Rajput companies (there were some Jats and Lohias too from Haryana and Punjab) of the eight-company strong regiment mutinied, starting a week of chaos and bloodshed that has come to be known in history as the Singapore Mutiny.

A lot has been written about the mutiny ever since, but very few have been works of scholarship. Fewer still are the official histories of the event. But in India, there’s a great deal of mystique surrounding this episode, which nationalists, historians and others, have linked to the freedom movement. They see some commonality between the 1857 Uprising and this one, and glorify this mutiny, without, of course, considering what the main actors of the event, the rebel sepoys, said in their testimonies to the courts of inquiry.

Snapshot of a TOI article from 1915 on the Singapore Mutiny

They gave ambivalent statements, turned coats, played victims, and testified against men already dead in the mutiny or executed by firing squads. They did all this to exonerate themselves and men of their own caste/village from swift colonial justice. Even those sepoys who were identified as mutineers by others spun convincing tales to fool the court.

The Times of India had extensively reported the mutiny in 1915, calling it the Singapore Emeute. On March 2 that year, when the mutiny had already been put down and the inquiry was on, the first news of the mutiny had reached India. This paper had reported then: “A serious emeute has occurred among the 5th Light Infantry. One wing mutinied and killed Europeans on the road. The situation is now in hand. A large number of the other wing are coming and offering assistance.”

The mutineers belonged to the right wing of the regiment. The left was primarily composed of Pathans (the sepoys, though, called themselves Hindustani Pathans) who also came from the same regions as the Muslim Rajputs—Punjab and Haryana, including areas that form part of Delhi NCR today. These men didn’t join the mutineers, but ran helter-skelter in the melee and shut themselves in bathrooms/toilets and shops, with many escaping to the forest.

Mutineers being executed by firing squad. It shows some sepoys still standing and some down, as the European militia executioners missed their targets several times.

It was a deja vu moment for the regiment, which, in its previous avatar as the 42nd Bengal Native Infantry regiment, had seen exactly four companies rebel during the 1857 Uprising and the rest staying loyal. That was the reason why the regiment wasn’t disbanded after the Uprising was quelled. In 1915, too, the regiment would escape disbandment because of this reason, and would “honourably discharge its duty and salvage its lost reputation” in East Africa where they would fight the Germans.

But in the week that the mutiny lasted, the rebels killed 12 British officers and 14 European civilians, liberated German prisoners held in a jail (of whom 17 joined them and the rest stayed neutral), and got on board by persuasion or intimidation some men of the Malay States Guides.

On March 3, 1915, The Times of India had a clearer picture of the mutiny. “Further facts regarding the outbreak at Singapore have now come to hand which leave no doubt as to its serious character. The reasons for the disturbance are still somewhat obscure, but the trouble would seem to have originated in some discontent aroused in the 5th Light Infantry by certain promotions among the Indian ranks. This appears to have engendered the spirit of disaffection which was brought to a head by the impending departure of the regiment for Hong Kong. It is satisfactory to be able to record that even not more than half of the 5th Light Infantry, a regiment with a distinguished record of loyal service, were implicated,” TOI had reported.

That obscurity, as stated in the TOI report, has remained till date. The mutiny was quelled by the British by February 22 with Franco-Russo-Japanese help. After that, it was the time for conspiracy theories. Though there was little evidence on ground, the mutiny was linked to the Ghadar Conspiracy—efforts by the Ghadar Party to foment rebellion among Indian troops stationed abroad. The Ghadarites themselves took credit for it, though they got news of the mutiny only on March 2—the same day TOI carried the report—after the mutiny was suppressed. And they thought until April that Singapore was under rebel control.

Then there was the German conspiracy theory. At least one German prisoner took credit for inciting the Indian soldiers to mutiny. Plus the sepoys are believed to have received letters from their comrades fighting in Europe that the German king had converted to Islam and that it was not right to fight the forces of a Muslim king.

Then there was the more convincing theory of the sepoys rebelling due to their unwillingness to fight the forces of the Ottoman Sultan, the caliph of Islam.

But the real factor may have been a combination of terrible lapse in communication and leadership on the part of the British (the CO of the regiment was particularly unpopular among the troops and officers, both Indian and British. After the mutiny, he was dismissed from his post and retired from the Army) and a greater desire among the Indian troops to escape the horrors of European war—the latter observation also made by Japanese historian Sho Kuwajima.

On July 5, 1915, TOI carried the government’s explanation: “In view of the misrepresentations that have been made regarding the mutiny, we are authorized by the governor to state that no report whatever had reached His Excellency or the general officer commanding prior to the mutiny regarding any seditious tendencies in the 5th Native Light Infantry … No charge of disloyalty had ever been made to the government against the 5th Light Infantry … on the other hand, Government had received most positive assurances as to the loyalty of the regiment.”

Yet the sepoys were only loyal to one another in their regiments, battalions and companies as in the case of the Singapore mutineers. They gave no call for freedom or anything of that nature.

Nevertheless, in the immediate aftermath, there was disturbing talk about the loyalty of Indian troops, and the wisdom of trusting the security of big colonial possessions like Singapore to Indians was questioned too. But in a strange coincidence, exactly 27 years after the Singapore Mutiny, on February 15, 1942, 80,000 British-led Allied troops surrendered at Singapore to the Japanese of whom 40,000 were men of the Indian Army. Nearly 30,000 of them would eventually join (either voluntarily or under duress) the Indian National Army.

Buried in history

· 47 sepoys, NCOs and VCOs were executed after a general court martial
· The ringleaders were identified as Subedar Dunde Khan, Jemadar Chisti Khan, Havildar Rahmat Ali, Sepoy Hakim Ali and Havildar Abdul Ghani; Dunde Khan and Chisti Khan were shot first on February 21
· 64 others were sentenced to transportation for life or ‘sazaa-e-kalapani’

· No memorial or plaque whatsoever to the mutineers exist anywhere

· Mutineers till today are unfairly vilified in Western accounts

· Since most sepoys on trial and during court of inquiry clammed up, the full truth about the causes of the mutiny are not known till today

(Write to the author at manimugdha.sharma@timesgroup.com)

source: http://www.timesofindia.inditimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> India / by Manimugdha S. Sharma / TNN / August 03rd, 2014

Eighty years after death, nobody cares for ‘architect of Bihar’

January 5, 2018Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, World OpinionAli Imam, Bulu Imam, Hasan Imam, Imam Brothers, Padma Shri Syed Hasan Imam, Sir Ali Imam, Syed Hasan Imam, Syed Hasan Imam - President - Indian National Congressmpositiveone@gmail.com

BIHAR :

Unsung hero

Known as one half of India’s legendary barrister brother duo, he has been hailed as the co-architect of modern Bihar.

However, on his 80th death anniversary on Friday, the legacy of Syed Hasan Imam, a nationalist leader, patriot and a freedom fighter, remains forgotten.

Born in 1871 in Neora village near Patna, Imam died on April 19, 1933 and lies interred on the banks of river Sone in Japla, a small village in the border of Bihar and Jharkhand.

After suffering years of neglect and facing encroachment around his tomb, his grandson, Bulu Imam, now living in Hazaribagh, is striving to restore the lost honour.

“Today, on the occasion of his 80th death anniversary, I feel heartbroken to remember the legacy of my grandfather who, instead of being remembered, let alone celebrated for his immense contribution to the cause of Bihar and India at large, has been consigned to oblivion,” said Bulu Imam.

‘Some honour restored’

“We went to his tomb in Japla and cleaned it up on the anniversary and also put a chhadar on it, trying to restore some honour to his forgotten legacy. There were encroachments around the tomb and Hasan Imam’s house,”“ he said.

“I have evicted all the encroachers and now I am trying to preserve the place as his lasting memorial,” said Bulu Imam over phone from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

Syed Hasan was educated in Patna and in the UK, and was called to the Bar in Middle Temple in 1892. When he returned to India, he practiced in Calcutta High Court, where he became a judge in 1912.

After the establishment of the separate province of Bihar with Patna as its capital in 1912, and with the Patna High Court opened in 1916, Imam resigned from the judgeship of Calcutta High Court to practice in Patna, according to The India Gazette’s Who’s Who in India, 1927 edition.

He was elected president, special session of the Indian National Congress, in September, 1918. He was also elected as a delegate to the London Conference on the Turkish Peace Treaty in 1921.

He and Sir Al Imam along with barrister Sachchidananda Sinha and Mahesh Narayan were instrumental in getting the British empire grant a separate province of Bihar out of Bengal in 1911, as announced by King George V at the historic Delhi Durbar that year.

Despite his exemplary contributions to Bihar and to India, Hasan Imam remains a forgotten hero, much like his elder brother Sir Ali Imam.

The two brothers or ‘Imam Brothers’ as they were popularly known, will possibly go down in history as ‘faded icons’, much like their fabulous house, all but gone now.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Metro / New Delhi – April 20th, 2013

The jungle man of Coimbatore

January 4, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion'Wild Witness' Wildlife Documentary, Jalaluddin, Jalaluddin - Nature Conservation Soceity, N.I. Jalaluddinmpositiveone@gmail.com

Coimbatore, TAMIL NADU :

Wild life lover N.I. Jalaluddin is convinced that the way forward in conservation is through young people and he works tirelessly to sensitise them about forests, animals and birds

“My love for Nature started with birds, by observing the kaaka and kuruvi,” laughs N.I. Jalaluddin. As a school boy he was in Kollegal where his father was working. And, as he stared up at the sky, he was often beset by questions about the birds he saw flying. He wondered: ‘How do the migratory birds fly across continents and sometimes over 16,000 kms without any GPS, fuel, or driver?’.

That enthusiasm and curiosity combined with a trek to Mudumalai as a part of WWF camp fuelled his interest further. “I was a regular at BNHS Nature camps in Bandipur, Nagarhole and Masinagudi. And, I decided to talk about Nature and Wildlife among school students from then on.”

Today, his Nature Conservation Society that spreads awareness among students and the public has completed thousands of Nature camps and reached out to millions of students. Several awards have come his way with the latest one being the Best Service Award by the District Collector. “I work with eco-club students and take them on Nature walks in the Western Ghats,” he says. He educates them about the forests and the rich biodiversity it supports. Then, there is bird watching, and learning about mammals too. “I tell them how to identify pug marks, foot prints, and spoor of animals, and the importance of animal census.”

Jalaluddin talks excitedly about Project Kaliru, an initiative by Tamil Nadu Forest Department to save elephants. As a part of the project, he will cover 46 institutions, schools and colleges, and talk to them about elephants and wildlife. “The elephants lead the forests and set the terrain route for other animals. One of the prime objectives of Project Kaliru is to ensure that there is nil human -animal conflict. Did you know that the elephants as they migrate also bring a variety of plants from another region? The elephant dung has about 40 per cent of undigested food that includes seeds of a variety of fruits and vegetables.”

Awareness is the key, he stresses. “Tribals and animals have co-existed for generations. The conflict arises only in urban zones. In one year, there are over 15,000 deaths by road accidents while the death by human-animal conflict is about 30, which can be easily mitigated.” He is also making a documentary on elephant-human conflict called Wild Witness. “ It’s a dream project for me. One of my students, actor Aravind, who has attended my camps, is helping us out with the camera equipment. DFO Satish and Conservator of Forest S. Ramasubramaniam have been very helpful.” Jalaluddin is a regular at surveys of wildlife population with the forest department. He has rescued many species like snakes, birds, and animals used in illegal trade and handed them over to the forest department for release and rehabilitation. He has spoken out vociferously to save the wetlands. “When I raised my voice against cutting of trees for highway expansion, the authorities threatened to file a criminal case against me. But the Bar Association backed me and we fought it out .” He has intervened and stopped cutting of thousands of trees in the city by litigation, court stay orders, and through dialogues with higher officials. “Youngsters are the change makers, our hope. We have to start with them to care for Nature. Even awareness on banning plastics works better when you take it through them.”

Recently, Jalaluddin took a group of 150 students from Shree Sakthi College of Engineering on a trek to Valparai. “I told them to observe the scratching of animals on trees. It is one of the ways to understand that we are in tiger territory. Engineering colleges should also inculcate nature awareness. A watch tower or a check dam involves engineering skills.”

He recounts some thrilling experiences. “Once, we spotted a leopard in Mudumalai. Another time, we saw a herd of 13 elephants at a very close distance while on a trek at Theppakaadu. Luckily, there was a trench in between, much to the relief of the students,” he laughs. Along with students from Chandra Matriculation School, and Ramakrishna College for Women, he has spotted tigers in Bandipur, Thengumarhada…. “It’s a pity that some schools ignore this aspect of education. We live in the Western Ghats, the hotspot of bio-diversity. When I ask the students about our State animal (Nilgiri Tahr), bird ( Emerald Dove) flower ( Senkaanthal), or tree (palm tree), most them don’t know. A lot of animals, for example wild dogs or dhols have become a rare species now. I have spotted the Emerald Dove or Panchavarna pura so many times at Siruvani foothills. That is also very rare. In Tamil Nadu, we have four Project Tiger programmes in Anaimalai, Mudumalai, Satyamangalam and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai. We have Project Elephant too in Anaimalai and Mudumalai to care for and conserve the elephants.”

People fondly call him Kaatuvaasi or man of the jungle. He brushes it off with a smile, and says, “ I keep doing my work. We have to leave something for the future generation. I feel happy even if one student out of every 10 I talk to, plants a tree. He will in turn talk to another 10 people. Then, there is no stopping. That, is an achievement.”

Awareness programmes

Banning plastic bags, film shooting in reserve forests

Conducting awareness drives through rallies, photo exhibitions and workshops in schools

Supporting the forest department in mitigating human-animal conflict by dialogues with affected villagers

Awarding schools and individuals who contribute to a healthy eco-system

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Environment / by K. Jeshi / January 01st, 2018

Kirmani wishes team for ODI World Cup for the Blind

January 4, 2018Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Sports, World OpinionKirmani, Kirmani - Indian Cricketer, Syed Kirmani, Syed Kirmani - Indian Cricketer, Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani, Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani - Indian Cricketermpositiveone@gmail.com

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, founder and managing trustee of Samarthana Trustm, former cricketer Syed Kirmani, cricketers Prem Kumar Prakash Jayaramaiah, Mahender Vaishnav and others at the closure of the coaching camp for the Indian cricket team for blind, in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

The tournament to be held from January 7 to 21

Syed Kirmani called on the Indian cricket team for the blind to bring glory to the nation, much like he and his teammates did when they scripted the historic 1983 World Cup triumph.

The Indian team goes to the 5th ODI World Cup for the Blind – to be jointly hosted by United Arab Emirates and Pakistan – as the defending champion.

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia will participate in the tournament to be held from January 7 to 21.

“This talented Indian blind team has seven all-rounders, just like our 1983 World Cup side. I saw these guys train recently, and it was amazing to see them dive, make direct hits and hit big sixes. I am sure that they will bring laurels to our country by retaining the World Cup,” Kirmani said on Wednesday.

Kirmani, who donned the gloves with distinction during his long career, added, “The cricketers are as skilled as Virat Kohli, M.S. Dhoni and all the others of this era.”

Prakash Jayaramaiah, star batsman for the team, is confident of putting on a good show. “Pakistan and India are the strongest units. Playing against Pakistan brings out the best in us,” he said.

The 33-year-old, who was born in Channapatna, appealed to the State government to provide jobs to visually impaired cricketers. “When we won the 2017 Blind World Twenty20 in Chinnaswamy Stadium, the State government promised to give us jobs. But that hasn’t happened yet. If we are given a job in a public sector company, we will be able to provide for our families,” Jayaramaiah said.