T. Vivek welcomed the gathering. Seen on dias: (from left) Ziauddin Nayyar, Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, G. Chinna Reddy and Capt. Panduranga Reddy
* Urges Prime Minister Modi to adorn Prime Minister’s Office with picture of freedom fighter Maulvi Alauddin, who sacrificed his life for the country by fighting against the British colonial rule
Special report from Republic of India by Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui
Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi, Member of Indian Parliament from the southern city of Hyderabad, has asked the ruling party — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government — to strengthen harmony and brotherhood in the country.
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He also urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to adorn the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with a picture of one of the foremost freedom fighters, Maulvi Alauddin, who sacrificed his life for the country by fighting against the British colonial rule.
“Why is proof being sought from people about them being Indian?” thundered the learned Barrister Owaisi, speaking as the chief guest during a seminar at Press Club in Basheerbagh, Hyderabad, under the theme; ‘Unwept and Unsung Heroes of Telangana’.
Barrister Owaisi, who often roars in the Indian Parliament on this vexed issue bothering the Muslim community for the past 76 years, bigoted Hindutva elements, who did not fight the British, often asking Muslims to prove their loyalty to the nation.
The scholarly parliamentarian took the audience down the memory lane of Indian history dealing with the fight against British for Independence — emphasising that all Indians (Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others) fought for the independence but a false narrative is being pedaled that only a section fought for independence even though they never participated in the freedom struggle nor hoisted the Indian national flag even many, many years after independence.
Without naming the Hindutva ideologue Savarkar — who timidly sought apology from the British — Owaisi reminded that Savarkar wrote six ‘love letters’ seeking his release from custody. On the other hand, Owaisi pointed out that Maulvi Alauddin was exiled to the black waters of Andaman Islands, where he died in jail after 30 years.
He further highlighted that the nefarious refusal of the then Nizam Government not to allow Maulvi Alauddin into Hyderabad on completion of his 20-year prison sentence.
As a tribute Maulvi Alauddin — for the great sacrifice of Maulvi Alauddin, the then Imam of Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad, who led an attack on the British Residency after an inspiring speech and suffered British tyranny for 30 years — Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being asked to display Alauddin’s photograph in the PMO.
He expects the Prime Minister Modi to say Jaihind (Praise be to India) at the end of his independence day speech. The slogan, Jaihind, was coined by freedom fighter Abid Hasan Safrani, a close associate of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Owaisi narrated the challenging submarine journey of Netaji, Abid Hassan and their associates, who had no elbow room in the single room in the submarine and they sat all 24 hours throughout the journey for many days.
Maulvi Alauddin
Organised by the Telangana Council of Historical Research, the huge audience at the seminar were enthralled and listened with rapt attention to the talented parliamentarian Owaisi giving historical references — quoting from the government archives and many historical books including Dictionary of Martyrs published by Government of India.
He recalled many unsung heroes of freedom struggle, who belonged to the former Asaf Jahi Kingdom of Hyderabad. Prominent among them are Turrebaaz Khan, Hayat Saheb, Ramji Gond, Surayya Tayyab ji and others.
He disclosed that during a recent discussion on the 1942 Quit India Movement in Lok Sabha – the Lower House of Indian Parliament — he got up from his seat to remind the Speaker of the House to mention Yusuf Meher Ali by name, who had coined the term Quit India.
The seasoned parliamentarian Owaisi asserted that the present rulers had played no role in India’s freedom struggle — calling them ‘liars’ and questioned as to why Indian Muslims’ History is made to start with (the first Mughal Emperor Zaheeruddin Mohammed) Babur and made to end with Babur?
He agreed with eminent historian, Capt. Panduranga Reddy’s suggestion that there is a need to rewrite history of Deccan and highlight the role played by the Deccani people in India’s freedom movement.
He assured Capt. Reddy that he will arrange a meeting with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to apprise him of the history project and request for release of Rs.5 crore and work could begin with Rs. One Crore. He praised Capt. Reddy for his contribution to history and always speaking in a bold voice to correct the historical wrongs.
In his inaugural address, historian and political analyst, Dr. Inamur Rahman Ghayur pointed out that the fight for freedom did not start in 1857 but there were many events and efforts made from 1820s onwards which culminated in 1857 the first war of Indian Independence.
He disagreed that it was a rebellion or mutiny. He described the efforts of Shaheed Syed Ahmed to unite the kings, nobles and maharajahs to take on the common enemy – the British. He claimed the British had wrongly termed Syed Ahmed’s work as the Wahabi Movement.
He stressed that the work of Syed Ahmed was not at all related to the Wahabi Movement of Abdul Wahab Najdi of Saudi Arabia. He took the audience through the unfortunate disagreement and later war between Maharajah Ranjit Singh and Syed Ahmed as the Sikh king had refused to join hands with Syed Ahmed for the freedom struggle.
He said after Syed Ahmed died in the war, Prince Mubarizuddaulah, a bold brother of the then Nizam of Hyderabad agreed to take the movement forward as a deputy of Syed Ahmed. But the prince was imprisoned in Golconda Fort and he died in mysterious circumstances.
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Dr. Ghayur disclosed that the then Prime Minister of Nizam, Maharajah Chandulal, a Punjabi Khatri had communications with Ranjit Singh and kept him and also the Nizam away from the freedom movement. He said Chandulal was the only maharajah without the title of His Highness.
“I would blame Maharajah Chandulal much for destroying the finances of Hyderabad state and mortgaging the state machinery with the British Bankers. It is the tragedy of our country that zeroes turn heroes and those who are heroes are turned into zeroes,” the matter of fact historian exclaimed.
He recalled Turrebaaz Khan, the mercenary, who helped the tribals of Nagpur in the freedom struggle. After the attack on British Residency in Hyderabad, Turrebaaz Khan was hanged by the British. Presently, a road is named after him but the Women’s College at Kothi was not named after Turrebaaz Khan despite many pleas.
Capt. Panduranga Reddy, Chairman-Centre for Telangana Studies, explained how injustice was done to the rulers, freedom fighters and martyrs from the Deccan by those who highlighted only the contributions of people from North India.
Felicitations moment
He lamented that Rani Rudrama Devi, Chand Bibi, Tipu Sultan and others’ contributions were ignored. He expressed his resolve to rewrite history and present it in the correct perspective.
G. Chinna Reddy, vice chairman-Telangana State Planning Board, recalled the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters to gain independence from the British. He exhorted the people to be united to develop the country.
He fondly recalled the time when Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi and himself were legislators in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Ziauddin Nayyar, president, All India Majlis Taameer –e- Millat graced the function. T Vivek, general secretary, Telangana Council of Historical Research, welcomed the audience and later proposed a vote of thanks.
* Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui is Consulting Editor for Foreign & Political Affairs, Maravi Express, Republic of Malawi, Africa
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