By Tarique Anwar and Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The book “Celebrating India: Reflections on Eminent Indian Muslims 1857-2007” by Meher Fatima Husain of Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi was released by Justice Syed Shah Nayyar Husain, Hon’ble Judge of Patna High Court in a ceremony organized by the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library on December 7, 2008.
Introducing the book Dr. Imtiyaz Ahmad, the director of the library pointed out that it offers a panoramic view of the contributions made by Muslims in different spheres and their contributions to the enrichment of the intellectual and cultural life of the subcontinent over the last century and a half.
Talking about her book “Celebrating India” Maher Fatima pointed out that it was very fitting that it is being released on the occasion of “anniversaries marking 150 years of India’s First War of Independence, 1857 and 60 years of India’s Independence with the sincere objective of highlighting the contributions of one-fifty eminent Indian Muslims to freedom movement, nation building and furtherance of composite culture through reflections on their biographical profiles.”
Echoing the famous statement of Subhash Chandra Bose, she said that Indian Muslims through their strong patriotic convictions have contributed in the overall development of India which goes beyond their minority status.
She lamented at the fact that in spite of the strong nationalist endeavors of Indian Muslims most historical accounts of Indian freedom movement focus on their separatist tendencies.
She pointed out that in her book she has contested the argument made by William Dalrymple in his “The Last Mughals”. In the book he has argued that the participation of Muslims in the First War of Independence of 1857 was more inspired by sense of Jihad against Christianity and “defense of Islam”.
She also highlighted in detail the contribution of the academic bastions like Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia in the freedom movement and the process of nation building.
The anti colonial stance passionately taken by the Darul Uloom at Deoband, Jamiat Ulama Hind and Patna based Imarat Shariah, All Indian Momin Conference and the Shia Political Conference had a major role in wining India’s freedom and developing India’s destiny along the secular and progressive lines.
Mrs. Husain pointed out the book is an honest attempt to mirror the lives of stalwart including that of Bahdur Shah Zafar, Maulana Mahmudul Hasan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Khuda Bakhsh, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Mazharul Haque, Ali Imam, Abdul Qaium Ansari, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Mohammad Rafi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Mohammad Manal, Hakeem Abdul Hameed, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Syed Hasan (Syed Bhai), Ghulam Sarwar, Rafiq Zakaria, Kalimuddin Ahmad, Qurratul-ain-Haider, Safdar Hashmi, Ebrahim Al Qazi, AR Kidwai, APJ Abdul Kalam, Mohhamad Hamid Ansari, Prof. Mushirul Hassan, Syed Zahoor Qasim, Syed Shahabuddin, Syed Hamid, Amin Sayaani, MJ Akbar, Javed Akhtar among others.
She further pointed out that although the Partition jolted the nationalist interests of Indian Muslims who bemoaned the loss of composite culture which they had cherished for generations but the Indian Muslims have continued to contribute in the nation building through their work in fields as diverse as public affairs, social work, literature, visual and performing arts, sports, science, medicine, trade and industry.
She pointed out that the book will be an obvious inspiration for the younger generation to uphold the secular, democratic and multi cultural tradition of India and it precisely because of this that MA Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan who believed in Two Nation theory and separatism don’t find a place in this book.
Meher Fatma Husain concluded by saying that the Indian Muslims continue to draw inspiration from what Maulana Azad had affirmed more than once: “I am proud to be an Indian. I am part of the indivisible unity that is Indian nationality. I am indispensable to this noble edifice and without me this splendid structure of India is incomplete. I am an essential element which has gone to build India. I can never surrender this claim.”
The program was presided by Dr. Razi Ahmad, Secretary Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Dr. Ahmad A. Hai, Member Governing Board of the Library was guest of the Library.
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