Independence Day History Series: Nationalists Who Failed to Stem Communalism

 Independence day of India is celebrated throughout the country but in 1947, when we celebrated our glorious moment of freedom at midnight, we had been a bleeding, divided nation. 
The Hindus and Muslims had always led distinct communities since time immemorial but the issue of communal riots and bloodshed remains a modern phenomenon that is synonymous with the British conquest of India.
 
The British policy of ‘divide and rule’ triggered considerable anger, conflict and rivalry between the two communities and this rivalry was utilized with clear, political intentions by the British. They used communalism to negate the legitimacy of nationalist demands and threw back to Indians an argument that left to themselves, Indians were so divided amongst themselves that they were incapable of governing themselves responsibly.
 
Independence Day History Series: Entry of Religion into Indian Politics
 
Independence day celebrations cannot take away some hard hitting facts from our midst. We have a society that is growing more communal but professes to be secular at every level. Let’s understand the ‘communal’ angle from a historical perspective.
 
It is hard to define communalism though people tend to club it with the entry of religion into the field of nationalist politics. The entry of religion into politics should not be equated with communalism. Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad were deeply religious people with secular outlooks. They were capable of working towards the nation’s greater welfare at a political level than get trapped into their religious differences. Their decisions and perspectives differed but did not affect the harmony between the two different communities they represented. It is a known fact that Gandhiji distrusted Azad. Though Azad was an elitist Muslim, theologian and an impressive orator, Gandhiji was concerned about his flamboyant lifestyle. Their politics, however, was not defined by the religions they chose to profess. They knew that the Hindus and Muslims needed to be united as one nation. However, even these leaders became powerless against the forces of violence and communalism.
 
Independence Day History Series: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Indian Muslims
 
In this context, the role of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan has come under considerable debate and scrutiny from historians. There were many facets to his personality as a lawyer, judge, author, educator and leader. He had always preached in harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims. He emphasized on educating Indian Muslims scientifically and worked towards realizing this goal with great passion.
 
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan opposed Hindu nationalist leaders and their demand for freedom from British rule. In 1885, the formation of the Congress changed his approach. He began to push forward to clinch administrative posts for Muslims and was extremely loyal to the British government. He called the Congress a ‘Hindu body’ and alleged that it was opposed to Muslim interests.
 
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s perspectives influenced many Muslims of that era because he was a great thinker and educator. His
contribution to the nation was immense.
 
However, he faced considerable anger and opposition from Muslims when his speeches and articles became critical of Islam and the Quran. It may be that his speeches were misinterpreted but he was called a ‘kafir’ by Islamic scholars who questioned his understanding of the religion itself. His greatest achievement is the Aligarh movement and of course, the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University. The Aligarh University provided education to thousands of Muslims across the country.
 
The social implications of all these developments and ideologies cannot be underestimated. Even today, these events, if reconstructed, hold the key to many questions you and I may be wondering about. Undoubtedly, India’s struggle for freedom and its destiny to become independent from British rule had an unexpected outcome that stemmed from such strong, conflicting ideals of the country’s top political leaders.
 
The rest, as we say, is history.
 
[Swapna Raghu Sanand, Editor@ lawisgreek.com is the author of the Independence Day History Series.]