National Movement in India (The Role of Hasarat Mohani)

The Indian National Movement bear testimony to the participation of all communities including the Muslims in the struggle for independence. This work is concerned especially with the Muslims participation in the National Movement and role of Hasrat Mohani therein, alongwith salient aspects of his personality, his thought and ideology in the context of the political developments of his time. Recently there were attempts to malign Muslim community and apprehensions expressed about its credibility and role in the making of India. This work stands as a testimony in negation to all such suspicions and apprehensions about the role of Muslim community. Dr. Mohammed Umar in the present work offers a much needed critical study of Maulana Hasrat Mohani and his role in the freedom struggle of India. As a true Nationalist extremist, secularist, and Pan-Islamist. Hasart Mohani was a strong opponent of the British Imperialism and Colonial rule. As a champion of complete independence he wanted nothing less than complete independence for which he did not reconcile even with Gandhi, Jinnah, Azad and Patel. He kept on changing his political ideology and joined different political parties for the realization of his most cherished goal of life, India’s independence being a staunch supporter of the Indian National Congress, he used his paper Urdu –e-Moalla as an organ of Congress Movement for India’s liberation, Hasrat dreamt, argues Dr. Umar, of United States of India with five democracies. As a member of the constituent Assembly he did not sign the draft Constitution as it did not incorporate certain communistic and federal principles. An active member of Khilafat Committee and Civil disobedience movement he championed the cause of Swadeshi, social and educational change and the rights of woman. As a champion of Hindu-Muslim unity and admirer of Tilak and Aurbindo, he did not want the partition of the country. However after partition he opted to remain in India. A designer of modern Urdu Ghazal, Poet, journalist, communist and mystic dedicated his entire life for the liberation of the motherland. Had his wise counsels prevailed in the years that followed says the author, the partition of the country could have been averted.