The Myth of Ulema (1)

Some semi-literate politicians, servants-turned-dictators and the so-called intellectuals of Pakistan are continuously giving the impression in their rhetoric and writings that all the Ulema and only the Ulema opposed Pakistan movement and the political struggle of Quaid-e-Azam and Muslim League. The fact is quite the contrary. Many intelligent and mature people opposed the Pakistan movement, as many intelligent and mature people favored it. So like the Ulema, other Muslims were also divided into two factions: pro-Pakistan movement and anti-Pakistan movement. They also included secular, enlightened and moderates.
Decades of 1930 and 1940 presented a serious challenge for the Muslims of India. The question about their future arose: how their rights and interests are best secured in the future? Two solutions were proposed. First that India should be divided into two parts: Muslim India (later named Pakistan) and Hindu India. The other solution was that the Muslims should try to secure their rights and interests in united India. Adherents of both ideas had their own rationales. It is only a matter of academic interest to discuss whose point of view proved to be correct in the light of history. But people belonging to both the factions are our elders and we must respect them greatly, in spite of our political differences with them. Respecting those who have different political views than ours is the only way to propagate tolerance, open-mindedness, and patience. Rhetoric of dictators can never develop these values. Should our leaders themselves adopt these values, only then the masses will adopt them.
The notion that all the Ulema and only the Ulema, opposed Pakistan movement is actually put forward due to an intentional or unintentional conspiracy against Islam. The best way to produce distance between young generation and Islam is by propagating the idea that the Ulema are undependable, wrong and guilty. Once someone is successful in brain washing the youth with this idea, Islam will cease to have any effect in the lives of Muslims in a few years.
In the following part of this blog, I will show by giving a list of those Muslims of pre-partition India, who were not from amongst the Ulema but were still strong opponents of Pakistan movement. It will prove that the notion that only the Ulema opposed Pakistan movement is a myth. This myth was concocted by mischievous minds and is creating a wrong concept of our history in the minds of Pakistanis.
· Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew
A great patriot, freedom fighter and Muslim Indian Nationalist. He rose to the position of President of All India Congress’ Punjab unit. He also rose to the position of secretary general of All India Congress. He obtained a B.A. from Cambridge University, and a Ph.D. from a German university. Tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh is very important in the political history of subcontinent. Public meeting in Jallianwala Bagh was being held to protest against the arrest of Gandhi, Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Kitchlew.
He was a strong opponent of Pakistan movement. He opposed the acceptance of partition of India by Congress. He had the view that the acceptance of partition of India is a blatant surrender of nationalism for communalism.
In his later days he became closer to Indian Communist Party and worked for better relationships between India and Sovient Union. Lenin Award for International Peace was given to him. He died on October 9, 1963.
· Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari
He was born in 1880. He served as Muslim League’s president in 1918 and 1920. He served as Secretary General of All India Congress many times. He also served as president of All India Congress. He played an important role in Lucknow Pact. He also played an important role in Khilafat Movement. Due to the separatist tendencies of Muslim League, he came closer to Congress and Mahatma Gandhi. In fact he enjoyed an intimate friendship with Gandhi.
He was a medical doctor by profession. He got M.D. and M.S. degrees. He worked in Lock Hospital and Charing Cross Hospital in London. He was a pioneer of surgery in India. Charing Cross Hospital has an Ansari Ward to honour his work. He died in 1936.
· Asaf Ali
He was born in 1888. He was a great freedom fighter. He served as the deputy leader of Congress in Central Legislative Assembly. He strongly opposed Pakistan Movement. He defeated a Muslim League candidate in the elections. He worked as Minister of Railway and Transport in the interim Government of India. He worked as an ambassador to USA and minister to Switzerland, Austria and Vatican. He also worked as the Governor of Orissa.
He was much more “enlightened” than today’s self-righteous and self-claimed champions of enlightenment. In 1928 he married a Hindu girl, and faced the outrage of people. He died in 1953.
· Dr. Zakir Hussain
He was the president of India from May 1967 until his death in May 1969. He also worked as Governor of Bihar and Vice President of India.
He was among those who founded national Muslim University: Jamia Millia Islamia. He got his degree of doctorate in economics from the University of Berlin. He got the highest Indian National honour, Bharat Ratna in 1963. He died in 1969 while he was the President of India.
· Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
He was born in 1905. he was a staunch opponent of Pakistan Movement. He served as the President of India from 1974 to 1977. He was the third Muslim President of India. After completing his education from Cambridge, he joined Congress and remained its active member. He died in 1977.
· Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
He was born in 1890. He was a great patriot, a great Pushtun leader and a brave freedom fighter. He was famous for his non-violent political doctrine. To achieve Gandhi’s goal of independent India, Ghaffar Khan founded “Khudai Khidmatgar” movement. He once stated his methodology of political struggle in these words, “I am going to give you such a weapon that the police and the army will not be able to stand against it. It is the weapon of the Prophet, but you are not aware of it. That weapon is patience and righteousness. No power on earth can stand against it.”.
He strongly opposed the partition of India. But in 1948 took oath of allegiance with Pakistan. The government of Pakistan kept him in house arrest without any charge from 1948 to 1954. when he came out, on the floor of constituent assembly he stated, “I had to go to prison many a time in the days of the Britishers. Although we were at loggerheads with them, yet their treatment was to some extent tolerant and polite. But the treatment which was meted out to me in this Islamic state of ours was such that I would not even like to mention it to you.”
He was awarded by the highest Indian National honour, Bharat Ratna in 1987. he died in 1988.
· Khan Wali Khan
He was born in 1917. He was the son of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. He was a prominent Pashtun leader and a confidante of Gandhi. He served as the provincial joint Secretary of Congress. Like his father he was a staunch opponent of Pakistan Movement. After the creation of Pakistan he struggled for Pashtun autonomy within Pakistan. He was imprisoned without charge from 1948 to 1953.
During the era of Gen. Yahya Khan, he tried much to keep Pakistan unite, but failed. He was against the military operation in East Pakistan. In 1973, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s notorious FSF attacked a public meeting in Rawalpindi and killed many Pakhtun followers of Wali Khan.
In 1986, he published a book Facts are Sacred. In this book he explained why he and his father opposed Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Pakistan Movement. The book contains declassified British Imperial documents during the time of Pakistan Movement.
After his defeat in 1990 elections, he announced his retirement from politics. He died in 2006.

Thursday June 28, 2007 - 12:05pm
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