Mulla Jan Mohammad: Prominent Muslim leader who played important role in post-independent era

 

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Mulla Jan Mohammad was among the leaders who played a vital role in post-partition era in India.

He was a known personality earlier too. But post-independence, it was a critical period.

Muslim masses who were looking for leaders, as top brass had left them and migrated across the border, found in him a man who was able to pick up pieces, help community pass through the troubled times. 

Calcutta was not just the former capital of British Empire in India, but also, it was a prominent centre of Muslims. Though the top leaders had migrated, shifted to Dhaka, millions of Muslims remained in West Bengal.

The city had been rocked by riots before partition. After partition too, there were riots and killings. In this situation, leadership was needed. There was communalism apart from anxiety, apprehensions, institutions were facing several serious issues. 

Among prominent leaders, Badrudduja Sb decided to remain in India. It was only until 1955 that the situation improved, well. So either the 1950 situation, that had once again heightened fears of Muslims in Kolkata, or the later disturbances in 1960s, Calcutta had the figure of Mulla Jan Mohammad, who became a symbol of hope and reassurance for Muslims. 

Mulla Jan Mohammad had seen Ali brothers, the rise of Muslim politics and its fall, the consequences. He was a strong man, known for principles, steadfast, honest and self-less. Hence, he was termed Khadim-e-Qaum.

In 1961, Jabalpur riots shook the nation. The series of riots in cities in Eastern India, Kolkata, Rourkela, Jamshedpur, again hit the region. In these circumstances, just like in 1950, he remained active and also  oversaw relief and rehab measures.

Either the 1963 and 1965 riots in Kolkata or the Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Rourkela incidents, that were clearly planned riots, horrific killings and large-scale destruction took place. He was instrumental in taking the politicians head on over the riots.

Calcutta Khilafat Committee (CKC) is one the most well-known institutions of Muslims. Mulla Jan Mohammad was its president. Also, his association with Islamia Hospital and serving the institution must be written with golden letters. 

Following any riot in Kolkata, he would hit the street, take the lead, go out in the city, meet authorities, would also ensure rehab and relief. Disturbed by the series of major communal riots, Syed Mahmud took the lead and meetings of Muslim leaders, scholars, clerics were held.

Once again Mulla Jan Mohammad played a key role in formation of the All India Muslim Majlis Mashawrat. Apart from Syed Mahmud, Maulana Abulhasan Nadvi alias Ali Miyan, Mufti Atiqur Rahman Usmani, Ebrahim Suleiman Sait, Maulana Manzoor Nomani and veteran leaders were present.

The need for social, intellectual, community leadership is always needed. More so, in desperate times. Later too,Mulla Jan Mohammad mooted idea that there must be tours to riot-affected cities and areas.This was accepted and hence leading Ulema planned the tour. 

The visit to Ranchi was a major success. Individuals who can unite, bring others on one platform, have community's trust, show way, keep others motivated and can act, are required in every society. Interestingly, the Peshawar-born Mulla Jan Muhammad, became 'Mulla' because Maulana Azad a regular visitor used to call him 'Mulla' lovingly.

"Ever since I can remember, from the time I was a student, I saw Mulla Jan Mohammad was always involved in community issues, redressing them and doing social leadership. He dedicated himself to serving the community", writes Abdul Aziz, in a column in Halaat-E-Bengal. 

"The relationship was mutual, as top Muslim leaders of the country too kept him close. Despite his relations, he never let politics and politicians enter the institutions and damage them, and this is true for all these institutions viz. Islamia Hospital, Calcutta Khilafat Committee and Mohammedan Sporting Club", he further writes. 

"The Calcutta Khilafat Committee came into existence around 1919. The Islamia Hospital was built a few years later. All his life, he remained attached to the hospital and rendered yeoman's service", writes Maulana Talha Bin Abu Salma Nadwi, in an article.

"In 1967, Mulla Jan Mohammed went for Haj. When he returned and came to know that hospital authorities had fixed 'aath annah' fee for outdoor patients, he was so angry, sat at the gate of the hospital, with this stick and returned the amount to each person who had come to the hospital and paid it", he mentions in the article. 

[There was another person Khan Bahadur Sheikh Mohammad Jan, who was a different person though he also lived in the same period. He was a businessman, Congress leader and owned two newspapers. Some people get confused and a separate post would be written about him, later]

Framing innocent Muslims, destroying lives: Police, security agencies' strong bias against Muslim youths

1. Nisar Ahmad was barely 19 when he was framed in a false case of train bombing. Once arrested, agencies kept booking the college student from Gulbarga, in other unsolved cases and it took 23 years before he got acquitted.

2. Mohammad Amir was just 20. The Delhi youth was picked up by plain-clothed personnel in 1998, kept in illegal detention, tortured and falsely implicated in 19 terrorism related cases. He got released in 2012.

3. In the most recent case, 10 youths were picked from national capital. Immediately, they were accused of 'Jaish-e-Mohammad' links. Media was told that they had terrorist links, they were adequately defamed and thrown in lockup. Had it not been a strong reaction, they might have also had a similar fate.

Luckily in this case, the Home ministry acted and 'Special Cell' of Delh police, which is known for such arrests, released them. It was said that they didn't have terror links. So easy it is to detain, arrest, condemn, brand, jail Muslim youths and ruin their lives!

It is often said that post 9/11, police and security agencies became more suspicious of Muslims and the community bore the brunt of the 'profiling'. But the cases of Nisar Ahmad and Mohammad Amir predate the twin tower attack.

The role of police has been biased during communal riots, and it has been acknowledged by top police officers--both serving and retired, in the past. Unfortunately, it has been very easy for agencies to implicate Muslims, ruin their lives, families and careers.

Why cops implicate Muslim youths?

By claiming to arrest criminals or 'terrorists', police officials get credit. Headlines like 'mastermind arrested', help police officials within the department.

The cops also do it when the heat is on them in failing to solve cases. Besides, in unsolved cases, there is pressure from superiors to work out the case.

It is an age-old practice that innocent and poor who don't have social support or financial means, are made sacrificial goats. This helps cops in easing the pressure.

Why cops have no qualms in framing innocents, destroying their lives?

Further, it takes years before case goes to court. Police use torture to get 'confessions'. It takes years for a case to reach trial and hence cops have no fear of getting exposed.

By implicating a person in several cases, they succeed in terming him as 'mastermind' and when name appears in headlines, judges also get affected and are more tough on such persons. Despite torture, doctors examining them, ignore and take no note of the injuries.

No action on  policemen who ruin lives of innocents

One of the reasons, this systematic targeting of Muslims continues, is because there is no action against guilty police officers.

Cops have nothing to fear. Even after acquittal, the maximum a judge will do is to reprimand the 'police'. No penalty or action on the cops who destroyed lives. The fear of cops stops others from standing for victims.

Judges also don't question detainees despite seeing that the person has injury marks or swollen face. Hence, even if there is no evidence, such persons rot in jail for years, in fact, decades.

Failure of politicians, Indian Muslim leadership

It is a tragic situation in the world's biggest democracy. In a country where Muslims form the second biggest population, the failure of the 'system' in getting justice to innumerable Muslim youths, should have led to corrective measures.

Alas, nothing has happened. There are at least, 55 [30+25] Muslim MPs in both houses of Indian Parliament, always. But they have failed to come together, ever, on the serious issue, which concerns all Indian Muslims.

While activists from different sections of society raised the issue and Muslim clergy did take it up, there was no collective movement from all sections of Muslims, especially, the political leadership. Individually, some did speak up, but there was no strong stand taken by them.

It is a shame that how agencies continue to arrest and some of its officers manage to get away despite such biased action against Muslim youths. There have been documentation of such cases and arrests by Special Cell, Delhi. Yet, this has been happening for decades now.

*Nisar Ahmad's photo, courtesy: Indian Express. Story link
*Amir, framed in 19 terror cases: Story link

Sorry, I don't need a Muslim leadership in India, non-Muslim politicians do a better job

Even those who believed in the concept of Muslim (political) leadership and thought that it exists in India should have realised that this is nothing less than a myth.

Two recent incidents including the murder of a minor Muslim girl in a police station in Lakhimpur Kheri and the firing on Muslim villagers in Bihar's Forbesganj has exposed the so-called Muslim leadership.

Bihar has no dearth of Muslim leaders ranging from NCP's Tariq Anwar to Congress' Shakil Ahmad and Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi, who represents Kishanganj constituency in the Parliament. All of them remained silent though they represent opposition parties in the state.

Had they taken to streets or at least spoken on the issue, it would have raised their stature and their parties would also have got benefited. One could understand the predicament of JDU's Muslim leader or BJP's Shahnawaz Khan who also hails form Bihar, but who stopped the Muslim MPs, MLAs, MLCs et al.

Politicians love to politicise issues, even non-issues. So what stopped Ghani Khan Chaudhary's politican successor, Mausam Benazir Noor, the young MP from neighbouring West Bengal, to take up the issue. In fact, no Muslim leader in the country worth his salt felt for the victims.

It was Ram Vilas Paswan who went to Delhi and staged a 'dharna', then apprised the Prime Minister about the issue and also asked Rahul Gandhi to visit Araria district to take a stock of the situation. Still, the Muslim leadership kept mum.

While Mahesh Bhatt went to Patna to urge Nitish Kumar to take action and later also reached Delhi, Muslim politicians' shameless silence showed their character. Muslim leaders in Delhi also didn't speak on the issue. Had it not been Paswan, Bhatt, a few activists and websites, particularly, http://www.twocircles.net/, the issue wouldn't have reached as far.

I am sorry to say but Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi has been a letdown. The elderly politician puts all energy in writing columns in Urdu papers rather than roaring in the parliament, if not on the streets. The Muslim social groups and other organisations were also indifferent.

In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a minor Muslim girl* was allegedly killed on the premises of police station. Though elections are drawing nearer and UP has seen a spurt in launch of new Muslim parties, there was absolute silence.

Jamat-e-Islami's Welfare Party, Dr Ayub's Peace Party, Ulema Council and other similar groups seemed to have forgotten even issuing statements. Even when most of the politicial parties and leaders [including BJP's firebrand leaders] had visited Lakhimpur Kheri, not a single delegation from any of these 'Muslim' parties visited the victim's family.

So what stopped them? Simply, they are not concerned. I don't go by the argument that many parties are propped up to divide the so-called Muslim vote. It is a mystery why none of these parties or leaders speak up when there is dire need for them to do so.

In the past also, we have seen that either it is on ideological ground or on the street, it is not the Muslim leaders who have taken up the cause of Muslims. So why this need for a Muslim leadership. It is a dangerous concept. We know as we have suffered it.

Time and again, Muslim voters have been cheated due to these so-called Muslim politicians. If there is a Muslim leadership, there should also be a Hindu leadership for Hindus. What is important that Muslim citizens understand that they must play an active part in the society and raise issues, not concerning Muslims alone, but others also.

With almost 60 Muslim MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, lot of issues pertaining to the community should have been redressed and resolved easily, but the reality is that this doesn't happen. In the last six decades Muslim electorate has been through all and must wisen up now.

Just that Congress can't keep Muslims hostage by instilling the sense of BJP, these Muslim politicians should also be dumped as they are simply wasting their positions. It is always better to send pro-active non-Muslim leaders to legislatures.

Call me a cynic or whatever, that's the truth. If there are any exceptions, please tell  me. Meanwhile, the moral is that Muslim voters should better avoid voting for such politicians, who just have Muslim-sounding names, as in reality they have neither vision nor voice.

[* The girl who was found dead in police station in Lakhimpur belonged to a Muslim family. Her name was Razia though in order to protect her identity, section of media persons changed the name to Sonam as she was a minor]