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By the late 1930s, the Khaksar Tehrik had
become the most organized movement in the history of India.
The Khaksars’ tremendous popularity became a threat to the
Government of India and other opponents. As such the
Government decided to eliminate the Khaksar Movement. The
Punjab Premier, Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, supported the Central
Government and started imposing restrictions on Khaksar
activities.
In the early months of 1940, Allama
Mashriqi went to Delhi in order to ask the Viceroy of India to
remove the restrictions on the Khaksar activities. During his
stay in Delhi, Mashriqi also held meetings with Quaid-e-Azam
(Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and other Muslim leaders. Allama
Mashriqi asked Quaid-e-Azam and the other Muslim leaders to
use their influence on the Punjab Premier to remove the
restrictions. However, the restrictions remained in place.
Khaksars came out on the streets and
protested against the restrictions. Although the 313 Khaksars
were marching peacefully, the police intercepted them and
asked them to halt their parade. However, the Khaksars kept on
marching, ignoring the police who were standing in their way.
A senior police officer could not tolerate the defiance of his
order and slapped the Salar of the Khaksars. The situation
quickly deteriorated. The police, mounted on horses, tried to
run over and through the Khaksars. The determined Khaksars
remained steadfast and the police resorted to lathi charge and
then open-fired ruthlessly on the Khaksars. Many of the
Khaksars were brutally killed (Shaheed) or injured. The
indiscriminate firing was no less than the notorious massacre
at Amritsar by General Dyer on April 13, 1919. The massacre of
the Khaksars on March 19 was not only a tragedy for Lahore,
but for the entire nation. An official report stated that 32
people died on that fateful day (Source: The Tribune, April
16, 1940). However, K.L. Gauba (Member Legislative Assembly)
wrote in his book Friends and Foes that “According to eye
witnesses the dead were more than 200” (Source: Friends and
Foes by K.L. Gauba, page 204, Publisher: Indian Book Company
[New Delhi, India]).
In order to control the situation in
Lahore, the military was convened. After the bloody clash, the
city of Lahore was essentially under emergency laws; the news
media was censored and processions, public speeches, and
gatherings were banned. The Khaksars who were killed were not
to be addressed as martyrs or heroes in the public media. Any
news about the Khaksar incident had to be approved by the
Government before it was published. Only the Government’s
version of the story was to appear in the news media. Allama
Mashriqi was arrested along with thousands of prominent
Khaksars. His phone was disconnected and the Khaksar Movement
was banned. Mashriqi’s bank account was seized and his
property was confiscated. The Khaksar Tehrik’s headquarters
(in Lahore) were raided. During the raid, many Khaksars were
arrested, literature and other materials were confiscated, and
Mashriqi’s son, Ehsan Ullah Khan Aslam, was hurt by the police
when they hit him with a tear gas grenade. Ehsan Ullah Khan
Aslam later died because of the head injury he received from
the grenade. At the time of Ehsan Ullah Khan Aslam’s death,
Mashriqi was in jail and was not allowed to attend his funeral
(Mashriqi wrote a poem in memory of his son in his book,
Hareem-e-Ghaib).
Quaid-e-Azam’s Statement after
the Massacre on March 19, 1940:
Upon hearing of the news of the killing
of the innocent Khaksars, Quaid-e-Azam issued the following
statement (on March 20, 1940):
"I am deeply
grieved to hear the tragic account of the incident in Lahore
last evening regarding the clash between the Police and the
Khaksars resulting in terrible loss of life and injury on both
the sides. I hope the Khaksars will carry out the instructions
issued by their leader, Mr. Inayatullah Mashriqi, published in
the newspapers of this morning. As one who has always been so
kindly treated by the Khaksars, I appeal to them most
earnestly to keep peace and not precipitate matters by defying
law and order. It is difficult to say anything till I am in
possession of full facts of the situation." Source: The
Tribune, Lahore March 21, 1940
The Pakistan Resolution (Lahore
Resolution) and the Khaksar resolution:
It is
important to note that after the massacre of the Khaksars, the
All India Muslim League did not postpone its 27th Annual
Session at Minto Park, Lahore. The historic Session started on
March 22, 1940 and ended on March 24, 1940.
On March 24,1940, the Pakistan Resolution
was passed by the Muslim League. On the same day and at the
same Session, Quaid-e-Azam presented a resolution on the
Khaksar massacre. This Khaksar resolution, which was
unanimously passed with loud cheers, reads as follows:
"This Session of the All India Muslim
League places on record its deep sense of sorrow at the
unfortunate and tragic occurrence on the 19th of March, 1940,
owing to a clash between the Khaksars and the police,
resulting in the loss of a large number of lives and injuries
to many more, and sincerely sympathizes with those who
suffered and with their families and dependents.
This Session calls upon the Government
forthwith to appoint an independent and impartial committee of
inquiry, the personnel of which would command the perfect
confidence of the people, with instructions to them to make
full and complete investigation and inquiry in the whole
affair, and make their report as soon as possible.
This Session authorizes the Working
Committee to take such actions in the matter as they may
consider proper immediately after publication of the report of
the Committee. This Session urges upon the various Governments
that the order declaring the Khaksar Organization unlawful
should be removed as soon as possible."
Important Note on the Date of the
Pakistan Resolution (Lahore Resolution):
It is important
to note that the Pakistan Resolution was not passed on March
23, 1940, as is the common misconception. In fact, it was
actually passed on March 24, 1940.
Tragedy Unites the Muslims:
Unfortunately the historic Khaksar
resolution is mostly unknown to the public because it does not
appear in the supplements published by the media each year on
March 23. The history of Pakistan is incomplete without
discussing the tragedy of March 19, 1940 and the Muslim
League's Khaksar resolution, which was passed on the same day
as the Pakistan Resolution (Lahore Resolution). History is
witness to the fact that behind every freedom movement lies
the blood and sacred lives of martyrs. The massacre of the
Khaksars became a turning point in the struggle for the
independence of Pakistan. Indeed, the foundation of
independence was actually laid with the killing of the
innocent Khaksars on March 19, 1940. The significance of the
Session of the Muslim League in Lahore, which took place only
three days after the massacre, was greatly enhanced as a
result of the killings of the Khaksars. No Muslim could ignore
the incident at that time and the tremendous sympathy and
support for the Khaksars was seen at the Session. The crowd at
the Session chanted slogans in favor of the Khaksars and
denounced the Premier of the Punjab. Various newspapers,
including The Hindustan Times (which was in fact an
anti-Khaksar newspaper), wrote that during the Session,
slogans of "Khaksars Zindabad" were raised and the meeting was
"frequently punctuated with Khaksar slogans." Source: The
Hindustan Times, March 25,1940
Thus, the massacre of the Khaksars helped
unite the Muslims under the Muslim League while Allama
Mashriqi and thousands of the Khaksars were in jail and the
Khaksar Tehrik was banned. Within seven years of the massacre
of the Khaksars, the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent had
an independent homeland. The British divided the sub-continent
into Pakistan and India and so, two separate homelands, one
for the Muslims and the other for the Hindus, came into
existence.
The Unforgettable Contributions
of Mashriqi and the Khaksars to the Creation of Pakistan:
After the massacre, Allama Mashriqi, who had
began the movement to remove the nation from the shackles of
foreign rule, was kept in jail for almost two years without a
trial. Thousands of Khaksars were sentenced to anywhere from
six months to life imprisonment. While Mashriqi was in jail,
he was told that if he didn’t disband the Khaksar Tehrik, he
wouldn’t be released. But Allama replied that the Movement was
not his personal property and refused to succumb to any
pressure. Requests made by other political leaders and public
outcries for his release were ignored by the government.
Mashriqi wrote a letter from jail to Dr. Rafiq Ahmed Khan of
Aligarh Muslim University. In his letter he stated, "My last
days are nearing. It will be alright if I receive a reply and
I am released. Otherwise I am going to die…I am not going to
change my decision nor do I repent for it. I am happy because
I am going to lay down my life..." At the conclusion of his
letter, Mashriqi stated, "Again gird up your loins. Do not let
my face be blackened. Save the honour of Islam…"
Ultimately, Mashriqi had to fast to the
point of death in order to obtain his release. The Government
of India at the time kept Mashriqi’s fasting a secret.
However, the news was leaked out and Mashriqi’s release became
inevitable. Finally, on January 19, 1942, he was released, but
his movements were still kept restricted to Madras. When
Mashriqi emerged from jail, he was a skeleton and would have
surely died if his release had been delayed any further.
After his release from jail, Mashriqi
resumed his activities for the freedom of India, despite the
fact that his movements were restricted to Madras. The
restriction on his movements and the ban on the Khaksar Tehrik
was ultimately removed in December, 1942 and Mashriqi finally
arrived in Lahore as a free man in January, 1943. He was given
a rousing welcome upon his arrival. He continued his services
for freedom and remained dedicated to the cause of uplifting
the nation until his death. Everything he said and did was
what he thought was right for the nation.
The Khaksar
Tehrik and Allama Mashriqi’s services to the cause of freedom
are unforgettable. Their sacrifices, struggle, and efforts for
independence served an integral part in the appearance of
Pakistan on the world map on August 14, 1947. It is
unfortunate that the Muslim League that came to power after
independence completely denied the Khaksars’ contribution and
their struggle towards freedom and took full credit for the
creation of Pakistan. The nation must not be kept ignorant of
the atrocities that Allama Mashriqi and the Khaksars faced
during their struggle and their efforts in mobilizing the
nation to rise for freedom. A great injustice to the Khaksars
has been done in the history books of Pakistan. It is the duty
of the Government of Pakistan to let the nation know about the
suffering and contributions of Mashriqi and the Khaksars.
Mashriqi was the only prominent Muslim political leader to
suffer so greatly at the hands of the rulers. All Mashriqi
ever wanted was to rebuild the nation and lead the people to
freedom.
The Public Media:
Pakistan’s media, particularly radio and
television, has never made a serious effort to convey to the
public the contributions of Allama Mashriqi and the Khaksar
Tehrik towards the creation of Pakistan. The media has even
covered those that looted the country and emptied its
exchequer, yet they have failed to let the nation know of the
services of noble patriots and heroes such as Allama Mashriqi
and the Khaksars. Radio and Television have not conducted any
significant programs on the life and times of Mashriqi and his
Movement.
Historians and Research
Institutes:
It is sad and disheartening that
historians are not adequately covering the role that Mashriqi
and the Khaksars played. Non-Khaksar historians have done a
great injustice to the nation by not highlighting the positive
role played by Mashriqi and the Khaksars in Pakistan’s
history. While some historians have ignored the crux of the
Khaksar Tehrik, many others have even distorted their role and
have only given credit to the Muslim League in the creation of
Pakistan. Thus, they have wiped out the role of Allama
Mashriqi and the Khaksars in Pakistan’s freedom movement.
Government-owned historical research institutes have
not collected enough material (from various sources within and
outside the country) on the Khaksar Tehrik. It is the duty of
such institutions to collect these materials and make them
accessible to the public. Furthermore, no research academy or
institute has been formed to conduct independent research on
Mashriqi and the Khaksar Tehrik. It is suggested to those who
are in control in the Government of Pakistan that they make
public Mashriqi’s services to the nation. This is not only
their moral obligation, but also their national duty. The
following steps need to be taken forthwith:
1. A research academy should be formed to
conduct complete research on Mashriqi and his Khaksar
Movement.
2. Mashriqi’s books and speeches need to be
translated into English and other languages.
3. A library
exclusively for Khaksar literature should be formed.
4.
All Khaksar materials should be collected from the public,
government departments, the India Office (U.K.), and
historical resources in India.
5. Mashriqi and the
Khaksars’ role should be made a part of the educational
curriculum at all levels.
6. An official and unbiased
biography on Mashriqi should be published depicting his
purpose of establishing the Khaksar Tehrik (Movement)
7.
Ichhra, where Mashriqi started his movement in 1930, should be
renamed after him and a monument should be built at his grave.
8. University should be named after Allama Mashriqi.
9. A monument should be erected in Lahore at the site of
the massacre of March 19, 1940.
10. March 19 should be
declared “Martyrs Day” and special seminars should be held in
major cities in remembrance of those Khaksars that laid their
lives on that day.
11. Roads should be named after
Mashriqi and the Khaksars that were killed.
12. Official
seminars on the Life and Times of Allama Mashriqi should be
held on annual basis.
13. National media should be
directed to broadcast/publish special programs on Mashriqi.
14. A film and television program should be made on Allama
Mashriqi and The Khaksar Movement.
15. A national holiday
should be observed on Mashriqi’s birth or death anniversary.
It is very unfortunate that there are those with vested
interests who want the nation to forget the contributions of
Allama Mashriqi and the Khaksars. We must remember that a
nation that forgets its history is one that loses its
foundation and direction.
*************
The author, Nasim
Yousaf, of this article has given a full account of the March
19, 1940 massacre in his recently published book in the USA.
The book is titled, Allama Mashriqi & Dr. Akhtar Hameed
Khan: Two Legends of Pakistan.
*************
The below
mentioned web site on the Internet has been dedicated to
Allama Mashriqi:
An endeavor is being made to convert this
web site into an extremely useful resource for all Pakistanis,
journalists, historians, students, professors, and researchers
interested in the role of Allama Mashriqi and the Khaksar
Movement towards the independence of Pakistan. To aid us in
this effort, we are seeking feedback and suggestions on ways
to improve the site. This is a web site for anyone interested
in Indo-Pakistan history, so please do not hesitate to send us
your comments. Your thoughts and input on the subject are
greatly appreciated.
http://allama-mashriqi.8m.com
E-mail: infomashriqi@yahoo.com
May God bless
Pakistan and its
people.
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