Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi

Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi
Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi
Born (1900-03-03)3 March 1900
Muzaffarpur, India
Died 26 September 1966(1966-09-26) (aged 66)
Muzaffarpur, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Political & social activist
Known for Founder of All-India Jamhur Muslim League & Flag bearer for the cause of Urdu Language

Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi (1900–1966) was an Indian political activist from Bihar.

Early life

Ajazi was born in village Dihuli, Block Sakra of District Muzaffarpur, in Bihar on 3 March 1900.[1] His father Moulvi Hafizuddin Husain and grand father Haji Imam Bakhsh were zamindars and his mother's name was Mahfoozunnisa. His maternal grandfather Reysat Husain was an advocate in Sitamarhi.[2]

Ajazi joined Madarsa-e-Imdadia, Darbhanga, for his initial religious teachings, then North Brooke Zila School, Darbhanga, from where he was expelled for opposing the Rowlatt Act. He passed the matriculation examination from Pusa High School and was admitted in B.N. College, Patna, for higher studies.

He married Azizul Fatima, who was a daughter of his maternal uncle Moulvi Abul Qasim. Bride and Groom wore hand-woven Khadi clothes.

He became a disciple of Ajaz Husain Budayuni, the Khalif of Hazrat Fazle Rahman Ganj Muradabadi, and assumed title of 'Ajazi'. He gained his patriotism from his father.

Ajazi's mother died in his childhood, while his father died in Lucknow during treatment and was buried in Chaar Bagh Qabristan when Ajazi was in school. His elder brother Manzoor Ahsan Ajazi was also a freedom fighter. He had only one sister, Noorun Nisa, who died without children.[3]

Pre-Independence activism

Ajazi left his studies at B.N. College Patna to follow Mahatma Gandhi and joined the non-co-operation movement in 1921.[4] Thereafter he actively participated in the freedom movement, including the boycott and burning of English dresses and articles, breaking of salt law, individual satyagrah, opposition to the Simon Commission and Bharat Chhoro stirs.

He mobilised masses against the British by organising volunteer corps, Ramayan Mandali, Charkha samiti, and Kanoon-e-Nijaat. He also collected fund for the freedom struggle through the 'Muthia' drive. 'Muthia' meant to take out a muththi or fist of grain before preparing every meal to fund the freedom struggle.

Ajazi was in charge of North Bihar. Once he unknowingly reached the house of his cousin in a remote village. He inquired about 'Muthia'. He received a negative answer. His cousin recognised him and requested him to take meal, but he refused even a glass of water. When his sister promised to take out muthia and donated the dues, he agreed to take meal.[5]

He attended the AICC session held at Ahmedabad in 1921 and supported Mohani's motion on 'Complete Independence', which was opposed by Mahatma Gandhi and failed. He met Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram. He joined Khilafat movement and became member of the Central Khilafat Committee. Thus he came into contact with Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Shaukat Ali and became their associate.

He represented the Central Khilafat Committee at the All Parties Conferences and All Muslim Parties Conferences on Nehru Report along with Maulana Shaukat Ali, Begum Md. Ali, Abdul Majid Daryabadi, Maulana Azad Subhani, Maulana Abul Mohasin Md. Sajjad and others.[6][7] On the direction of Md Ali Jauhar, he took charge of the Khilafat Committee Calcutta. He was arrested in a protest march led by Subhash Chandra Bose and was arrested and released. He obtained a degree from Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College.

During the by-election of Abdul Bari, he was arrested and expelled from Purnia district. He was prosecuted for the 'Dihuli Conspiracy' and his office was searched. In August 1942, his house was searched, forcing him to work secretly, and his eldest son Muzaffar Husain Ajazi died on 25 July 1942.

After the earthquake of 1934, he and Rajendra Pd. devoted themselves to the relief operation. One night they had to sleep beneath a tree with their heads on a single brick.

Ajazi opposed Jinnah's two-nation theory [8] and the creation of a separate Pakistan. He founded the All-India Jamhur Muslim League to counter Jinnah's All-India Muslim League, and served as its first general secretary. Opponents used to come in batches to his residence, virtually spitting and shouting slogans.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] [17][18][19][20][21]

First Session of All India Jamhur Muslim League

Ajazi was also a poet and writer in the Urdu language as well as an orator. His papers, diaries, letters and files are preserved in the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library in New Delhi, National Archives in New Delhi and the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

Post-independence activism

After India's independence in 1947, Ajazi devoted his life to the welfare of the downtrodden and the development of the Urdu language. He was also active in the trade union movement. He was founder or president of various labour unions of North Bihar.

Ajazi was a pioneer of the Urdu movement in Bihar. He was elected vice-president of Anjuman Taraqqui-e Urdu Bihar on 6 October 1936 at an Urdu conference held at Anjuman Islamia hall, Patna, under the Presidency of Abdul Haq (then general secretary of Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu Hind).

He was the chairman of the Urdu Conference of Muzaffarpur held in 1960, in which for the first time a resolution was passed demanding that Urdu be accepted as an official language in Bihar.[29] (After 15 years this demand became reality).[30][31]

He was nominated by the Congress Party as an official candidate from Patepur Assembly Constituency (then in the Muzaffarpur District of Bihar) in the 1957 general election. His elder brother Manzoor Ahsan Ajazi, who then recently rejoined the Congress after resigning from Praja Socialist Party was made a dummy candidate from the same constituency. Ajazi withdrew his candidature and campaigned for his brother, who won the seat.

Again Ajazi was nominated as a Congress candidate for Bihar Legislative Council, but Sami Nadvi was also nominated, so Ajazi withdrew his candidature. He was disillusioned with Congress after its Abadi session, so he resigned from Congress on ideological differences and joined the newly-formed Swatantra Party led by Raja Ji.

He held prominent posts in the Swatantra Party at both State and Central levels. He unsuccessfully contested the 1962 Lok Sabha General election for the Muzaffarpur Parliamentary constituency. The Congress candidate, Digvijay Narayan Singh, realising his position, requested Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru to visit his constituency. Nehru visited Muzaffarpur and addressed a public gathering at Chakkar Maidan of Muzaffarpur, where asserted: "Swatantra Party is swearing Muslims on Quran to vote for its candidate"[32] This claim proved decisive.

Ajazi established Anjuman Khuddam-e-Millat, based on the pattern of Sir Syed's Educational society. This society established a school, renovated the Company Bagh Mosque of Muzaffarpur, now the biggest Mosque of this city, built a rest house, and undertook the last rites of unclaimed dead bodies.[33][34][35][36][37]

Death

Ajazi died on 26 September 1966 at Ajazi House, his residence in Muzaffarpur city, and was buried in Qazi Mohammadpur Qabristan. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of India said: "Dr. Ajazi was in forefront of India's struggle for independence, The story of his life is a unique and interesting story of an important era of the country". Acharya J.B. Kripalani said: "Dr. Ajazi was a great patriot, a devoted servant of humanity and a lovable friend. Selfless patriot like him are becoming rare. His death is a loss to society". Fictionist and journalist Kalam Haidry and novelist and journalist Moin Shahid called him "Baba-e-Urdu, Bihar" (Father of Urdu in BIhar) for his services towards Urdu language. Journalist and poet Wafa Malikpuri described him an old 'Mujahid' (crusader) for Urdu language.[38][39][40]

The Muzaffarpur Municipal board named the road leading to his residence "Dr. Ajazi Marg" in his honour.

References

  1. ↑ Sajjad, Mohammad. "Maghfur Aijazi: A freedom-fighter and a builder of Indian democracy". TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. ↑ Bihari Lal Fitrat (1883) AAin-e-Tirhut published from Bahar-e-Kashmir Press, Lucknow, republished with translation by Mahrajdhiraj Kameshwar Singh Kalyani Foundation, Darbhanga-2001
  3. ↑ AMU, Aligarh's Organ "Tahzib-ul-Akhlaque" started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Feb. 2004, p49
  4. ↑ The Immortals By Syed Naseer Ahmed -Azad House of Publications, Guntur (AP), 2014
  5. ↑ Bihar Vibhuti-Vol. iii-Bihar Abhlekhagar, Govt. of Bihar--2014
  6. ↑ He undertook a preparatory course in Social Science at Elim University Sikkim.
  7. ↑ Reneissance Law CollegeIndore B.A,LLB(Hons)2nd.Sem.HIstory Unit-1
  8. ↑ India, eleventh to twenty first century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i1mdAAAAMAAJ%7Caccessdate=7 February 2013|date=1 January
  9. ↑ S. M. Azizuddin Husain; Jamia Millia Islamia (India). Madrasa educat2005. Kanishka Publishers, Distributors. ISBN 978-81-7391-741-7.
  10. ↑ Sir Syed Ahmad Kahn:Vision and Mission Delhi: Manohar, 2008, pp. 181–197
  11. ↑ Terrorism is Comes from US, Barath Kumar PKT, published by A. Palanivelu
  12. ↑ South Asian History And Culture Routledge, London, Vol. 2, pp. 16–36. ISSN 1947-2498, Taylor and Francis Group
  13. ↑ Islam and the modern age-volume 33-pp.69 & 84/books google.co.in/books?id=JNPXAAAAMAAJ & igRRAQAAIAAJ-2002
  14. ↑ NMML Manuscripts:an introduction-p.120/books.google.co.in/books?id=MgduAAAAMAAJ-2000
  15. ↑ Builders Of Bihar By Dr. Syed Ahmad Quadri-2008-pp 61–63
  16. ↑ World HeritageEncyclopedia,ID:WHEBN0038065375
  17. ↑ The Muslim Heroes Of Bihar By Fakhruddin Ahmad Nishter-2013-pp 34–36
  18. ↑ Monograph on Dr. Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi by Dr. Farooque Ahmad Siddiqui Published by Bihar Urdu Academy, Govt. of Bihar, Patna, 2010
  19. ↑ Bihar District Fact Book,Muzaffarpur District
  20. ↑ Preparatory Course in Social Science published by Jharkhand Rai University p170
  21. ↑ Bihar-DavisHunter.com-p.8/15 http://www.davishunter.comv/home/place/Bihar
  22. ↑ Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, 16th Annual Report, 1981–82, p.9
  23. ↑ Nehru Memorial Museum and Library New Delhi, 27th Annual Report 1992-93,p.13
  24. ↑ National Archives, New Delhi F NO.4(3) 1/92 PA
  25. ↑ Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library Patna Acc. No.2209
  26. ↑ About Islamic World in Medicine, Quran, Translation
  27. ↑ Bihar Govt. Magazine "Bihar"Republic Day Spl.2002, p67
  28. ↑ Contesting Colonialism and Separatism: Muslims of Muzaffarpur Since 1857 http://www.primusbooks.com/showbookdetail.asp?bookid=71
  29. ↑ Huma Urdu Digest Delhi, Urdu Number
  30. ↑ Muslim Politics in Bihar Prof. Md. Sajjad AMU Published by Routiedge 2014
  31. ↑ http://wwwbihartimes.in/articles/sajjad/muzaffarpur.html
  32. ↑ Urdu daily Seyasat Jadid & Paigham Kanpur, Sangam Patna dated 21–22, March, 1962
  33. ↑ twocircles.net/../maghfur_aijazi_freedomfighter_and_builder
  34. ↑ Afkar-e-Milli, New Delhi, Spl. Bihar Issue, July, 2000, p254
  35. ↑ http://www.muzaffarpurtimes.com/sajjad.htm
  36. ↑ http://www.biharanjuman.org
  37. ↑ English Daily The Times Of India. Independence Day Issue
  38. ↑ Bihar Govt. Magazine "Bihar", March, 2005, p38
  39. ↑ Muslim Freedom Fighters Of India,By Syed Obaidur Rahman,Published By M/S Global Media Publications
  40. ↑ The Muslim Heroes Of Bihar By Fakhruddin Ahmad Advocate
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