Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan
It is a rare privilege to witness and participate in the Centenary Birth Celebration of Dr. Zakir Hussain, one of the greatest sons of India. Many people know him as the President of India, but not the sterling qualities that he possessed.
He came into contact with Gandhiji and was influenced by his simplicity, patriotism, nationalism and his burning desire for swaraj. Many youths plunged into the camp of Gandhiji and were prepared to sacrifice every thing in life. Zakir Hussain was one among them. Zakir Hussain used to feel hurt and humiliated if any one were to say anything against Gandhiji. Once Zakir Sab was in Aligarh, he was shocked to hear derisive comments at the railway station platform about Gandhiji, which were made by a group of students who had developed negative mind. Some of the students from this group were good friends of Zakir Sab. They were enjoying these derisive comments. Zakir Sab felt hurt and experienced the deepest sense of humiliation.
Zakir Hussain lent valuable support to start a parallel educational institution as the Mohammaden Oriental College. Thus emerged Jamia Millia Islamia, the National Muslim institution. This suited the liking of Zakir Hussain, a great patriot in the making. He was offered a Govt. job so that he would severe his links with the Jamia Millia. But his will power was so strong that nothing could change his mind. This approach is in contrast with that of many people who are prepared to cross the floor and do anything for the sake of money and power.
Unlike the present day teachers who are mostly interested in improved salary and enhanced promotional opportunities and who have no emotional bondage to their colleges, students and Universities, Zakir Hussain had established primary relationship with Jamia Millia. His burning desire was to improve its status and enhance its glory. His salary was just Rs. 100/- a month. A Ph.D scholar from Germany was prepared for this meagre salary ! Infact, had he stayed back in Germany, he would have amassed huge wealth. But Zakir Sab was an entirely different type of person. His attachment to the Jamia was so strong that he was always prepared for any further sacrifice.
The normal human characteristic is that we forget the past when we march ahead. We assume false status and pride. We look down upon and forget our former friends and those who helped us when we were in difficulties.
But Zakir Sab has shown the correct path and true human qualities in his life time. One specific case is illustrated here. Zakir Sab, as narrated above, had to struggle hand to mouth with his meagre and irregular salary. He had an equally understanding and devoted wife, Shahjehan Begum. Zakir Sab would not hesitate to plead before her that he wanted money. She had some share in her grand father’s estate and her grand share was just Rs. 10 per month. How could she either help her husband or manage by herself? But she was equally courageous. There was one bania by name Subba. The shop of Subba was not far from her house in Karolbagh. She used to get things on credit basis from this bania and clear the debt every month. This was a regular feature of the household management of Zakir Sab, the future President of India.
What is more important and significant here is about the way in which the bania was treated when Zakir Hussain became the President of India. As President of India, Zakir Hussain did something to the bania which may not have any parallel in the world. He sent his car to fetch subba, the bania. Subba was surprised and must have thought of the invitation as a dream. No, it was a reality. Subba was brought to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
What is still more significant and a lesson for all those who get elevated in life, but downgraded in gratitude is the memorable reception extended to Subba; the ordinary bania by the extraordinary first citizen of the country. As the car reached the portico, Zakir Hussain Sab, the President, became so emotional that he started coming down to the portico to receive the bania. It was really a strange behaviour not permissible for the President of India. His officers advised him not to go down to receive the bania. But the President was bent upon it. He said, ‘well, you now raise the bogey of protocol that the President of India has to observe. It could be true and relevant normally. But when we were struggling hand to mouth, it is this bania who saved us. Where is the question of protocol in such cases?’ Thus, he over-ruled the objections and received the bania, took him to his chamber and extended courtesy and hospitality. The bania must have rubbed his eyes several times and thanked almighty God.
This simple instance demonstrated the heart and mind of Zakir Hussian Sab. It stresses on human values and dignity. The artificial gap between the rich and poor, high and low, is all man made to demonstrate pride and arrogance. But when we give up this type of negative cultural behaviour, we get sustainable mental comfort and earn the blessings of God. This is the message of Zakir Hussain for mankind in the true spirit of Islam.
He had a strong will power and dedication to his duty. There are several instances to prove the point. One such instance is narrated here. He had a beautiful, affectionate, young daughter, Rehana. He was participating in a primary school function. He was distributing sweets to the boys who had passed a test in the primary school. A peon came and whispered to him that his three year old daughter, Rehana, was very sick. This did not stop his work. A little later the peon came again and told him that the child died. Even then he did not stop distribution of sweets. After the work was over, he went home to see the dead body. It is said that for several days after the death of his little daughter, his pillow was wet every morning, indicating thereby, his emotional feelings. When some one asked him why he did not leave the place as soon as he got the message about his daughter, he replied, “The children were feeling so happy, I did not like to interrupt it”. To say so requires an altogether different mental frame.
Zakir Hussain has to be remembered more and more for his contribution to national outlook, tolerance and harmony. In this direction he had to face the outbursts and criticisms from both Muslims and Hindus. This is the experience of every Hindu or Muslim, particularly the latter who stands for stabilizing the Indian social fabric. Zakir Sab had to blend both Islamic culture and Indian Culture to suit the requirements of both Hindus and Muslims. Jamia reflected the Islamic culture and also national character. While some Muslims thought that Zakir Sab was not bold enough to raise Muslim issues, some Hindus too were not happy because his Indiansness was not adequately seen in certain activities of the Jamia and Zakir Sab. He told some Hindus in 1995 that Muslims had a feeling that in a national Govt., cultural identity of Muslims would be obliterated. This did not please the Hindus. He was firm that Jamia would not be converted into a breeding ground of communalism. Obviously, this did not appeal to some Muslims too.
Zakir Hussain had tremendous love for Urdu language as well as Sanskrit language. He praised the beauty and relevance of Urdu as the language of the masses. But whenever he used a few Sanskrit words in his formal Urdu speeches, this would not be tolerated by some Muslims. As the Governor of Bihar, he faced some unpleasantness. He used Sanskrit words whenever equivalent Urdu words were not available. Some Muslims in Bihar called this act as an act of betrayal. This narrow understanding of some Muslims is generally well known. As governor of Bihar he had to deal with both Muslims and Hindus and their language too. He was not representing Muslim community or language, but Indian culture as a whole. But rarely could the conservative Muslims understand this logic.
India is a multi-structured society where we notice multi-religious groups with multi-cultural pattern. There is no longer one hundred percent Islamic culture or Hindu culture in practice. While mono-culture is impossible, cultural integration is unavoidable. Hindus and Muslims (apart from other religious groups) are two major pillars of the Indian social foundation on which the Indian society rests. For the peace and progress of Indian society, both Hindus and Muslims must march ahead on a friendly, co-operative and harmonious basis. This is true in the case of not only the ordinary Indian, but also Indians who occupy high positions. This is the message of Zakir Sab.
Zakir Hussain is often remembered for his contribution to the concept of basic education which had the support and blessings of Gandhiji. But very little attention is paid to the sterling role he played both as President of India and as an ordinary Indian before independence and immediately thereafter. His social vision was much broader, to envelop many delicate and sensitive issues which divide the Indians into Hindus and Muslims. Zakir Hussain’s main desire was to unite the Hindus and Muslims as Indians. He remained a true Muslim and as such loved Hindus too. His life and mission are the means through which we can build a strong secular India so that the vast potential human resources could be properly harnessed to make India strong, stable and prosperous. The tall, handsome and towering personality of Zakir Hussain should become a torch light to guide the destiny of millions of Indians who are caught in the debris of social disharmony and conflicts.
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By Imran Khan *
The biggest factor that drove people like me away from religion was the selective Islam practised by most of its preachers. In other words, there was a huge difference between what they practised and what they preached.. Also, rather than explaining the philosophy behind the religion, there was an over emphasis on rituals. I feel that humans are different to animals. Whereas the latter can be drilled, humans need to be intellectually convinced. That is why the Qur’an constantly appeals to reason. The worst ofcourse, was the exploitation of Islam for political gains by various individuals or groups.
My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to was similar to all elite schools in Pakistan and, despite becoming independent, they were, and still are, producing replicas of public school boys rather than Pakistanis. I read Shakespeare which was fine, but not Alama Iqbal.
The Islamic class was not considered to be serious, and when I left the school I was considered amongst the elite of the country because I could speak English and wore western clothes. Despite periodically shouting Pakistan Zindabad at school functions, I considered my own culture backward and Islam an outdated religion. Amongst our group if any one talked about religion, prayed or kept a beard he was immediately branded a Mullah. Because of the power of the Western media, all our heroes were western movie or pop stars. When I went to Oxford already burdened with this hang up from my school days, things didn’t get any easier. In University not just Islam, but all religions were considered anachronism. Science had replaced religion and if something couldn’t be logically proved it did not exist. All supernatural stuff was confined to the movies. Philosophers like Darwin with his half baked theory of evolution was supposed to have disproved the creation of men and hence religion. Moreover, the European history had an awful experience with religion. The horrors committed by the Christian clergy in the name of God during the Inquisition had left a powerful impact on the western mind. To understand why the west is so keen on secularism, one should go to places like Cordoba in Spain and see torture apparatus used during Spanish Inquisition. Also the persecution of scientists as heretics by the clergy had convinced the Europeans that all religions are regressive.
However, the biggest factor that drove people like me away from religion was the selective Islam practised by most of its preachers. In other words, there was a huge difference between what they practised and what they preached.. Also, rather than explaining the philosophy behind the religion, there was an over emphasis on rituals. I feel that humans are different to animals. Whereas the latter can be drilled, humans need to be intellectually convinced. That is why the Qur’an constantly appeals to reason. The worst ofcourse, was the exploitation of Islam for political gains by various individuals or groups.
Hence, it was a miracle I did not become an atheist. The only reason why I did not was the powerful religious influence wielded by my mother on me since my childhood. It was not so much out of conviction but love for her that I stayed a Muslim. However, my Islam was selective, i.e. I accepted only parts of the religion that suited me. Prayers were restricted to Eid days and occasionally on Fridays, when my father insisted on taking me with him. If there was a God I was not sure about it and certainly felt that he did not interfere with my life. All in all I was smoothly moving to becoming a Pukka Brown Sahib. After all I had the right credentials in terms of the right school, university and above all, acceptability in the English aristocracy, something that our brown sahibs would give their lives for. So what led me to do a lot on the Brown Sahib culture and instead become a desi? Well it did not just happen overnight.
Firstly, the inferiority complex that my generation had inherited, gradually went as I developed into a world class athlete. Secondly, I had the unique position of living between two cultures. I began to see the advantages and the disadvantages of both the societies. In western societies, institutions were strong while they were collapsing in our country. However, there was an area where we were and still are superior, and that is our family life. I used to notice the loneliness of the old-age pensioners at Hove Cricket ground (during my Sussex years). Imagine sending your parents to Old Peoples’ Homes! Even the children there never had the sort of love and warmth that we grew up with here. They completely miss out on the security blanket that a joint family system provides. However, I began to realise that the biggest loss to the western society and that is, in trying to free itself from the oppression of the clergy, they had removed both God and religion from their lives. While science can answer a lot of questions, no matter how much it progresses, two questions it will never be able to answer: One, what is the purpose of the existence and two, what happens to us when we die? It is this vacuum that I felt created the materialistic and the hedonistic culture. If this is the only life then one must make hay while the sun shines-and in order to do so one needs money. Such a culture is bound to cause psychological problems in a human being, as there is going to be an imbalance between the body and the soul. Consequently, in the USA, which has shown the greatest materialistic progress and also gives its citizens the greatest human rights, almost 60 per cent of the population consult psychiatrists. Yet, amazingly in modern psychology, there is no study of the human soul. Sweden and Switzerland, who provide the most welfare to their citizens, also have the highest suicide rates; hence, man is not necessarily content with material well being. He needs something more. Since all morality has it roots in religion, once religion was removed, immorality has progressively escalated since the 70’s. The direct impact of it is on the family life. In UK, the divorce rate is 60 per cent, while it is estimated that there are over 35 per cent single mothers. The crime rate is rising in almost all western societies, but the most disturbing factor is the alarming increase in racism. While science always tries to prove the inequality of man (recent survey showing the American Black to be genetically less intelligent than whites) it is only religion which preaches the equality of man. Between ’91 and ’97, it was estimated that total immigration into Europe was around 520,000, and there were racially motivated attacks all over, especially in Britain, France and Germany. In Pakistan during the Afghan war, we had over four million refugees, and despite the people being so much poorer here and in the NWFP, they suffered a considerable loss in their standard of living as a result of the refugees. Yet, there was no racial tension, No wonder, last year in Britain, religious education was reintroduced in their schools.
(* Imran Khan is the former Cricketer from Pakistan and is currently engaged in several charitable projects).
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By A Staff Writer
Over a decade ago, when a few Muslim youths of downtown Shivajinagar locality of Bangalore decided to restore the sanctity of Shab -e- Qadr (generally thought to be on the 27th night) of Ramadan, they did not imagine that they were coming together for purposes much grander than their initial objective. Their campaign against misuse of the holy night has gained momentum all across to city. But the group of youth is today providing a solid bulwark for several constructive projects in this southern city of India.
The Anjuman Khuddamul Muslimeen is not merely acting as the anti-vice squad, but has unfolded a host of schemes through which the misguided youth energy could be harnessed in socio-economic upliftment of the city folk. Today, shopkeepers in the locality down their shutters immediately after Tarawih prayers. The local restaurants have also helped by discontinuing the favourite anda-roti dish that had gained the status of a delicacy. Bands of gossiping youth at the street corners have vanished with the missing aura of the night artificially created by a host of factors. Nor do the women arrive brandishing their finery to fall prey to the leering romeo. Ulema now urge the Muslims to stay home to utilise the valuable night for supplication. Anjuman’s banners are regularly put up at squares prodding the community to tap the divine blessings rather than wasting the precious hours.
The volunteers of Anjuman have set their sights beyond the initial objective. Pained at the plight of the sick, the travellers, the students, the unmarried girls, the aged and the disabled, they have branched out into various directions to bring succour to the needy. The Anjuman disburses medical aid to the tune of rupees five lakhs every year besides running a small dispensary in the busy Ibrahim Sahib Street. The dispensary was inaugurated by Governor Khursheed Alam Khan in 1991 and handles around 30 patients every day.
Encouraged with the response, the group has planned to set up a Rs. five crore general hospital nearby. The main structure of the Hazrath Bismillah Shah Hospital on a plot of quarter acre waqf land has come up on the Cockburn Road of the Shivajinagar locality. Says Anjuman’s secretary Masood Abdul Khadir, the hospital would have 80 beds and would focus on women and child health. The group is planning to open the hospital next year. It has been named after Hazrath Bismillah Shah after whom is named the Mosque which leased out to them their piece of real estate.
The Anjuman also provides stipends to dozens of students to pursue professional courses. Its expenditure on the scholarships touches rupees five lakhs last year.
The Anjuman’s library stores nearly 2000 classics in Quranic tafsirs, hadiths, seerah, Iqbaliyath, Urdu literature, history etc. in English, Urdu and Arabic.
The group gets into action when rescue and relief operations are urgently required. Be it anti-Tamil riots or the anti-Muslim violence as an aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolitions, the Anjuman is propelled by the humanitarian spirit to take everyone under its wings, regardless of faith or caste.
Address: Anjuman Khuddamul Muslimeen, Ibrahim Sahib Street, Shivaji nagar, Bangalore-560051.
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Editorial