A “less-known” freedom fighter’s name caused controversy, pro-BJP media blows up controversy
Special Story
Mumbai– The name of Qurban Hussain with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru caused controversy at national level. The unnecessary controversy created by Hindutva groups was blown up by pro-BJP media at state and national level.
This controversy also showed how Hindutva forces hate Muslim names even if they sacrifice their lives for country and freedom struggle. This also showed their poor knowledge about history of freedom struggle.
Maharashtra state board’s Marathi language book for 8th standard has a chapter titled
” Majhe Majhya Deshavar Prem Aahe ( I Love my Country)”. Yadunath Thatte, author of this book was well known Marathi writer and Editor of “Saadhna” magazine, mouthpiece of socialist movement.
In this chapter, he gave message to students that to love the country is not only loving the land but its people too. ” Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Qurban Hussain were hanged during freedom struggle. They were truly loving our country,” he says narrating his conversations with students.
Objection by Brahmin Mahasangh
Anand Dave, a known Narendra Modi and BJP supporter and President of Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasangh, a Pune based organisation which do not have mass support, raised his objections to this part of the chapter.
” The chapter has purposefully dropped the name of Sukhdev who was also hanged with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru. This is an insult of revolutionaries who sacrificed for our country. Action should be taken against State Board officials who dropped Sukhdev’s name,” Dave demanded. Dave’s demand was indirectly aimed against inclusion of Qurban Hussain, a Muslim who sacrificed for country. Though Dave’s demand was not supported by any Historian, political leader or academician, pro-BJP News-channels and newspapers tried to paint this controversy in Hindu-Muslim way. After that this, the demand become state and national level controversy and Maharashtra government was blamed for dropping name of Sukhdev for Qurban Hussain. All key media houses were trying to hint this as Muslim appeasement by Maha-Vikas Aaghadi government which consists Congress-NCP.
Marathi TV and Print media called this as blunder and showed their poor knowledge of history. Marathi media surprisingly doubted the most respected author and Editor of the state. It is to be noted that this chapter existed during BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Devendra Fadanvis but Brahmin Mahasangh never objected then!
Who was Qurban Hussain?
The media or Brahman Mahasangh did not bother to know who was actually Qurban Hussain? After Congress party countered Dave’s allegations by telling that Hussain was a freedom fighter who was hanged by British rulers, pro-BJP media toned down.
Abdul Rasoon Qurban Hussain was born on 1910 in Solapur, a district place in Maharashtra. Solapur is also a textile hub from British era. “He was a leader of textile mill workers. Lokmanya Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi were his idols and he was very much active in freedom struggle. He was a firm believer of socialism, Hindu-Muslim unity, Equality and Swadeshi. In 1927, he started a Marathi magazine with Urdu title “Gazanfar” which means Lion in Urdu and this was inspired from Tilak’s Kesari newspaper which means Lion in Marathi. His editorials were very effective and powerful. He was an excellent orator who inspired many people to join freedom movement. He was a strong Congress youth and labour leader in Solapur,” says Shrikant Yelgaonkar, well known expert of history who authored a book on Freedom struggle in Solapur. He talked with Indjournals on this subject in detail.
Why Hussain was hanged?
” During Salt Satyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi was on the way to Dharasana, near Dandi and was arrested in the night of 4-5 May 1930. When this news reached in Solapur, there were heavy protests against this arrest. Textile Mill workers stopped their work and marched on road on May 6,1930. During this protest, workers got violent and burnt a police station where two police personnel died. Also Court buildings were torched. After seeing march of thousands of workers and common man, British officers with their families fled from their quarters and took shelter at Solapur Railway station. This made Solapur “independent” for four days during 9 to 12 May 1930 and whole administration was under their control. After this Martial law was imposed in the city and Army took possession of the city,” Ravindra Mokashi, an activist who works for mill worker told Indjournals.
” I am ready to die for freedom of our country and Hindu-Muslim unity,” Qurban Hussain thundered addressing rallies to press the demand of release of Mahatma Gandhi. He even took out knife to cut his finger publicly but was stopped by another Congress leader Jaju. British Officers- Collector Night and Deputy Superintendent of Police Playfair ordered police force to fire at protestors. Many incidents of indiscriminate police firing took place in Solapur on 6 and 7 May, 1930.
But protestors were still aggressive and were on road against British and enjoyed freedom for four days during 9 to 12 May 1930. British government announced Martial law and arrested Qurban Hussain, Mallappa Dhanshetty, Kisan Sarda and Jagnnath Shinde, the four leaders of Congress party. They were ferried in an open truck and were beaten in front of public. Later they were brutally beatn in police custody, tortured and then again ferried before public to create a terror of British rule in their mind.
” British were afraid of Qurban Hussain’s leadership and his powerful, appealing oratory. They falsely implicated him and 3 others Mallappa Dhanshetti, Jagannath Shinde and Kisan Sarda in the cases related to violence. All four were hanged to death by Britishers on 12 January 1931 in Yerwada jail Hussain at the age of 21 sacrificed his life three months before Bhagat Singh. Hussain’s sacrifice should be taught in text books,” Yelgaonkar stressed.
Solapur has a point called Char Putla chowk where statues of these four freedom fighters who are called as Hutatma (martyrs)are installed.
It’s a chapter from a book- Maharashtra Board
Maharashtra state board too issued clarification on this issue. ” The chapter was taken from Yadunath Thatte’s book “Pratidnya(Pledge). We can not modify anybody’s chapter while reproducing in our book. Hussain too was a great freedom fighter who was hanged in 1931. His role in freedom struggle is also being taught in History book and in the same book Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru’s contribution to freedom struggle is also being taught,” Board said in a press statement.
ABP’s love for Brahman Mahasangh
ABP group’s love for Anand Dave led Akhil Bhartiya Brahmin Mahasangh (ABBM) is well known in Maharshtra. He is continuously being projected as Brahmin leader and all his statements, actions get prominence on this channel. After India- China fight at border, ABMM called an agitation against China in Pune and this agitation was attended by only 9 people. In this, ABMM workers broke china made mobile and this was made main news and was televised many times by ABP Majha, Marathi channel and ABP News, national channel.