Saquib Salim

On 9 June, 1947, leaders of Muslim League were meeting at Imperial Hotel, Delhi, to formally declare the acceptance of the Plan to Partition India, along the religious lines, offered by the British government a week ago. As soon as the resolution was passed in the meeting, almost 50 armed men belonging to Khaksar Movement broke into the hotel riding American army jeeps. In a ‘free for all fight’, knives, daggers, spades, revolvers, rifles, etc. flew around. Khaksars wanted to kill Jinnah for accepting the partition plan.

Muslim League Guards encircled Jinnah and saved him; police brandished bayonets and lobbed teargas shells to stop the attackers. Many guards and one Khaksar had received serious injuries.

Jinnah was saved as the attack was repulsed. Thereafter he read the resolution passed by Muslim League in thea hotel lobby filled with teargas. The hotel lobby looked like a bttle ground with everyone teary eyed due to smoke. Within hours, the Police launched a search for the leader of Khaksars, Inayatullah Khan also known as Allama Mashriqi.

Four years ago, Rafiq Sabir Mazangavi had made an attempt on the life of Jinnah at his residence in Mumbai. Muslim League had alleged that Allama Mashriqi had sent him and Mashriqi denied it.

Khaksar Movement was founded by Inayatullah Khan, an Oxford-educated Indian Muslim, in 1930. The members of the movement had to write the following line in their blood:

“"I solemnly promise to sacrifice my life at the leader's orders and I deserve to descend into hell if I disobey."

The English media and government termed his organization as fascist. Interestingly, in 1939, western media reported that the movement had its members in India, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. The Khaksar Army had around four lakh members, including women.

In September, 1942, a month after arresting the Congress leaders, the movement was banned, as the British believed that Khaksars were planning to attack prisons across the country to free the freedom fighters. Allama directed his followers to be ready for a covert operation. They were asked to not wear their trademark unforms anymore.

Allama Mashriqi was taken as a serious threat by the imperial government. On 24 September, 1942, the Legislative Assembly debated if Hitler got his inspiration to launch his Nazi party from Allama Mashriqi’s Khaksar movement. Several members agreed thatt Allama’s military style volunteer movement was Hitler’s inspiration.

Allama Mashriqi was an Indian Freedom Fighter who took up arms to evict the English from India and raised arms against those who wanted to partition India.

(Saquib Salim is a Historian and a Writer)