The Great Depression - after 1948 for the Muslims ::::
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. It started in 1929 and lasted until the late-1930s. But Hyderabad under the Nizams rule never felt any economic problem, in contrast in late 1930s the Nizam was acclaimed as the richest man in the world. Such was the administrative excellence in ruling a kingdom, it’s pomp and glory with peace and harmony among all communities and castes.
But post 1948 after the brutal police action changed everything that was once called Hyderabad.
This is indicated by a note Nehru sent to Sardar Patel’s Ministry of States on the 26th of November 1948, saying that he had received reports of killings of Muslims so large in number ‘as to stagger the imagination’ and looting of Muslim property ‘on a tremendous scale’ – all of which would seem to confirm the general tone of Pandit Sunderlal’s report.
The Pandit Sunderlal Committee report, entitled On the Post-Operation Polo Massacres, Rape and Destruction or Seizure of Property in Hyderabad State, makes grim reading. In village after village across the state, it meticulously and unemotionally catalogued incidents of murder and mass rape, sometimes committed by troops, in other cases committed by local Hindu hooligans after the troops had disarmed the Muslim population. A short extract, chosen at random, gives the general flavour:
“Ganjoti Paygah, District Osmanabad:
There are 500 homes belonging to Muslims here. Two hundred Muslims were murdered by the goondas. The army had seized weapons from the Muslims. As the Muslims became defenceless, the goondas began the massacre. Muslim women were raped by the troops. Statement of Pasha Bi, resident of Ganjoti: the trouble in Ganjoti began after the army’s arrival. All the young Muslim women here were raped. Five daughters of Osman sahib were raped and six daughters of the Qazi were raped. Ismail Sahib Sawdagar’s daughter was raped in Saiba Chamar’s home for a week. Soldiers from Umarga came every week and after all-night rape, young Muslim women were sent back to their homes in the morning. Mahtab Tamboli’s daughters were divided among Hindus, one is in Burga Julaha’s home… ”
And so on, for page after page. In all, the report estimates that as many as 200,000 Hyderabadi Muslims were slaughtered in the aftermath of the ‘Police Action’: an astonishing figure which, if true, would turn the ‘police action’ into a bloodbath comparable to parts of the Punjab during Partition.
In a rare interview the 90 yr old Mir Moazzam Hussain, the grandson of Nawab Fakhr-ul-Mulk Bahadur says -
“The aristocracy lost all their status and their income after the police action, so they just sold everything: land, houses, even the doors and windows. They knew nothing about business: selling their heritage was the only way they could make ends meet. They just sold their history just to survive. Now there’s virtually nothing left: just dusty high rise buildings everywhere. Outside Salar Jung’s palace for instance was a garden easily comparable to the Jardin des Tuilleries. I’ll never forget its shady walks and ancient trees, its soft green lawns and parterres bursting flowers. There was an octagonal fountain so large you could row about it in a skiff. Now it’s a filthy lorry park. So much was lost, unnecessarily, through sheer ignorance.”
Mir Moazam shrugged his shoulders: “Very little,” he said. “You can’t keep out change. In fifty years an entire world has been levelled – utterly destroyed. The process is nearly finished. I think that everything that is special about Hyderabad will go. Day by day the old ways are disappearing. They are being replaced by a monotonous standardisation. What we had in Hyderabad was a very distinct Deccani culture, the product of a very particular mixture of peoples and influences. But much of the old elite went to Pakistan, and a flood of new people have come, bringing their own ways with them. What is left is on its last legs, and now there is nothing anyone can do about it.
The Nizams, the Paigahs and the Salarjungs were the leading elite subjected to great difficulties and sufferings systematically by successive congress govts. The other Nawabs simply perished in the onslaught unleashed by the congress in active connivance with RSS. The congress forcefully merged Hyderabad State into Andhra and thousands of employed Muslims were either removed on some pretext or others were given one year time to learn Telugu not allowing Urdu in offices. The Tenancy Act was introduced and 60% of lands were grabbed from them, later Land ceiling Act was introduced to grab whatever remained with the muslim aristocracy. Then City Ceiling Act was introduced where they cannot possess more than 1000 Sq yds too. The congress govts took away our language, employment and property. In last 65 years of their govts there were only 12 residential schools with hardly 2000 students. About Muslim Wakf properties among lakhs of acres grabbed and occupied in their rule one example is they sold 1600 acres of Wakf land of Dargah Hussain Shah Wali.
The Police Action of 1948 and since the 65 years, the conditions of Muslims has gone bad to worse with their self respect, name, fame, reputation, wealth lost forever targeted by the ruling Congress party as they have a history of targeting Hyderabad’s old Muslim aristocracy, and thereby forcing Hyderabad’s Muslims into backwardness, and poverty. Because of this systematically pre-planned and deliberate action by successive congress governments the Muslims property and wealth in Hyderabad which had once encompassed all over the city was permanently lost, and also gone with the elite aristocracy the most of the famed Hyderabadi tehzeeb and culture.
I am not a supporter of any party or individual but Muslims must be patient and have foresight before exercising their vote. They must give an opportunity to the ruling party.
Courtesy:
(Wajahat Ahmed Khan is the great-grandson of Nawab Tipu Khan Bahadur. He has been actively vocal about the neglect of Tipu Khan Bridge, Tipu Khan Sarai, Tipu's Dwar and Tipu's LookOut. Nawab Tipu Khan Bahadur was a legendary Horseman and teacher of Horsemanship to the Nizam VI and Nizam VII. The tradition of Equestrianism continues in Wajahat Ahmed Khan, is involved in Equestrian sports. Wajahat Ahmed Khan is a trustee/ caretaker of Waqf-properties endowed by Late Nawab Tipu Khan Bahadur sahab— including Mosques and other religious properties .
Wajahat Ahmed Khan has publicly appealed for preservation of the heritage institutions built by his ancestor (Sarai, bridge, mosques), emphasising their historical and social value to Hyderabad.)
