Dr. Kunwar Mohammad Ashraf

DR. KUNWAR MOHAMMAD ASHRAF

Date of Birth: 25^th November, 1903 and Date of Death: June, 1962

            Dr. Kunwar Mohammad Ashraf, a great historian, who devoted his life for the harmony between Hindus and Muslims and for the establishment of Socialist Society, was born in Daryapur Tahsil of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh on 25^th November, 1903.  He gave up his studies while he was studying at Aligarh College, to join Khilafat and Non Cooperation Movement under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi,  Moulana Obaidullah Sindhi and Ali Brothers.  But, he got attracted towards communism after Chowra -Chowri incident in 1922, after which he distanced himself from the Gandhian type of struggle.  Later, he rejoined the Aligarh College to pursue his studies.  He went to England with the help of the scholarship from Ashwar Maharajah and obtained his doctorate from London University.  He joined the Communist Party in England in 1929.  He returned to India in 1932 and joined the Indian National Movement.  He played a vital role in the activities of the Indian National Congress.  He also played an instrumental role in building the Socialist Party in India and grew as a national leader.  As a member of the national executive committee of the Socialist Party, he was working along with the leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deo, E.M.S. Namboodripad, Dr. Z.A. Ahmed, Sajjad Zahir, Ashok Mehta, Ram Manohar Lohia and such others.  Later, he took up the responsibility of leading the Mass Movement among the Muslims on the request of Jawaharlal Nehru.  Since he was working for the harmony, between the Hindus and Muslims, he strongly opposed the divisive ideology of the Muslim League and tried to attract the Muslims towards the National Movement.  Dr. Ashraf was imprisoned during the World War-II.  After his release from the Jail in 1943, he played an active role in the Communist Party and became a prominent leader.  He shifted his residence to Delhi in 1946.  Though there was no personal security for him there, he worked hard to help the victims of partition of the country and got sick.  He went to England for medical treatment with the help of his friends.  Later, he was appointed as a Guest Lecturer in the Hambolt University at Berlin, the capital of the German Democratic Republic.  He conducted research there, and published several research books which made him internationally famous as a great researcher.  Dr. Kunwar Mohammad Ashraf breathed his last in June, 1962 at Berlin.