Chowdhary Khaliquzzaman

CHOWDHARY KHALIQUZZAMAN

Date of Birth: 1889 and Date of Death: 1973.

            Chowdhary Khaliquzzaman, who played a very important role in the British India, which influenced the politics of Indian sub continent, was born in Chunar Village, Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh in 1889.  His father was Sheik Mohammad Jaman and mother Maqbul Unnisa Begum.  He was influenced by Ali brothers and went to Turkey in 1912 along with the medical team under the leadership of Dr. Muqtar Ahmed Ansari to serve the wounded soldiers of Balkan war.  He took membership in the Indian National Congress in 1916 and became the member in the Anti-Rowlatt Committee.  Later, he became a member in the All India Muslim League.  He participated in the Khilafat Movement actively and formed the All India Khilafat Committee.  He started practice in Lucknow as an advocate and entered into politics by taking up public welfare programmes.  He got elected to the Lucknow Municipal Board and continued as its Chairman for a pretty long period.  He participated in the Home Rule Movement.  He boycotted the Prince of Wales visit in 1921, for which, he was imprisoned.  Later, he joined in the Swarajya Party in 1923.  He played a key role in the Uttar Pradesh elections in 1937 and won as a candidate of Unionist Party with the support of the Congress leaders.  Neither Congress nor the League could get enough seats to form the government in those elections.  Moulana Abul Kalam Azad advised him to join hands with Congress in the formation of the Government, promising two Ministries.  Against the wishes of Moulana, Jawaharlal Nehru announced one ministry only.  Thus, the pact could not work out.  Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Jinnah convinced Chowdhary Khaliquzzaman to shake hands with Muslim League and offered him a key role in the party.  After joining the Muslim League, he strengthened the party in Uttar Pradesh.  Moulana Azad also acknowledged in his book ‘India Wins Freedom’ that the joining of Chowdhary strengthened the Muslim League.  Chowdhary was very close to Jinnah and became a prominent leader in the Muslim League.  He supported the resolution for the formation of Pakistan in Lahore Meeting in 1940.  After the division of the country, he remained in India for some time to look after the affairs of the League on the advice of Jinnah.  Later, he migrated to Pakistan and held various key posts.  At last he admitted in his book ‘Pathway to Pakistan’ that the division of the country caused a huge loss for the Muslim Community in the sub-continent in general and Indian Muslims in particular.  Chowdhary Khaliquzzaman passed away in 1973.