Moulana Hasrat Mohani

MOULANA HASRAT MOHANI

Date of Birth: 1878 and Date of Death: 13^th May, 1951

            Moulana Hasrat Mohani, who spoke eloquently on the necessity of ‘Total Independence’ and opposed the ‘Self Rule’ concept of Gandhiji highly impressed the audience while causing discomfiture to Gandhiji, was born in 1878 in a small town Mohan in Uttar Pradesh.  His actual Name was Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan.  He was recognised as a talented poet.  He started writing ghazals when he was only 17 years of age under pen name ‘Hasrat’.  So he became popular as Moulana Hasrat Mohani.  He also worked as the Editor of the ‘Urdu-e-Muallah’ magazine.  He was attracted to the revolutionary ideology of Aurabindo Ghosh and Bala Gangadhar Tilak.  After completing his education, he did not want to serve in a job and therefore preferred to become a journalist.  He opposed the slavery in all forms and fought against the British.  He joined the Indian National Congress in 1903.  He wrote several articles criticising the British rulers; as a result, he was accused of treason and was sent to jail by the British government in 1909.  He was unable to pay the fine imposed on him and consequently he was feared to be incarcerated behind the bars.  The police seized the rare books collected by him.  He spent most of his time in different jails during the National Movement.  He started the fist ‘Swadeshi Stores’ along with his wife Nishatunnisa Begum to support the cause of the National Movement.  He played a vital role in the Khilafat Movement, during which he visited Hyderabad several times to propagate Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements.  He moved the resolution for ‘Total Independence’ at the Congress Session held in 1921 in Ahmadabad.  He criticized the absolute application of Non-Violence distinguishing that it was not suitable for all situations, for which he even received applause from Mahatma Gandhi.  Later on, Mohani was attracted towards socialist ideology.  In the year 1928, he quit the Indian National Congress, because he differed from certain policies adopted by Mahatma Gandhi.  Though he was supporting the Muslim League, he opposed the idea of the Muslim League for the division of the Nation.  He got elected in the Assembly elections held in 1946 as a candidate of the Muslim League; but he opposed the division of India at every stage.  Even after Independence, his commitment to his Socialist and Secular ideology continued unabated.  Moulana Mohani, who got elected as a Member of Parliament several times even after 1947 served the people in his own way.  At last on 13^th May, 1951 Moulana Hasrat Mohani breathed his last in Lucknow.