27/01/2025
Hezbullah: Could be a different India
(3 of 3 parts)
This was the reason Maulana Azad joined the Khilafat Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He knew that Muslims will only join the Independence movement when they are convinced that they are fighting for a religious cause. The reinstatement of the Ottoman Caliphate was an emotional and religious issue for Muslims and Maulana Azad succeeded in doling in the Muslims in national Independence movement under the garb of Khilafat Movement.
Earlier in 1912, he had launched a religious organisation of Muslims called Hezbollah. The purpose behind the launch of this organisation was to unite the Muslims of India to wage jihad against the British after seeking co-operation of Hindus. Thousands of Muslims joined Hezbollah. Another objective was to get the support of Ulama on the issue of jihad against the British. But before launching a united assault against the British, it was necessary to elect a religious leader of Indian Muslims or Imam ul Hind. A section of Muslim Ulama accepted Maulana Azad as Imamul Hind but leaders of Jamiat-e- Ulema Hind did not want to hand over the leadership of Indian Muslims to Maulana Azad and cleverly skipped the issue.
Therefore, Muslims could not be united under one banner and Maulana Azad's objective of launching a decisive jihad against the British government under the flag of Hezbollah could not be accomplished. If all the Ulama had accepted Maulana Azad as their lmam and united under the banner to launch a joint offensive against the British, together with the Hindus, the history of India would have been different.
