Role of Indian Muslims in the Post-Independence Era

Why this topic at all?
Indian Muslims- unlike those Zoroastrians who came from Persia (hence, ‘Parsis’) and settled in India- are not those Muslims who have immigrated from abroad and become Indians. On the contrary, we are those Indians who have become Muslims by accepting Islam. We are as much ‘sons of the soil’ as anyone else is. My ancestry, for instance, traces its roots to Gujarat and not to the Arabian Peninsula. So when we speak of the role of Muslims in developing India, we are actually speaking of the role of those Indians who have accepted Islam.

On the face of it, discussing the role of those Indians in developing India who have accepted a particular religious ideology in their personal lives seems utterly uncalled for. Why single out Muslims and enquire about their contributions? While this can definitely be a lame academic exercise, the way winds are blowing in our country these days makes this discussion uncomfortably pertinent. Muslims are asked these days what they have done for this country to deserve the benefits of its citizenship. We, on our part, never saw ourselves as ‘different’ Indians or a nation within a nation. But we are now being coerced into wearing the badge of patriotism on our sleeves. So, just to put things in perspective, and to put an end to this step brotherly attitude being perpetuated by some over-zealous nationalists, it seems all too prudent to brush up on the role Muslims have played in shaping the India we see today.

The topic of this essay does not allow me to venture into the contributions made by Indian Muslims before independence. Hence, I would not elaborate upon the institution of the Rupee and the Paisa and the construction of the Grand Trunk Road and the introduction of land and tax reforms by Sher Shah Suri or the political reforms and economic bloom witnessed under the Delhi Sultanate or the advancements in war technology by Tipu Sultan or the fact that almost all our ‘World Heritage Sites’ and ASI assets belong to the Mughal era. What I would instead limit myself to is the role played by Muslims after they ceased to receive state patronage and were reduced to a condition aptly portrayed by the Sachar Committee Report as ‘worse than Dalits’ in post-independent India.

At first sight, nation building seems to revolve around avenues like politics, arts, sciences, sports, defence, judiciary, industry etc. So we would first take up these fields and try to see how Indian Muslims have painted these pictures with their bold, vivid strokes.

Politics:
Starting from the top, we have had 4 Muslims as Indian Presidents till date: Zakir Husain, Muhammad Hidayatullah, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad and APJ Abdul Kalam, and 3 Vice Presidents: Zakir Hussain, Muhammad Hidayatullah and Hamid Ansari.
Our first Minister for Education was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and the first Minister for Communications was Rafi Ahmad Kidwai.
Many others have been Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers at the central and state level all these years, the list being too long to be accommodated here.

Judiciary:
Muhammad Hidayatullah, Mirza Hameedullah Baig, Aziz Mushabbir Ahmadi and Altamas Kabir have served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. It goes without saying that the list those Muslims who have served as Chief Justice of the High Court and judges at lower courts and have been eminent lawyers at various levels is much longer.

Science and Technology:
Dr. Syed Zahur Qasim, a marine biologist, led the first Indian expedition to Antarctica in the year 1982, having received the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for his efforts.
Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali, fondly remembered as the ‘Birdman of India’ was an ornithologist and naturist who was a key figure behind the Bombay Natural History Society. He created the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and is credited with salvaging the Silent Valley National Park. He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards.
Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the missile man of India, is renowned for his massive contributions to India’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Even a brief account of this illustrious man would run into several pages. I have had the privilege of attending his lectures, once when he was chief of ISRO and next when he was President of India.
Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmad is hailed as the ‘Father of Indian Dentistry’. I, being a dental surgeon myself, cannot help but include his name in this representative list of prominent Indian scientists.
I would suffice at these names, omitting hundreds of scientists who deserve a mention here.

Military:
While the ethical question of whether it is right or wrong to fight each other on nationalistic agendas is worth debating, the role of defence personnel in the Indian Armed Forces does fall under the ambit of our discussion. I would present here just a few examples of valour exhibited by our decorated soldiers...
Brigadier Mohammad Usman of the Dogra Regiment was the highest-ranking officer killed in the India-Pakistan War of 1947-48 at the age of 35. He was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest award for bravery. It is presumed that had this brilliant officer lived, he would have become India’s first Muslim Chief of Army Staff.
Havaldar Abdul Hamid of the Grenadier Regiment, single-handedly, with his recoilless gun, put out of action six Pakistani tanks in the battle of Khem Karan, arguably the most decisive encounter of the 1965 India-Pakistan war. He was killed while attempting to destroy the seventh. Abdul Hamid was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military honour.
Captain Haneefuddin of the Rajputana Rifles was killed while leading a unit at a height of 18,500 ft during the Kargil conflict in 1999 while trying to evict the enemy from a strategic position. He was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third highest military honour, and the area where he died was renamed Sub-sector Haneef.

Industry:
While Indian Muslims cannot boast of big business houses save a Wipro here and a Cipla there, we have several big names in the organized sector like Red Tape, Wockhardt, Ajmal, Hamdard, Himalaya and Monginis.  The unorganized sector has a major Muslim presence when it comes to textiles, locks and leather, not to speak of the countless Muslim employees fuelling other industries all over the nation from jet aviation to menial labour.

Art and Culture:
Your penchant for paintings and murals (or the lack thereof) notwithstanding, it cannot be denied that India’s most recognized artist is the late MF Hussain. And even if you are averse to films and music, you cannot shy away from acknowledging the contributions of Muslims to Indian classical and commercial arts. Be it musicians like Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan and Oscar winner AR Rahman, singers like Muhammad Rafi and Shamshad Begum, artists like Zakir Hussain and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, poets like Sahir Ludhianvi and Kaifi Azmi, actors like Dilip Kumar, Naseeruddin Shah and the Khans or dance directors like Saroj Khan and Farah Khan, an India without Muslim artists just cannot be imagined. The literary contribution of Indian authors is also quite laudable. It is all too apparent that the persistence of the Urdu language in India rests solely on the shoulders of the Muslim community.

Sports:
From cricketers like Syed Kirmani, Muhammad Azharuddin, the Pathan brothers and Zaheer Khan to tennis players like Sania Mirza and athletes like Muhammad Anas who have clinched gold, silver and bronze at various national and international competitions, Muslim sportsmen have always been an essential part of Indian sports.

Going a step further...
Having said that, it should also be understood that development and progress is much more than what meets the eye. For Muslims, development of infrastructure and access to worldly luxuries is but a very shallow idea of success. When the muazzin calls out five times a day, hayya alal falah (come towards success), or when the Muslims supplicate Rabbana aatina fidduniya hasanah (O our Lord, grant us good in this world) or when the Qur'an says ‘We had certainly granted Abraham a good life’, the material benefits of this world are not in the least being referred to. Success, even in this world, is much more than having an estate or driving a fancy car. True success is the contentment of the heart, the happiness of our citizens and the eradication of evil. These cannot be achieved by merely increasing the GDP or curtailing the fiscal deficit. For, if that would indeed have been the case, countries considered ‘industrially developed’ would not have had the highest suicide rates or patients of clinical depression.

So, over and above whatever has been enumerated above, what actually needs to be asked is: ‘Have Muslims contributed to the true spiritual development of India?’ And the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’. In fact, it would not be wrong for me to state that Muslims have been the foremost in pulling fellow countrymen from the abyss of ignorance and apathy and giving them a taste of true success.

Muslims, on an individual basis, and more so in the form of premier organizations like the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Jamiate Ulema Hind and their sister concerns have been striving relentlessly to achieve social justice and harmony. Muslims are known for their philanthropy, their selfless commitment to help those in need. Hundreds of millions are spent every year in the form of zakat to alleviate fellow Indians from the quagmires of poverty and provide them with a chance to lead a decent life. The way Muslims have emptied their pockets in the wake of the recent Kerala floods is too obvious to warrant an explanation. The setting up of Interest-free financial institutions has not only benefitted Muslims, it has also proved to be a boon for non-Muslims who had been victims of financial exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous money lenders. Their fierce stand against social evils like alcoholism, nudity, adultery, homosexuality, female foeticide, dowry and communalism has kept the famed culture of this country from falling into tatters. And last but not the least, their efforts at spreading the word of God among fellow citizens has been fruitful in drawing many an Indian closer to their Lord, that they may experience the bliss of inner peace which can emanate from none other than an unwavering faith in the divine.

Conclusion:
This is but an essay. This topic is so vast that a voluminous book can be written on it. But should we do so? Rather, why should we do so? Why do I need to prove to anyone that Indian Muslims have had a golden legacy in this country and are an integral part of its development story? This essay has been an arduous and onerous task not because it was an academically challenging topic, but because it was an emotionally devastating one. How would you feel if you are asked to prove your loyalty to your home? India is home to millions of Muslims. Home, I say, not house. And we would do everything we can to make this home a better place to live in.

- Dr. Parvez Mandviwala