June 03, 2007

Well-known historian and vice chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia Prof Mushirul Hasan and co-author Rakhshanda Jalil, its media coordinator, have presented an extensively-researched book tracing the development of the Jamia Millia Islamia from a school for the Muslim minority to the modern bustling and vibrant university, based on secular ideals, plural nationhood and composite culture, of today.

Prof Hasan has authored many books on the recent history of the South-Asian subcontinent such as Legacy of Divided Nations: India’s Muslims Since Independence (1997), Islam in the Subcontinent: Muslim in Plural Society (2002) and Nehru’s Personal Histories (2006). He has also edits the selected works of Jawaharlal Nehru.

The authors are fully conscious of the fact that before its establishment on October 29, 1920, Muslim freedom fighters of different schools and ideologies equally participated for the inception of the Jamia Millia. The Ali Brothers, Hakim Ajmal and Hasrat Mohani were among the pioneers. While Muhammad Ali Johar was asking students to follow the dictates of God instead of obeying their parents, Hasrat Mohani and others dreamed of a Congress-Muslim coalition in politics as they fervently advocated a Hindu-Muslim entente.

It is evident from the pages of the book that the Jamia Millia Islamia took off as a sort of seminary in the backdrop of the Khilafat Movement. While reading about its history in better perspective now, one may challenge the orthodox mind behind it but back in those times religion was a great motivational force against the colonialists. The religious leaders were always on the forefront, using the ideological weapon to oppose imperialist designs and the Jamia Millia Islamia is also a product of that mindset.

Things have not changed much even now. Religious fundamentalists today are directly engaged in the fight against the onslaught of neo-liberalism while trying to subvert the designs of American imperialism in western and southern Asia. It had been this way since long. The religion-oriented leadership always confronted imperialism, physically as well as ideologically, while the enlightened left, though always sending strong anti-imperialist signals through propaganda and printed material, never confronted the imperialists through armed struggle. It was left only for the religious parties to do this job. They are carrying on with the same tradition in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The authors are of the view that although the Jamia Millia initially came about in a crisis-ridden period, there were many cross currents working for its birth and it adopted the path of plural nationhood and composite culture. As the authors claim, by the early 1940s, the two competing ideas consolidated to steadily advance towards a confrontation, especially after Jinnah put forward much against the Jamia biradari, the two-nation theory.

Later the Jamia flourished under the guidance of stalwarts such as Hakim Ajmal, who was the ameer-i-Jamia (chancellor), Ali Brothers, Dr Ansari, M. Mujeeb, Dr Zakir Hussain, Dr Abid Hussain and others. Mushirul Hasan praises M.K. Gandhi for promoting Jamia’s mission at every critical juncture, not just financially but also through encouragement and appreciation. There is special mention of Allama Iqbal’s visits to the university. He moved his audience to tears once when he recited his poem on Cordova there.

The concluding part of the book is studded with Nehru’s supporting role in the university’s development along with photographs which show his active participation in its affairs. Staying away from entanglements of prejudice and convention, the Jamia Millia was a source of inspiration for the young generation in a multicultural and multiethnic environment.

It is encouraging to note that the book also carries a photograph of Akhtar Hameed Khan who joined the Jamia Millia with his brother Saeed Khan in the late 1940s. He has been introduced by the authors as the person who rose to become a great social reformer and philanthropist in Pakistan.

Partners in Freedom is a fine attempt in presenting a comprehensive history of the institution. The rare photographs accompanying the narrative also make this a book of pictorial history.