LARKANA: The 132nd birth anniversary of Barrister Jan Mohammad Junejo — a Khilafat Movement leader from Sindh — was celebrated here by a large number of people coming from a cross section of society when a cake was also cut by members of his family at their residence.

To mark the occasion, a book in Urdu titled Raeesul Mujahideen Barrister Jan Mohammad Junejo ki zindagi wa jiddojehed compiled by Manzoor Hussain Rathore was launched.

Speakers at the ceremony paid glowing tributes to the seasoned politician and philanthropist from Larkana who had played an active role in the Hijrat Movement — an offshoot of the Khilafat Movement — in British India. The event was presided over by Mazhar Khan Junejo, the barrister’s grandson.

Mazhar Junejo said Barrister Junejo was a true son of the soil who rendered great sacrifices for the cause of Khilafat-i-Usmania. He said the barrister despised the British occupation of India and its harshness to Khilafat so much that he did not want to live in country under its rule and along with many Muslims of Sindh and other places of India migrated to Afghanistan and then visited many places of India preaching the cause of Khilafat and also died there. He is buried in Ajmer. He also said Barrister Junejo was a philanthropist as well who helped the poor and needy.

Writer Prof Mukhtiar Samo said Barrister Junejo was among the first two people from Sindh who had done bar at law from England in the early 20th century while the other one was Barrister Ghulam Mohammad Bhurgari from Mirpurkhas.

He said that when British India was declared “Darul Harb” by leaders of the Khilafat Movement in 1920 and Muslims were asked to migrate to “Darul Salam”, Barrister Junejo spearheaded the Hijrat Movement from Sindh in support of restoration of Ottoman Caliphate of Turkey.

He booked a train and from Larkana Railway Station went to Afghanistan with 750 people in response to a migration call of the Khilafat Movement leaders.

He organised protests in Larkana against British rule in India when there was no political party in its full form in Sindh and capitulated his bar at law degree and other privileges accorded to him by the then government, which was tantamount to sowing seedlings of resistance against foreign occupation.

Writer Dr Badar Dhamraho said: “We need to work and write books on the selfless services of Barrister Jan Mohammad Junejo for the Muslims of British India. Lesson about his struggle for the cause of Muslims should be included in textbook as our posterity should perfectly know about the struggle of its forefathers. He said that so far there were 10 different books in Sindhi in which role of Barrister Junejo had been highlighted but it still needed more work.

Hafiz Sikandar Abbasi, columnist and worker of the Sindh Sagar Party, said that during British rule, the people of Sindh did not remain silent and continued taking part in movements which were meant for emancipation.

Many leaders emerged from Sindh who struggled together with Muslim leaders of India for the protection of their legitimate rights. Barrister Junejo was also one of them who worked for Muslims selflessly.

Among others who spoke on the occasion included Essa Memon, Rauf Abbasi and Ustad Gul Mohammad Dayo.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2020