Maulana Abul Kalam Azad stands as one of the most remarkable figures in the history of India’s struggle for independence—a scholar, journalist, and political leader whose intellectual prowess and foresight left an indelible mark on the subcontinent’s trajectory. Born on 11 November 1888 in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia, to an Indian family displaced by the fallout of the 1857 Indian Rebellion, Azad’s life was shaped by a deep commitment to unity, education, and the rejection of divisive ideologies. Among his many contributions, perhaps his most striking legacy is his prescient prediction in 1946 of the eventual fragmentation of Pakistan, a prophecy that came to fruition with the establishment of Bangladesh in 1971. This article explores Azad’s life, his unwavering advocacy for Hindu-Muslim unity, and the extraordinary accuracy of his warnings about the instability of a nation founded on religious separatism.
Early Life and Intellectual Awakening
Azad’s family history was rooted in the upheavals of colonial India. After the failed 1857 uprising against British rule, his father, Maulana Khairuddin, relocated to Mecca, where Azad was born into an environment steeped in Islamic scholarship and Indian cultural heritage. In 1898, when Azad was ten, the family returned to India and settled in Calcutta (now Kolkata). From a young age, Azad displayed an insatiable curiosity and a profound love for books. By the age of twelve, he was already contributing articles to children’s magazines, showcasing an early talent for writing that would later define his revolutionary influence.
Educated primarily at home under his father’s tutelage, Azad mastered Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Islamic theology, while also teaching himself English and delving into Western philosophy. This eclectic education shaped his worldview, blending traditional Islamic thought with modern ideas of nationalism and unity. By his late teens, Azad had emerged as a prolific writer and thinker, determined to use his pen as a weapon against colonial oppression and communal division.
The Revolutionary Voice of Al-Hilal
In 1912, at the age of 24, Azad launched Al-Hilal, a weekly Urdu magazine that became a clarion call for Indian nationalism and Hindu-Muslim unity. Published from Calcutta, Al-Hilal was revolutionary in its tone and content, urging Indians—regardless of religion—to unite against British rule. Its bold editorials and incisive critiques of colonial policies quickly drew the ire of the British authorities. Within two years, the magazine’s security deposit was confiscated, heavy fines were imposed, and it was shut down in 1914. Undeterred, Azad briefly revived his efforts with another publication, Al-Balagh, but the British response was swift and severe.
In 1916, Azad was ordered to leave Bengal and was interned in Ranchi (in present-day Jharkhand) until 1920. This period of confinement only strengthened his resolve. Far from silencing him, it provided time for reflection and cemented his belief that India’s freedom depended on the solidarity of its diverse communities, particularly Hindus and Muslims—a vision that would guide his political career.
Champion of Unity Over Division
Azad’s entry into the mainstream political arena coincided with the rise of the Indian National Congress, which he joined with a fervent commitment to its secular ethos. He emerged as a staunch opponent of the Muslim League’s Two-Nation Theory, which posited that Hindus and Muslims constituted separate nations requiring distinct homelands. For Azad, such an idea was anathema to India’s pluralistic heritage and a betrayal of the shared struggle against British rule.
In a powerful speech delivered in Agra in 1921, Azad articulated the core mission of Al-Hilal: “My first objective is Hindu-Muslim unity. I wish to tell Muslims that it is their duty to establish a bond of love and brotherhood with Hindus so that we may build a successful nation together.” This conviction was not mere rhetoric; Azad believed that unity was more vital than independence itself. In his presidential address at a special Congress session in 1923, he famously declared, “Even if a goddess descended from the heavens and offered us freedom within 24 hours in exchange for Hindu-Muslim unity, I would reject it. A delay in freedom might cause us some harm, but if our unity is broken, it will be a loss to all of humanity.”
At a time when nationalist sentiments were increasingly entangled with religious identities, Azad envisioned an India where religion, caste, sect, or gender would not obstruct equal rights—a radical stance that set him apart from many contemporaries.
Opposition to the Muslim League and Partition
As the Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, gained traction with its demand for Pakistan, Azad became its most vocal critic within the Congress. On 15 April 1946, as Congress president, he delivered a scathing assessment of the Two-Nation Theory: “I have examined the Muslim League’s demand for a separate country in the form of Pakistan from every angle and concluded that this decision will not only be detrimental to India but will also exact a heavy toll on Muslims themselves. Far from being a solution, it will create more problems.”
Azad fought tirelessly to prevent the partition of India, warning of the catastrophic consequences of division. When the contours of partition became clear in 1946, and both the Congress and the Muslim League appeared resigned to it, Azad issued a chilling prophecy: “This new country, built on the foundation of hatred, will survive only as long as that hatred persists. When the fire of partition cools, this nation will begin to split into pieces.” He foresaw that Pakistan, conceived in enmity, would struggle to cohere as a unified state—an insight that would prove uncannily accurate.
The Prediction of Bangladesh’s Emergence
Azad’s warnings about Pakistan’s future were not vague generalities; they were specific and prescient. Before Pakistan’s creation in 1947, he predicted that it would not remain united, that its political leadership would be overshadowed by military rule, that it would sink under debt, and that it would face conflicts with neighbouring countries. Most strikingly, he anticipated the rise of regional identities that would fracture the nation. He cautioned that the imposition of a singular national identity based on religion would falter against the cultural and linguistic diversity of its people.
This foresight was dramatically validated in 1971, when East Pakistan—home to a Bengali-speaking majority—broke away to form Bangladesh after a bloody war of independence. The seeds of this schism were sown in Pakistan’s early years, as the dominance of West Pakistan’s Urdu-speaking elite alienated the Bengali population, who comprised over half of Pakistan’s citizens yet were marginalized politically and economically. Azad’s 1946 prediction that “this new country will begin to split into pieces” found its clearest expression in Bangladesh’s emergence, a testament to his understanding of the fragility of a state built on division rather than unity.
Warnings for Indian Muslims and Pakistan’s Future
Azad’s vision extended beyond Pakistan’s borders. He urged Indian Muslims not to migrate to Pakistan, arguing that their exodus would weaken the Muslim community in India rather than strengthen the new nation. “If you cross the border, Pakistan will not become stronger; instead, Indian Muslims will be weakened,” he cautioned. He foresaw that in Pakistan, migrants from India—later termed Muhajirs—would be treated as outsiders, while indigenous populations would assert their regional identities. “The time is not far when those already living in Pakistan will rise for their regional identity, and those coming from India will be seen as uninvited guests,” he warned.
Addressing Muslims directly, Azad emphasized the shared national bond with Hindus: “Though Hindus differ from you in religion, they are not different in terms of nationhood and patriotism. In Pakistan, however, you will be seen as citizens of another nation.” His words proved prophetic as Pakistan grappled with internal strife—between Muhajirs and local communities, and between provinces like Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab—while Indian Muslims navigated their identity in a secular state.
Legacy and Final Years
Maulana Azad’s life was a testament to his principles. He served as India’s first Education Minister after independence, laying the foundation for institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and championing universal education. Yet, the partition he had fought to prevent remained a source of profound sorrow. On 22 February 1958, he passed away in Delhi, leaving behind a legacy of intellectual rigor, moral courage, and an unyielding belief in unity.
Azad’s prediction of Bangladesh’s establishment in 1946 underscores his extraordinary prescience. He understood that nations forged in hatred and exclusion could not endure, a lesson borne out by Pakistan’s division less than 25 years after its birth. His advocacy for Hindu-Muslim unity, though unheeded in his time, remains a powerful vision for a pluralistic society. In an era of rising division, Azad’s life and words continue to resonate, reminding us that true strength lies in solidarity, not separation.
( Writer : Sheikh Mohammad Isa Famous Journalist and Writer From India )
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