Abdul Hamid Kazi
Dr. Abdul Hamid Kazi
Dr. Abdul Hamid Kazi was an Indian Muslim freedom fighter and political leader who played a significant role in the Pakistan independence movement during the 1940s.
Early Life and Background Dr. Abdul Hamid Kazi hailed from Yawal, taluka, a city and municipal council in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. Details about his birth and early life are not well documented. He served as the Headmaster at the Urdu Training Centre in Jalgaon.
Political Career
Congress Party Work (1937) In 1937, the Maharashtra Provincial Congress Committee (M.P.C.C) appointed Kazi to organize Congress work amongst the Muslims of Maharashtra. In this capacity, he toured eight districts of the province for two months, addressing several sizable meetings and discussing political problems in small gatherings. The audience in these meetings generally ranged from five hundred to ten thousand people. Huge meetings were specially organized at Malegaon, Nasik, Poona, Sholapur, Ahmednagar, Dhulia, Nandurbar, and Jalgaon. Since the Khilafat movement, such common gatherings of Muslims and Hindus had seldom taken place. The gathered masses were very impressed by these meetings, and a new wave of nationalism swept over the Muslims of the province.
Support Network Several prominent Muslim leaders supported Kazi's work across various districts:
• Mohiuddin Harris (editor of Ajmal in Thana District)
• Hakim Mirza Haider Beg (Poona)
• Abdul Kareem Lunje (Sholapur)
• Mansuri (Nasik)
• Moulvi Abdul Kadir and Kawkab
• The whole Muslim Mass Contact Committee in Malegaon Approximately five thousand Muslims enrolled as Congress members during his campaign.
Satyagraha Movement (1940) Kazi was among the first Muslim Satyagrahis of Maharashtra who offered Satyagraha on 24 November 1940 at 8:30 pm before a huge gathering. Although he had informed the District Magistrate about his intention to offer Satyagraha, he was arrested immediately and put under arrest.
Role in All-India Muslim League
Constitutional Proposals (1943) During the All-India Muslim League session in 1943, Dr. Abdul Hamid Kazi drafted a resolution calling for Pakistan's constitution to be based on the Quran and the Hakoomat-i-Illahiya (government based on the principles of the first four Caliphs of Islam). This proposal was circulated as a draft resolution intended to be moved at the session. However, the resolution was ultimately withdrawn. Muhammad Ali Jinnah's intervention ensured that the draft resolution "was swept under the red carpet," as Jinnah thought this amounted to a "vote of no censure" on every Congress leader, and his intervention prevented the resolution from being formally presented.
Later Political Positions Following the withdrawal of his Islamic constitution proposal, Kazi continued to advocate for:
• Settlement with Congress based on the principle of parity between Congress and Muslim League in proposed Interim Government
• Equal representation of Hindus and Muslims in the Constituent Assembly and Union Government
• Rejection of the British Government's proposals that he viewed as insufficient for Muslim interests
• Independence not only for Pakistan but for Hindustan as well
• Establishment of Muslim government in Pakistan areas with a "free gift" of three-fourths of the country to Hindus
Recognition
Pakistan Movement Award (1987) Dr. Abdul Hamid Kazi was posthumously conferred the Pakistan Movement Award in 1987 in recognition of his meritorious services rendered in the struggle for Pakistan. The award certificate, signed by Syed Ghous Ali Shah (Chief Minister Sind), stated that "The contribution made to achieve our cherished goal will always be remembered with appreciation and respect."
Historical Significance Dr. Kazi's role in the Pakistan movement was notable for several reasons:
1. His attempt to establish an Islamic constitutional framework for Pakistan
2. His work in mobilizing Muslim support across Maharashtra
3. His participation in the Indian independence struggle through both Congress and Muslim League platforms
4. His advocacy for Muslim political rights during the crucial 1940s period
References
1. Jinnah’s address to the A.I.M.L., Delhi, April 1943, in Pirzada (ed.), Foundations of Pakistan, vol. II, p. 425
2. Nawa-i-Waqt, 9 November 1944
3. Indian Annual Register 1943, Vol. I.; Resolutions of the All-India Muslim League from April 1942 to May 1943 Published by Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Hon. Secretary, All-India Muslim League
4. Amrit Kaal official website - History Corner section on "Unsung Heroes of India’s freedom struggle"
5. Maharashtra State Archives (MSA), Home Department Special File no. 920, 1937
6. “Satyagraha in Maharashtra,” The Bombay Chronicle, November 23, 1940
7. Maharashtra State Archives (MSA), Home Department Special File no. 1020(12)-V, 1940-41, p.83
8. “Kazi Abdul Hamid Arrested,” The Bombay Chronicle, November 25, 1940
9. Maharashtra State Archives (MSA), Home Department Special File no. 1020(12)-V, 1940-41, p.111
10. Jalal, Ayesha. The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and the Demand for Pakistan
11. The Express Tribune
12. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav archives
13. Pirzada, Syed Sharifuddin (ed.). Foundations of Pakistan: All-India Muslim League Documents 1906-1947, Volume II 1924-1947. National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research Centre of Excellence, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2007
14. Indian Annual Register 1943, Vol. I.; Resolutions of the All-India Muslim League from April 1942 to May 1943 Published by Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Hon. Secretary, All-India Muslim League Category:Indian educators Category:People from Jalgaon district Category:Indian National Congress politicians Category:All India Muslim League politicians Category:Indian freedom fighters from Maharashtra
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