How celebrating September 17 as 'Liberation-Day' will further isolate Muslims

In a run-up to September 17, NewsMeter will be publishing reports from eminent personalities. Our reports will delve deep into the historic significance of the day. Without going into the politics of the event, we will be discussing the long fight against Nizam rule, armed resistance, freedom struggle, Operation Polo et al.

Our articles will focus on India's Independence from the Britishers and the partition. We will highlight how princely states joined the Indian union. How Nizam-ruled Hyderabad, which comprised three linguistic regions: the Telugu-speaking Telangana area (including the capital city, Hyderabad), the Marathi-speaking Marathwada, and a small Kannada-speaking region, was brought into the Indian dominion.

We assure our readers that our articles will be enriching and worth preserving for posterity.

Hyderabad: The 7th Nizam is all set to be under the scrutiny of present-day politics as the Central Government decides to celebrate September 17 as Liberation Day. The event of September 17, 1948, marks the disappearance of Hyderabad-State from the Political Map of the Indian Sub-continent. However, its disappearance is read by many with different names.

Academia calls it the 'Annexation of Hyderabad' and Center-Left politicians refer to it as the 'Merger of Hyderabad'. Post-1948, Muslim politics desires it to be remembered as 'National Integration Day. Asaduddin Owais MP of Hyderabad and leader of AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ithad-ul-Muslimeen) leader wrote to the Home Minister of India, Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekar Rao, and BJP explaining why using 'National Integration Day' could be more appropriate than 'Liberation Day'.

The Hindu-Right and Central government decisions are contrary to its National politics. The BJP has lamented the Nehru legacy and considered it as the Dark Age of Indian Democracy. Further, one Hindu-Right leaning celeb went to such an extent that India attained freedom in 2014 when the Modi-led government came to power and described the country's Independence in 1947 as "bheek or alms'. Having considered the Independence of India given as 'alms' and celebrating the 'liberation of Hyderabad' to join such 'independent India' is to add an insult to the injury to the people of erstwhile Hyderabad-State & particularly to the people of Telangana.

Two distinctive contrary narratives of the past by the Hindu Right are essential for the Hindu-Muslim polarization of Indian politics. Geographically, Telangana sits on the frontier of the erstwhile Mughal Empire and its rulers are not so relevant to the Hindu population here. The vilification and demonization of Ghazi, Ghori, Khalji, or Mughals will not bring the desirable currents in regional politics. The Nizam could replace with the Babar, Aurangzeb, and many more to depict the vicious, autocratic Muslim rule as imaged by Hindu Right to deny the dignified life to Muslims of Independent India.

To celebrate the 17th of September as 'Liberation Day' is to further isolate Muslims in the national identity as the progeny of traitors in Nation-building and de-legitimatize the Muslim political assertion in the republic of India. One such is the Muslim-based political party in Telangana although recognized by the Election Commission of India is depicted as an extended version of Razakars (infamous militias of Etihad of pre-1948).

The political stratagem of the Hindu Right is identical all over India and the celebration of September 17 as 'Liberation Day' is one segment of it. September 17 is not the final avenue to spark the politics of revenge on Muslims of Telangana. The execution of Komaram Bheem (Tribal-Gond leader) in 1940 by VII Nizam and the recent RRR Telugu Movie based on Komaram Bheem reflect its regional influence of it. His execution is an apt event to evoke hatred against Muslims and Gonds in Northern Telangana.

A kind of it is already in practice in Northern India. To be specific political veneration of Suhal Deva (demi-god of Pasi-Dalit community of Uttar Pradesh) defeated the Gazi-Miya, military general of Mahmood of Ghazi in 1034 A.D. With the recognition of Suhal Deva by the Hindu Right, Pasi finds this as self-respect of being Parsi in the Hindu society at cost of hostility towards Muslims. There is no reason to say no to such a pattern in TS.

As BJP plans to make further inroads in the TS and such history distortion is prone to happen to de-legitimization of Muslim politics ultimately de-nationalization of Muslim identity.

(The views expressed in the article are of the author and not of NewsMeter)

A brief on Nizam policies and his Gond Subject. The author desires to discuss it in the next article.