'National Integration Day': Will it bring closure to tragedies and heal political scars?

People are looking at `National Integration Day' from different angles. The majority of them say it will reduce the trust deficit and promote patriotism among citizens.

The state government has announced a three-day `Telangana National Integration Day Celebrations'. This follows the demand made by All Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi.

Some are calling it a counter-strategy to tackle the BJP's September 17 political narrative. Few people also believe that the wounds of the police action will heal.

Elders ask about more than 500 princely states merged after 1947 and why only BJP and other organizations are celebrating liberation day for Hyderabad. Why no liberation and independent day for Kashmir, Bhopal, and Junagadh?

Mohammed Ayub Khan, a historian, said AIMIM's National Integration Day is in tune with its adoption of Indian Nationalism as a guiding policy after its rechristening in 1958. "Even in the heady days of 1947-48, a section of the then MIM, called ` Forward Block', was integrationist in approach but was sidelined by the Razakar leader Kasim Razwi," he added.

Ayub said the day will bring closure to tragedy and apply healing touch to many scars of that era. He said it will open new opportunities for cooperation between the communities.

Social activist Syed Yousuf Yaqubi opined that the agenda of communal and fascist forces is to do politics of hatred on police action. "How can they celebrate Liberation Day? Why they are not celebrating Unity Day or Communal Harmony Day?" he asked.

Amir Jamat-e-Islami Hamid Mohammed Khan asked BJP to answer whom they got liberated in 1948 --. Nizam's rule, Razakars?

"If they say Razakars, then there were three types of Razakars. One of them committed crimes at the behest of Hindu Landlords. If they thought that they got liberation from Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan's rule, then why was he eventually made the Rajpramukh (governor) of the state, until it was disbanded in 1956? If Nizam was anti-India then why did Pandit Nehru's government accept his donation during China War?" he said.

He said they should forget the past and look at the future with a positive mindset. "It will be good for the Muslim community and for the nation too," he said.

Mohammed Farooq Hasan, a student, said BJP leaders always asked Muslims to go to Pakistan. "They termed Muslim leaders as the successor of Jinnah, Nizam, and Razakars. To give them a befitting reply, Asaduddin Owaisi is taking out a Tiranga Rally in the old city," he said.

Mohammed Khaleel of SRT Colony Yakutpura, who was 10 in 1948, said that they will never forget the military action which was carried out against people. "In my family, no one was ready to go to Pakistan during the partition. My elders said we can't leave Hyderabad because we lived here for generations. Still, they suffered in police action," he said.