Azad: Nation Builder in Independent India

Among the numerous Muslim political figures who joined the mainstream of nationalist politics via the Khilafat movement and rose to prominence, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was perhaps the most remarkable. He was more voluble, more dynamic and far more accommodative in politics than others. Though his allegiance to Islam was unshakable, he ardently advocated for multi-religious cooperation; subscribed to a rationalist view and like Syed Ahmad Khan, he spurned taqlid (blind following) and emphasized that ijtihad (interpretation) was essential to identify feasible solutions to contemporary issues. Through his writings, speeches and line of action, he sharpened the political consciousness of Indian Muslims and tried genuinely to bring them to a common nationalist platform against the British Raj. To him, ‘Hindu-Muslim unity was not only a political necessity but also a religious injunction of the Quran’.¹ Besides, his deep commitment to composite nationalism, his firm opposition to communal forces and his persistent adherence to the vision of a united India gave him a unique advantage over other leaders.