Mohammad Ismail Khan (Indian Politician) - Congress Atrocities

Congress Atrocities

The main sphere of Nawab M. Ismail Khan’s activities was his home region, the United Provinces. There, when the Congress ministry got into the saddle (1937), a wave of atrocities were let loose against the Muslims. It is interesting to mention that in the United Province, the Muslim League held a strong position in the urban areas and so the Congress agreed to fight the elections on a common platform - in return promising to form a coalition with the Muslim League after the election.

But after the elections - in which the Congress had obtained a clear majority - humiliating terms were offered to the Muslim League. Consequently, the Muslim League rejected the terms with all the contempt it deserved. During all this and the trying period that followed, the rein of Muslim leadership in the province was in the safe hands of Nawab M. Ismail Khan. Then commenced those notorious twenty-seven months during which the Congress sat tight on the ministerial throne in the province, in the districts, cities and villages. The strictly monotheistic Muslim children were being compelled to sing the idolatrous poem known as "Vande Matram" and the Gandhi cap was made compulsory for all. On the slightest pretext the Hindu communalists pounced on the innocent Muslims. These events ensued in unrest and fatal riots (1937–1938) in Allahabad, Benares and other districts of the province. All these months, Nawab M. Ismail Khan and the Muslim League remained on the watch and kept the moral uplifted for the Muslims until at last, the day of deliverance arrived and the Congress resigned from the ministry.

These atrocities were not limited to the United Provinces alone. It was the same fate for the Muslims in other provinces also where the Congress was instated the ministerial chair. All these excesses and atrocities were ultimately compiled in the famous Pirpur Report. The report proved beyond any further doubt that the Hindus and the Muslims were two distinct types of people and later could never rely on the former who had exposed themselves fully during their regime.

So universal were the sufferings of the Muslims during the Congress regime in the various provinces that the Muslim League met at Patna in December, 1933, and decided to authorise its Working Committee in order to take measures to resort to direct action if and when necessary. Nawab M. Ismail Khan was appointed the Chairman of the Action Committee as well. He was also the Founder and President of the Unity Board.