शुद्धि के इतिहास का एक विस्मृत पृष्ठ

 

शुद्धि के इतिहास का एक विस्मृत पृष्ठ

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बिड़ला जी ने प्रभावित हो शुद्धि कार्यालय को दिया बड़ा दान

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बिरला लाइंस, दिल्ली में आर्य समाज का भवन तब मात्र एक प्लाट था, जो श्री घनश्याम दास बिरला जी द्वारा आर्य समाज को दानस्वरूप भेंट किया गया था । उसी प्लाट में तब मात्र एक चबूतरा सा ही बना हुआ था , जिस पर नियमित रूप से दैनिक यज्ञ एवं वेदोपदेश होता था । 1966 के दौरान उस चबूतरे पर उस दिन सांध्यकालीन यज्ञ में दो अप्रत्याशित यज्ञमान उत्सुकता और कौतूहल का विषय थे । भीड़ सामान्य दिनों की अपेक्षा कुछ अधिक ही हो चली थी । इतनी बड़ी संख्या से घिरे उस छोटे से चबूतरे पर हो रहे यज्ञ की ओर श्री बिरला जी का ध्यान गया तो उत्सुकतावश वे भी उधर हो लिए ....

परन्तु अब तक यह तो उनके लिए बहुत आश्चर्य और कुछ कुछ समझ से बाहर का विषय हो गया था । चबूतरे पर आर्यों द्वारा हो रहे यज्ञ के दोनों यज्ञमान असामान्य और धारणा के विपरीत वहीं पर ही उन्हीं की बिरला मिल के मुस्लिम कर्मचारी - काले खां और प्यारे खां थे । अपने मुस्लिम कर्मचारियों को आर्य समाज के चबूतरे पर हो रहे यज्ञ में यज्ञमान के रूप में देख कर वे आश्चर्यचकित थे ।

....... परन्तु यह क्या ? यह कोई समय दैनिक यज्ञ न हो कर विशेष यज्ञ हो रहा था , शुद्धिकरण यज्ञ । उसी यज्ञ में यज्ञमान बने बैठे काले खां और प्यारे खां यज्ञ के साथ अपने पूर्वजों के धर्म - सनातन वैदिक धर्म में लौट आए । काले खां, शुद्धि उपरांत कल्याण सिंह बन गए और प्यारे खां, प्यारे लाल बन गए थे । वैदिक धर्म की जय, आर्य समाज अमर रहे के घोष से आकाश गुंजायमान हो रहा था । मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम श्री रामचन्द्र जी, योगेश्वर श्री कृष्ण जी महाराज और महर्षि स्वामी दयानंद सरस्वती जी महाराज, स्वामी श्रद्धानंद जी महाराज की जय के घोष से वहां का वातावरण नव उत्साह का संचार कर रहा था । दोनों यज्ञमान सपरिवार अपने पूर्वजों के धर्म पर लौट चुके थे । 

इसी उत्साहमय वातावरण को अनुभव कर श्री घनश्याम दास बिड़ला जी भी अभिभूत थे । वह आर्य समाज का प्लाट भी उन्हीं की देन था जहां आज कुछेक पीढ़ी पूर्व दो भूले भटके परिवार अब अपने घर वापस लौट चुके थे । बिड़ला जी , यज्ञ के ब्रह्मा और पुरोहित जी के पास गए और इस घटना का विवरण जानने के पश्चात गदगद हो वहीं पर ही दो घोषणाएं कर गए । जब उन्हें पता चला कि यह शुद्धियाँ आर्य समाज की ही संस्था, स्वामी श्रद्धानंद जी द्वारा स्थापित भारतीय हिन्दू शुद्धि सभा के प्रयास से साकार हुई तो वहीं पर ही साथ लगते एक प्लाट को उन्होंने न केवल शुद्धि सभा के नाम कर दिया बल्कि वहां सभा के कार्यालय भवन के निर्माण हेतु आर्थिक योगदान की अपनी पहली आहुति भी दे दी । 

भारतीय हिन्दू शुद्धि सभा का मुख्यालय आज उसी स्थान पर ही कर कार्य कर रहा है ।

- सुभाष दुआ

शुद्धि इतिहास से एक पृष्ठ

 

शुद्धि इतिहास से एक पृष्ठ

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सत्यार्थ प्रकाश का चमत्कारी इतिहास

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सन 1968 की बात है । दिल्ली टेलीफोन में रामचन्द्र के नाम से एक किशोर की भर्ती हुई ही थी । तब रामचन्द्र की  आयु 19 वर्ष की रही होगी । उसी टेलीफोन विभाग के ही  कर्मचारी एक अधेड़ आयु के मोहम्मद अल्लादीन शेख भी थे । ईमान के पक्के और 5 वक्त के नमाज़ी । अपने विभाग में काम से फुर्सत मिलते ही लोगों को इस्लाम की हिदायत देना और इस्लाम की दावत देना उनकी रोजाना की रूटीन में शामिल हो गया था ।

एक दिन वह किशोर रामचन्द्र भी अल्लादीन द्वारा लगाए गए मजमें की भीड़ का हिस्सा बना तो उसने अल्लादीन पर अपनी किशोर बुद्धि के आधार पर सवाल जड़ दिए । सवाल सुनते ही अल्लादीन कुछ देर मौन हो गया और फिर उसी ने ही रामचन्द्र से पूछ लिया कि तुम आर्य समाजी हो क्या ? तुम ने सत्यार्थ प्रकाश पढ़ी ली है क्या ? 

वास्तव में रामचन्द्र न तो उस समय तक आर्य समाजी था और न ही उसने सत्यार्थ प्रकाश का नाम सुना था । हुआ यूं कि रामचन्द्र लगभग उन दिनों एक पुरानी सी किताब पढ़ने में लगा हुआ था जिसके आगे और पीछे के कुछेक पृष्ठ , जिल्द आदि गायब थे । कुशाग्र बुद्धि और तार्किक बुद्धि के रामचन्द्र ने वो पुस्तक पढ़नी शुरू की तो सारे उपलब्ध पन्ने खूब गम्भीरता से पढ़े लिए थे, भले ही वह उस समय उस पुस्तक के सत्यार्थ प्रकाश होने या उसके नाम से अनभिज्ञ था और अल्लादीन को पूछे सवाल उसी किताब के आधार पर थे जिसके आगे अल्लादीन लाजवाब हो गया था । 

फिर क्या था । रामचन्द्र रोज़ रोज़  अल्लादीन पर अपने सवालों की बदौलत अपने महकमें में भी लोकप्रिय सा हो गया । उधर अल्लादीन की चिंता और मायूसी बढ़ने लगी । सवालों पर अल्लादीन की खामोशी उसे सोचने पर मजबूर कर देती थी । संयोग की बात यह थी कि रामचन्द्र का मामा आर्य समाजी था और रामचन्द्र ने कुछ समय पश्चात अपने मामा से ही आर्य समाज और सत्यार्थ प्रकाश के बारे में सब जान लिया था । तब रामचन्द्र को सत्यार्थ प्रकाश की जिल्द सहित नई कॉपी मिल चुकी थी और इस दौरान वह सत्यार्थ प्रकाश को पूरी गम्भीरता से एक बार फिर पढ़ गया था । अल्लादीन और उसके बीच रोज़ रोज़ के सवाल जवाब उन दोनों के बीच नज़दीकियों का हेतु बन गए । दोनों सहकर्मी तो थे ही अब वो उम्र में काफी अंतर होने पर भी मित्रवत से हो चुके थे । हालात तो ऐसे हो गए कि अल्लादीन की बेटी आयशा, जो रामचन्द्र से लगभग दो एक साल छोटी थी रामचन्द्र को चाचा बोलने लगी और दोनों के पारिवारिक सम्बन्ध से बन गए थे । क्योंकि अल्लादीन और रामचन्द्र एक ही महकमें दिल्ली टेलीफोन में थे और भाइयों जैसे समंध बन गए थे इसलिए आयशा भी रामचन्द्र को चाचा कह कर ही संबोधित करती थी ।

अल्लादीन इसी बीच अपनी नौकरी से रिटायर हो गए । रिटायरमेंट के लगभग डेढ़-दो साल बाद आयशा जब मुँह बोले चाचा रामचन्द्र से मिली तो बोली, "चाचा अब तो तुम्हारी वजह से हमने अपनी नमाज़ का ढंग भी बदल लिया है ।" चाचा रामचन्द्र जब यह बात समझ न पाए तो पूछे, "मतलब?" 

तब आयशा ने चेहरे पर रहस्य उद्घाटन करती मुस्कराहट के साथ खुलासा किया, "चाचा अपने पापा नमाज़ की जगह घर में रोज़ संध्या - हवन करते हैं । नमाज़ तो जो पढ़नी थी वो पढ़ ली अब हम सब नमाज़ी से आर्य समाजी बन गए हैं ।" रामचन्द्र ने घर परिवार का हाल चाल पूछा तो पता लगा कि नई पीढ़ी अर्थात अल्लादीन के पौते - पौतियों के नाम भी अरबी भाषा की बजाए हिंदी भाषी भारतीय नाम ही रखे गए हैं । 

फिर दोनों परिवारों में मधुर संबंध चलते रहे । सन 1981-82 तक दोनों परिवारों में सम्बन्ध बने रहे परन्तु उसके बाद संपर्क कुछ कम सा रहा । 

इधर रामचन्द्र भी एक सुदृढ़ आर्य समाजी बनने के बादऔर स्वाध्याय के पथ पर आगे बढ़ते रहे । धीरे धीरे उनका वैदुष्य निखरता चला गया । आज वे आर्य जगत में  आचार्य श्री राम चन्द्र आर्य के नाम से प्रसिद्ध हैं । वानप्रस्थ आश्रम , ज्वालापुर ( हरिद्वार) में निवास के साथ साथ वे गुरुकुल नजीबाबाद आदि में भी बीच बीच में अपने स्वाध्याय से वैदिक मत के प्रसार में लगे रहते हैं ।

(उपरोक्त घटना आचार्य श्री रामचन्द्र आर्य जी ने स्वयं ही हाल ही में गुरुकुल नजीबाद में मेरे प्रवास के दौरान मुझे बताई थी, जिसके आधार पर मैंने यह लिखा है - सुभाष दुआ, 31.01.2022 )

Gandhi double stand on Mahashya Rajpal vs Ilamdin: Question raised by Veer Savarkar

 

Gandhi double stand on Mahashya Rajpal vs Ilamdin: Question raised by Veer Savarkar

Dr Vivek Arya

Gandhi remained silent when murderer of Rajpal, Ilamdin, was hailed in his community as a Ghazi or martyr. But when Rajpal was praised as a Dharamveer (Religious Hero) as he allegedly published the controversial pamphlet in protest against a Muslim slogan ‘Kishan teri Gita jalani padegi' (Krishna, we will need to burn your Gita), Gandhi was upset about it. Writing in this piece dated 30 November 1929, Veer Savarkar said:

'But while the two lakh Muslim Ghazis were making a martyr out of Illamuddin, how has all that noise not cracked out Mahatma Gandhi's a meditative pose even a bit? If it is unbreakable, then when Rajpal’s body was taken out in a procession and people were shouting 'Dharamveer (Religious Hero) Rajpal ki Jay' this memorial came out lashing and like the bellows of the blacksmith forged ahead to bite the procession like a snake. Rajpal's body was not being released, but the Hindus undeterred by the lathi charge of the Police got hold of the body. The vhole of the Hindu Lahore was showering flowers on Rajpal’s body and shouting ‘Rajpal ki Jay', the Muslims imitated the same and called Illamuddin Ghazi'. Out of these both shouts, actually Illamuddin was a murderer and he had actually stabbed and killed, seeing this any nonviolent person should have felt disgust towards this procession; but no! Mahatma Gandhi did not feel any disgust towards it. He did not accuse the Muslims of anything or write a single word against them other than calling him a Ghazi; but when Rajpal was given the title Dharamveer (Religious Hero), his meditation and peace was shattered so much so that he could angrily abuse the Hindus. He said, the readers of Maharashtra may not know this but I will tell you a story that may hurt the Hindus of Punjab—Gandhiji angrily said, Rajpal is just a bookseller. He printed a book that would hurt the Muslim mentality. That is why he was killed, what great religious bravery did he show in that? The books he had printed were all sold out, that means he suffered no loss, then what selfless act did he do? ... As Rajpal's book was being sold, even if he was dying for his religion, you should not call him a Martyr. Then when all of Gandhiji's books are sold and especially the Young India' is running on subscriptions then why should we call him Mahatma? The shameless comment of Rajpal died due to his business, tomorrow will go ahead and say that Tilak also was imprisoned, punished due to his business—of Kesari Newspaperthen why call him Lokmanya?

[Reproduced from book on Veer Savarkar by Vikram Sampath]

What Dr Ambedkar replied when Gandhi addressed Abdul Rashid, killer of Swami Shraddhanand as Brother?

 

What Dr Ambedkar replied when Gandhi addressed Abdul Rashid, killer of Swami Shraddhanand as Brother?

Dr Vivek Arya

Dr Ambedkar mentioned that it did not matter whether the number of prominent Hindus killed by fanatics among the Muslims was large or small. What mattered more was “the attitude of those who count, towards these murderers'. The murderers of course received the penalty under the law, as they rightly deserved. But Ambedkar was upset that influential figures in the Congress or among the Muslims ‘never condemned these criminals'. He drew the attention to a Times of India article dated 30 November 1927 that brought to light a dangerous trend:

It is reported that for earning merit for the soul of Abdul Rashid, the murderer of Swami Shradhanand, in the next world, the students and professors of the famous theological college at Deoband finished five complete recitations of the Koran and had planned to finish daily a lakh and a quarter recitations of Koranic verses. Their prayer was 'God Almighty may give the marhoom (martyr i.e. Rashid) a place in the "ala-e-illeeyeen” (the summit of the seventh heaven)'

What is not understandable is the attitude of Mr. Gandhi. Mr. Gandhi has been very punctilious in the manner of condemning any and every act of violence and has forced the Congress, much against its will, to condemn it. But Mr. Gandhi has never protested against such murders. Not only have the Musalmans not condemned these outrages, but even Mr. Gandhi has never called upon the leading Muslims to condemn them. He has kept silent over them. Such an attitude can be explained only on the ground that Mr. Gandhi was anxious to preserve Hindu Moslem unity and did not mind the murder of a few Hindus, if it could be achieved by sacrificing their lives.?

Reproduced from Veer Savarkar by Vikram Sampath

What Savarkar replied when Gandhi addressed Abdul Rashid, killer of Swami Shraddhanand as Brother?

 

What Savarkar replied when Gandhi addressed Abdul Rashid, killer of Swami Shraddhanand as Brother?

Dr Vivek Arya

Savarkar was disgusted by Gandhi's rationalization of it and the absence of an unequivocal condemnation. In a sharp riposte to these utterances of Gandhi, Savarkar wrote an essay titled "Gandhiji and the Innocent Hindus' on 10 February 1927. Condemning the addressing mode of 'brother' for a violent assassin, Savarkar said that it was alarming that the Hindu community had quietly decided to follow Gandhi's dictates. ‘All the world is after all a stage and every man an actor. So one has to live up to the role that one has donned. Given that he has donned the role of a Mahatma, a great soul, he has to buttress it with such classic dialogues. He is not a man of common abilities, like a Shivaji or a Ramdas, but a great Mahatma! With this sarcastic take, while he rationalized the need for Gandhi to take such irrational, moral high grounds even on a matter as heinous as murder, he wondered why the Hindus had to blindly follow all his edicts. Why did Gandhi, who was so eager to call Abdul Rashid a 'dear brother', not address the eighteen-yearold Bengali revolutionary Gopinath Saha too as a brother, he questioned. On 12 January 1924, Saha had attempted to murder Charles Tegart, the then head of the Detective Department of Calcutta Police. His attempt failed and he erroneously ended up killing a European civilian, Ernest Day, whom we mistook for Tegart. Saha was arrested and hanged in March 1924. When C.R. Das had tried to express some sympathy for this young man, Gandhi had leapt at him with ferocity that such violent acts could not be condoned. Could Gopinath have been a “dear brother” too?' asked Savarkar.

Answering his own question, Savarkar said, 'Oh! Innocent Hindus! Why do we even ask such a query of the Mahatma? Gopinath was a Hindu and a dastardly assassin. Does supporting a Hindu assassin befit the status of a great Mahatma? Certainly not! So it was but natural for him to reprimand C.R. Das for taking a lead on expressing love for a Hindu. How dare he, after all!' Gopinath, according to Savarkar, had made another cardinal mistake, in addition to having been unfortunately a Hindu—he had not murdered a Hindu saint. To take the side of an assassin, a Hindu at that, and of a British to moot, is blasphemy not just for a “Deshbandu” C.R. Das, but for the veritable Mahatma ji too. From the Indian Penal Code to Special Ordinance Acts and all our religious scriptures, which tenet can support such a sacrilege? But how will these foolish Hindus ever understand such lofty principles!

Savarkar further postulated that Gandhi's calling the Muslims his own blood relatives in the context of this assassination was also true and correct. Most of them, being converts, had Hindu blood in them after all. Moreover Muslims being human beings like the Hindus, the same human ood flowed in all of But then just last year when a young revolutionary Hindu had asked Gandhi in Young India whether we had the blood of brave warriors like Shivaji and Rana Pratap running in our veins, Gandhi had totally denounced the idea. Savarkar said that Gandhi had then remarked that “this was impossible. There are so many castes among Hindus. Hence the blood of a Rajput or Maratha cannot be the same as a Brahmin or a Bania.' Poking fun at Gandhi, Savarkar wrote:

It is after all quite understandable. To declare that I share the blood of warriors like Shivaji, Rana Pratap, Guru Gobind Singh is such a pedestrian thought and where is the elevation to a ‘Mahatma’ status in such loose talk? But it is the hallmark of a saintly Mahatma to say the blood that shed the 'Hindu blood, that too of a saint, is that of my own sibling ... how do we ordinary mortals know the ways of Mahatmas? Else, we could find some rationale as to why a great soul who advises us not to pick up arms against a person who has raped our sisters as that is not ahimsa (non-violence), had no qualms recruiting Indians into the British army to kill Germans (in the First World War). But we are thickheaded commoners, and Hindus at that; how are we to understand all these esoteric matters. We just need to keep shut and follow the diktats."

Reproduced from Vikram Sampath epic work Veer Savarkar.

Meeting between Veer Savarkar and Maulana Shaukat Ali: A clear demonstration of Muslim Psyche in India

 

Meeting between Veer Savarkar and Maulana Shaukat Ali: A clear demonstration of Muslim Psyche in India

[Reproduced from Savarkar A contested Legacy 1924-1966 by Vikram Sampath page no. 17-23 by Dr Vivek Arya]

           While in Bombay, Gandhi's close associate, Maulana Shaukat Ali of the Khilafat fame, called on him. The meeting was reported in detail in special issues of Lokamanya and the Mahratta dated 25 February 1925. The animated discussion that the duo had presents a fascinating picture of the mood of the nation and its religious leadership at that time. Hence it is reproduced here exactly as it transpired.

Shaukat Ali: I hope you received the message that I sent across to you earlier?

Savarkar: Yes, indeed. And for the cause of Hindu-Muslim unity, I have set aside the issue that you consider contentious—that of Hindu sangathan [unity].

SA: Oh that's wonderful news! We have striven so hard to attain HinduMuslim unity. In the wake of that, this sangathan campaign unnecessarily vitiates the atmosphere. The Muslim community automatically asks leaders like me that if the Hindus are going to unify, so are we. Hence for the sake of swaraj and for the cause of our helpless nation, it is best if all Hindus count themselves only as Indians and forget these religious differences. It always pained me that a patriot like you who has suffered so much for the cause of the nation's freedom is unnecessarily getting embroiled in all these communal issues. Now that you say you have eschewed it, it is a big relief for me!

S: What you say is absolutely true, Maulana Sahab. However, I have not publicized my announcement to abandon the sangathan movement only in anticipation of a single commitment from you.

SA: And what is that?

S: I wish to know from you when you plan to abandon the Khilafat movement and All-Ulema movement? Once I know that, I will immediately give up my movement too.

SA (angrily): How is that possible? Be practical and think coolly. A foreign force has occupied us and is hell-bent on ruining both our communities. In such a scenario, instead of uniting, if you organize these sangathan movements, how can we face the external challenge? And do please remember that all through history, you Hindus have always been defeated by Muslim forces. So let us not create false equivalences here. Joining hands with the Muslims is the only way out for Hindus if they wish freedom.

S: This conversation is going nowhere. I am not permitted to dabble in politics. Hence I will not get into political discourses. Just suffice it to say that even before you and people like you began public careers, several of my comrades and I were neck-deep into revolutions and political life. Hence lessons to us on politics might be unnecessary. Secondly, regarding history, you must know that Arabia might have had a thousand-year history, but not Hindustan. And each time, we have been beaten, we have given it back with interest. From Attock to Rameswaram it was the Marathas who held sway over India, snatching from the Mughal. Bence let us not get into all these polemics. Just answer the limited question that I have asked about when you plan to abandon Khilafat and Olema movements.

SA: Look, we never conducted the Khilafat in secrecy. Hindus have nothing to fear from it as it is being led by a Hindu after all (Gandhi).

S: Possible. If Khilafat is not supposed to be dangerous because it is led by a Hindu, why should Hindu sangathan which is also led by a Hindu become dangerous? You are saying that the Hindus need to trust the Khilafat only because it has a Hindu leadership and the movement on the other hand is not trustworthy only because it has not got a Muslim to lead it. I ask you that when for the sake of communal unity and for the country the Hindus disregarded their apprehensions and lent their support to the Khilafat in their thousands, why can we not find even a handful of Muslims who, for the sake of the same unity and nation, support a Hindu sangathan movement too? In fact in gratitude towards the Hindus for standing with them, shoulder to shoulder, for a cause that is dear to them, the Muslims too must reciprocate and lend their support to Hindu unity. Where has there been any secrecy in sangathan, just as you claim there is none in Khilafat? It is no secret society. Instead of looking into the surreptitious nature of the Aga Khan mission or Hasan Nizami mission, why do you advise Hindus? Whatever happened in Malabar, Gulbarga, Kohat...

SA (interrupting): What happened in Kohat? Hindus have not complained, please ask Gandhi.

S: Let us not bring Gandhi into this. He has given several statements, which are quite economical with the truth even in the past. During the Malabar riots he did mention that just one Hindu was converted forcibly. The facts staring us in the face say otherwise. Hence I will not take into account his statements at all. I think we are going around in circles. Kindly answer me whether for the sake of the country and its unity you will completely eschew divisive movements like Khilafat and those that forcibly convert Hindus. The very next moment I pledge to wind up the sangathan and will prevail upon all my colleagues to do the same.

SA: But preaching our religion to Hindus is an integral part of our faith. Just this morning I met a young man who told me that last night he had a dream where God Almighty appeared and advised him to save himself by becoming a Muslim. I immediately directed him to the nearest mosque so that he could convert. Now this is no coercion; people are taking up the true faith out of their own enlightenment.

S: Okay, let me agree with you for a moment. Likewise, tomorrow if a Muslim young man comes to me and narrates his dream where he was guided to become a Hindu, why can I not use shuddhi to make him one? After all that is what is shuddhi, there is no coercion here too, it is completely voluntary.

SA (angrily): Fine, you carry on with your shuddhi, and we will with our tabligh (conversion). Let's see who wins. We are one unit; we do not have the scourge of castes and untouchability or regional differences like your community.

S: No provincial differences? It was by taking advantage of the differences between Durrani and Mughal Muslims, southern and northern Muslims and Sheikh and Sayyid Muslims that the Marathas overthrew the Mughal Empire. Shia-Sunni riots are a hundred times more violent and prevalent than Shaiva-Vaishnava ones that do not happen. The Sunnis recently killed an Ahmadi Muslim in Kabul by stoning him. The Bahavis think all other denominations of Muslims are worthy only of being killed or condemned to hellfire. Speaking of untouchability, I know of several Bhangi Muslims who are not allowed to touch the water of other Muslims or offer prayers mosques with their co-religionists. In Travancore, a riot recently occurred between touchable and untouchable Christians. Maulana Sahab, the hearths of all houses are made of the same brick! I am a little aware of Muslim theology, history and literature. Hence I can confidently make these assertions to that united force of 7 crore Muslims, how did the Hindu Marathas overthrow you? How did the British manage to take over India? 

SA: It is this arrogance of you Maharashtrians that comes in the way of any logical explanation by me for the larger picture of the country. You Marathas do not consider this country as yours or as one, else, for the sake of its unity you would have accepted my suggestion of abandoning these divisive and communal movements just as other provinces have so readily done.

S: I think you are unnece ecessarily blaming Maharashtrians. The battle of Shivaji was not just for the Marathas, but for the whole Bharatvarsha. From the last two decades and more, the flag of struggle that we have unfurled is also for the country. Have Ranade, Gokhale or Tilak fought only for Maharashtra? All the major political and revolutionary movements in the country in the last fifty years have come from this soil. Bengal was partitioned. But did Maharashtra not stand in strong protest and suffer that as though she herself had been vivisected? We protested and grieved with Punjab when the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh happened. These are no favours that we have done; it is our sacred duty to stand with all our brethren and countrymen wherever and whenever they are in peril. Hence it is utterly ungrateful of you to not acknowledge this and rather make such atrocious allegations against Maharashtra. Secondly, you said that you are all the leaders of the united Muslim community and that the community does nothing without your orders. So did the riots in Malabar, Kohat, Delhi, Gulbarga—all of which were accompanied by the desecration of our temples and the piteous rape of our womentoo happen under your instructions? If not, how can you claim that you represent that community or that they listen to you?

SA: We were jailed then and in our absence, the Muslim community became disillusioned, directionless and impatient.

S: But you were out of jail when the riots in Kohat, Delhi and Gulbarga happened. When such heinous and barbaric crimes are meted on us Hindus, how can we trust that your words and advice will assuage the rioters and they will give up the violence? Tomorrow, if and when you or I die, what would happen to the interactions between the two communities? Our organization is not against you or anybody else. It is only for self-defence and protection against any kind of atrocity that we might face now or in future. As long as the Hindu sangathan movement is not violent, aggressive, usurping of your rights, property or life and as long as it stands for truth and self-pro on, why should anyone have a grouse with it? As long as all these communal movements and missions of Aga Khan, Hasan Nizami or Khilafat carry on; as thousands of Hindus are forcibly coerced and converted, as long as Urdu newspapers openly proclaim the agenda to mass-convert Hindus in the next 5–10 years, advising Hindus to give up any attempts to organize and protect themselves for the sake of some mirage that you call national unity is utter hypocrisy.

SA: But you do realize that you polarize the minds of Muslims with your activities. Muslims have been converting Hindus for such a long time. It is not a new thing that has come up now. It is your shuddhi that is a new phenomenon that sows seeds of discord amidst tranquil society. Isn't it blatantly anti-Muslim?

S: But whose fault is this, Maulana Sahab? If a religion as tolerant and peace-loving as Hinduism—that never proselytized anyone forcibly and even forgave or forgot the coercive and violent attempts made on its faith—has to today take the help of shuddhi, where should the blame lie? On the victim or the aggressor? Till date we trusted people and kept the doors of our houses open. Thieves from across the world came in and looted our possessions. Today we have gathered some sense, become alert and have decided to keep our doors locked. And if the same dacoits come and tell us, We have been looting for so long, putting a lock on your doors is being unfair to us and this will spoil relationships between us', what are we to reply? Such a lethal unity is best broken in my view. Secondly, Christian, Parsi, Jew and other communities too have their sangathans and unions. Why doesn't that pinch the Muslim psyche as much? Isn't it logical to assume that Hindu sangathan harms some selfish political and religious interests of the Muslim leadership? Hence I asked you so many times about when will abandon your movements and till now you have evaded a direct reply. 

SA (angrily): We will not leave it. There is nothing anti-Hindu in it.

S: Good, then we too will not leave our movement. Our movement is not only not anti-Muslim, it has no angst against any communityChristian, Jew, Parsi or whoever else. Our movement believes that you have every right to organize yourself as a community. Just stop being aggressive predators. We have no such intentions and want to peacefully coexist with you in this country, which belongs to all of us. Just as Islam and Christianity proselytize a faith that they dearly believe to be the only true word, we Hindus too have a right to propagate a faith that we have come to believe for thousands of years and for generations—and that too not with a knife held to someone's throat. We are organizing ourselves only to protect our community from any aggression. Self-protection is the natural right of any society. With no concern for religions, and believing in universal humanity, our movement believes in holding hands with everyone on the basis of One God, One Church, One Language, One prayer and the sanctity of our motherland.

With this, the heated discussion between the two ended inconclusively.

THE IMPACT OF MUGHAL RULE IN INDIA PART 3

 

THE IMPACT OF MUGHAL RULE IN INDIA PART 3

KHALID UMAR

5- THE REALITY OF THE SUFI ISLAM

Popular media (Bollywood movies, music) promotes Sufism as a spiritual, peaceful, mystical brand of Islam. Is it really so? I always thought that if that is the case why SUFI SAINTS had deep connection with the KINGS. Why were they in cahoots with the rulers? Was not it a typical Church and State relationship or something more sinister than that? How peace and aggression can be partners?

Two of the most respected Sufis shrines in India are Nizamuddin Auliya (Delhi) and Moinuddin Chishti (Ajmer) and in Pakistan they are Syed Ali Hajweri aka Data Ganj Bakhsh (Lahore) and Baba Farid Ganjshaker (Pakpattan). All of them had connections with the invaders.

SUFI SAINTS TIME-LINE

The Time-Line of Muslim Sufi saints coincides with the advent of militant excursions on INDIA.

Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered Lahore in 1024 and made it its Eastern capital. In 1025-26 he raided Somnath. In 1039, Ali Hajweri (called Data Ganj Bakhsh) arrives in Lahore and died there in 1072. He predates the establishment of Sufi order in the subcontinent. The founder of the Chisti Sufi order, Baba Farid Ganjshaker (born 1175) who predates the Mughal dynasty (established: 1526) married the daughter of the emperor Nasir-ul-Din Balban of the Mamluk Dynasty of the rulers of Delhi. He is the first Punjabi Sufi poet and much revered by the Sikhs. In 1186, Ghoris capture Lahore and 1192, Moin Uddin Chisti arrives, the same year Prithaviraj Chauhan, the representative name of the pre-Islamic Indian power, was defeated. The unmasked reality is that Moinuddin Chishti came to India with the invading army of Mohammad Ghori and helped them in their jihαd. According to the claims in the Sufi literature, it was Moinuddin Chishti himself who captured Prithviraj Chauhan in the battle of Tarain and “handed him over to the army of Islam”. It is considered that Ajmer Sharif Dargah was built on the site of a Mahadeva temple. Ajmer was the capital of the Pirthavi Raj Chauhan. The Buland Darwaza has sculpted idols. Similarly, Nizamuddin Aulia fought for Sultan Alauddin.

Since Akbar came praying to the shrine for a son; the stream of pilgrimage to Ajmer has never subsided. The saint’s mausoleum witnessed the pilgrimage of Indira Gandhi and Pakistani president Asif Zardari as well. It is estimated that 20,000 people visit every day.

IS SUFI ISLAM SYMBOL OF DIVERSITY

Today, Sufism is celebrated as an ethos of diversity as Hindus also revere the saint. I am not against the social cohesion but understanding the history is a must. We must not ignore the context of the arrival of Sufism in India and how it was a channel of conversion by force and persuasion. Conversion, be coercive or sublime, attacks the core value of diversity by trying to thrust people to one singular identity of faith – Islamism.

6- CONCLUSION

This FB post of course can’t be a comprehensive or conclusive treatise of the Mughal empire, but a glimpse from the history of Islamic rule in India, traced through verifiable sources and first hand accounts of those who saw the events themselves.

I sincerely believe that the truth of the torture and horror of the Mughal period has been compromised under the political correctness of secularism. Do we really believe that the pain, torture, killings, humiliation, hunger, trauma, death, slavery, which our ancestors faced does not survive in the collective subconscious of the society? Can one sided propaganda spewed though media, curriculum, movies and dramas would resolve the pain.

Hiding the truth is not the solution but a national truth and reconciliation program is the answer to resolve the conflict left over from our past. That is what can bring an everlasting peace in the society.

PART 3/3

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THE IMPACT OF THE MUGHALS ON TODAY'S INDIA PART 2

 

THE IMPACT OF THE MUGHALS ON TODAY'S INDIA

PART 2

Khalid Umar 

HOW THE WORLD'S TRAVELLERS FOUND MUGHAL RULE:

Ibn Battuta who travelled in India extensively.

During his visits he found villages after villages deserted. Nature’s ravages or man’s atrocities might have made them flee, or more probably they would have been enslaved and converted, or just carried away. But the fact of habitations being completely deserted shows that large groups suffered together and did not forsake one another in times of trial and tribulation. This factor swelled the number of slaves.

Given the fact that Mughals practised and encouraged slavery as a religious diktat and indulged in slave trade which is antithesis of culture and ethos of India and Hinduism. But this aspect has been relegated under the carpet by the historians, writers, film makers, to glorify Mughals who not only practised slavery in India but sent countrymen as slaves to Arabia.

2- THE DESTRUCTION OF CITIES & COUNTRYSIDE:

Historical evidence does not show that Mughals were builders of cities. We find from the accounts of travellers during the Mughal period that contrary to the popular belief that the Mughals developed cities, they in fact depopulated them and created army cantonments.

EVIDENCE OF THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO INDIA

402 years ago, Sir Thomas Roe, a merchant diplomat with the East India Company was England’s first official ambassador to India returned to England. Roe arrived at the port of Surat in September 1615 with a letter from King James I to the then reigning Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, seeking a trade agreement. He remained there for 4 years.

I recently read his book, “the Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 1615-1619” and its astonishing. Throughout his travels, Ambassador Roe maintained a fascinating record of his exploits in his memoirs. A manuscript of his memoirs and letters is held at the British Museum Library.

Sir Thomas Roe noted, “present Mughal Emperor Jahangir has ruined Indian cities, depopulated them and also issued orders not to allow the repair of the destruction done….. Jahangir seeks to destroy everything that hasn’t already been destroyed by his ancestors.” Commenting on the living conditions of ordinary Indians, he writes, “Indians live in mud houses which are not fit for living while Jahangir lives in a lavish stone house…. There is no law of inheritance, Jahangir owns all property and wealth and only leaves what he wishes… There is no written law and the king rules by his own word… poor men build their houses of reed and canes for want of timber..… Yet it cannot be denied that this King is one of the mightiest Princes in Asia, as well in extent of territory equal to the Turk, far exceeding the Persian…. But the Governance so uncertain, without written law, without Police, the Customs mingled with barbarism, religions infinite, the buildings of mud (except the Kings houses and some few others)..

That much for the Mughal’s care for their subjects when they were at their zenith.

PLUNDER OF INDIANS WEALTH

While Mughal emperors were destroying and renaming of Indian cities, they were also sending money out of India especially to the Turkish Caliph to solidify their position in the Islamic world power hierarchy.

Emperor Babur writes in his autobiography Baburnama: “Suitable money gifts were bestowed from the treasury on the whole army, to every tribe there was, Afghan, Hazara, Arab, Balluch etc. to each according to its position. Every trader and student, indeed every man who had come with the army, took ample portion and share of bounteous gift and largess”.

In 1576, a Mughal Haj caravan left Agra with its party of sponsored pilgrims and an enormous donation of Rs 600,000. In 1577, another Haj caravan left with a double bounty of Rs 500,000 and Rs 100,000 for the Sharif of Mecca, who was a descendant of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hasan ibn Ali. In just one instance in 1659, Aurangzeb exported to Mecca Rs 660,000 in an era when one rupee was worth 280 kilograms of rice. This same Aurangzeb hanged to trees all Indian peasants who had defaulted on their taxes.

3- THE CONSTRUCTING OF ISLAMIC STRUCTURES BY THE DESTROYING OF HINDU MONUMENTS BY MUGHALS

Mughal era monuments are pointed out by liberals as adding value and diversity to the Indian culture. Taj Mahal is the often cited example which in my opinion is not the defining symbol of Indian architecture. If you really want to see the Indian Architecture, then there are thousands of temples. If you want to see the engineering marvel then visit Kailash Temple at Ellora Caves, or Ajanta caves painting or Kanheri caves.

Even, Taj Mahal was not conceived as a public architecture, as till the Mughal rule it was a private to the court. It is more of an example of the apathy of the rulers that when when Shah Jahan started building Taj Mahal (1632) millions were dying due to food shortages in which, according to the Dutch report 7.4 million people perished. Read about the Deccan Famine (1630-32).

4- DESTRUCTION OF INDIGENOUS ART & CULTURE:

Mughals destroyed the Hindu Architecture and replaced it their own monuments. The scars Mughals left on the society can be seen still ongoing court cases. The most recent one concluded is the Ram Janambhoomi (Babri mosque). Other notable examples are Somnath Temple, Kashi Vishwanath, Krishna Janam bhoomi and Jagannath Puri which were destroyed on the orders of Mughal emperors, and in many of these places the Islamic structures still stand. An estimate says that over 40,000 Hindu monuments were destroyed during the Islamic invasion of India. It was not only destruction of places of worship but Hindu culture as well. As temples have always been a centre of cultural activity.

PART 2/3

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THE IMPACT OF THE MUGHALS ON TODAY'S INDIA PART 1

 

THE IMPACT OF THE MUGHALS ON TODAY’S INDIA

PART 1

Khalid Umar

Mughal dynasty ruled India from 1526 to 1857. It has left indelible marks on the subcontinent in terms of its material progress, ethnic harmony & interracial relationships.

Indian cinema popular movies (e.g., Jodha Akbar) represented Mughals as benign invaders who loved, adopted and settled in India. This is a view commonly popular among a section of historians, the left and the liberals.

I tend to disagree and I believe that Mughals did not stay here for the love of the land but for the material gains, wealth and resources of India for the following reasons.

INDIA BEFORE THE ISLAMIC CONQUESTS

For centuries before the Islamic invasion of India, India had seats of higher learning such as Nalanda and Taxila where scholars from all the over the world converged. Historical evidence tells us that everyone lived in peaceful coexistence in India. It is not surprising that Parsis, Jews, the family of the Prophet Mohammad sought refuge in India.

In fact, the first mosque ever built outside Arabia was in India in 629 AD at Kodungallur in Kerala's Thrissur district. It was built in the life of Muhammad. Note that the first mosque of Islam was built in Medina in the year 622 AD. The same Muslims when invaded India razed thousands of Mandirs to build their mosques.

SUMMARY OF THE CASE AGAINST MUGHALS

The Atrocities Perpetrated by the Mughals on India are horrendous. From the slaughtering of the Sikh gurus to the trampling of Indian fighters under an elephant, the countless conversions, payments of jazia, hangings of farmers, etc. the Mughal period was full of atrocities and injustice. I will try to cover a few.

1- HINDU SLAVERY

When the Mughals launched their conquest of India, the Ottoman Empire in Turkey was its zenith and it included present-day Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania and several other contiguous countries. Then there was the Safavid empire in Iran. The Ottoman Empire traded with Europe and imported stock of slaves from Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkish Central Asia. The Mughals of India had very close contacts with the Turkish Ottoman and Iranian Safavid empires.

As the religion of Mughals permitted slavery, they indulged in large scale slavery of Indians.

1. Mughal general, Firuz Jang enslaved 200,000 Hindus.

2. Akbar’s general, Abdulla Khan Uzbeg enslaved 50,000 men and women.

3. Jahangir sent 200,000 Indians as slaves to Iran in 1619–20 alone.

4. Shah Jahan sent 100 Hindu slaves as a gift to the Khan of Bukhara.

5. Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb clearly laid down rules for slavery in Fatawa-e-Alamgiri.

Which permitted

a) The right of Muslims to purchase and own slaves;

b) the Muslim man’s right to have sex with a slave girl he owns or is owned by another Muslim (with the master’s consent);

c) no inheritance rights for slaves;

d)the testimony of slaves was not admissible in any court of law;

e) slaves require the permission of the master before they can marry; and

f) an unmarried Muslim may marry a slave he owns but a Muslim married to a Muslim woman may not marry a slave.

So, throughout the Mughal period not only was slavery practised by Mughals within India, but Indians were also sent as slaves to the Caliph in Arabia.

SWORD, SPERM & SLAVERY:

Apart from, sword, sperm and slavery, the fourth tactic was economic sanctions on infidels; Jazya.

Emperor Aurangzeb inflicted a lot of regressive tactics upon non Muslims and was actively responsible for the forced conversions in his era. Many of his tactics were economically depriving. He ordered to expel all Hindus working at the royal court. They were given the option to convert to Islam in order to save their livelihood. He also offered money to non Muslims to convert to Islam, which was Rs. 4 for males and Rs. 2 for females. This was equivalent to a month’s salary at that time.

Part 1/3

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अतीत के अवलोकन में पानीपत में आर्यसमाज

 

अतीत के अवलोकन में पानीपत में आर्यसमाज

 

 

हरियाणा प्रान्त में आर्यसमाज का सबसे अधिक प्रचार हुआ। शहरी से लेकर ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों तक वैदिक विचारधारा का प्रचार हुआ जिसमें आर्य सन्यासियों, आर्य प्रचारकों, भजन उपदेशकों, गुरुकुलों आदि का अभिन्न योगदान रहा। पानीपत आर्यसमाज आज आर्यसमाज का मजबूत स्तंभ है। इसका इतिहास भी उतना ही रोमांचक है।  स्वामी दयानन्द के जीवनी के अनुसार स्वामी जी अपने जीवन काल में अम्बाला और रिवाड़ी में प्रचार के लिए पधारे थे। दिल्ली से लाहौर जाते समय पानीपत में वो बहुत अल्प समय के लिए  डाक गाड़ी से जाते हुए रुके थे। उस समय पानीपत के राय बहादुर ने उनकी आकर्षक छवि से प्रभावित होकर उन्हें पानीपत आगमन का निवेदन किया तो आपने उत्तर दिया था कि बस्ती छोटी है, कार्य अधिक हैं।  इतना अवकाश नहीं हैं।  जून 1883 में स्वामी  ईश्वरानन्द सरस्वती का पानीपत आगमन हुआ। आपका स्वामी दयानन्द के साथ पत्र व्यवहार था। आपने स्वामी जी से सत्यार्थ प्रकाश, संध्या हवन आदि पुस्तकें भी मंगवाई। आपके प्रचार से कुछ जन वैदिक धर्मी बन गए और आर्यसमाज पानीपत की स्थापना 26 सितम्बर 1883 को हुई थी। आर्यसमाज की स्थापना का सनातन धर्मियों विशेष रूप से ब्राह्मणों ने कट्टर विरोध किया था। आर्यसमाज ने जनजागरण अभियान के अंतर्गत जातिभेद को अमान्य बताते हुए सभी को यज्ञोपवीत धारण करने, गायत्री मंत्र पढ़ने, यज्ञ करने का अधिकार दिया तो पौराणिक खेमे में खलबली मच गई। लाला योगध्यान ने जनेऊ धारण किया तो उनके बड़े भाई रायजादा लाला शहजाद राय ने पुलिस में शिकायत कर दी। बिरादरी की पंचायत कर आर्यों के विवाह और अन्य सामाजिक रस्मों में सम्मिलित होने से लोगों को रोका गया। पंडित वर्ग सत्य को जानते हुए भी मुहूर्त, श्राद्ध व्रत-पूजा आदि के नाम पर जो आमदनी करता था। उसे उसके रुकने का खतरा था। अपने बीमार पिता का मृत्यु उपरांत वैदिक रीति से दाह संस्कार करने का संकल्प लेने पर लाला हरगुलाम सिंह को पंचायत ने बिरादरी से निकाल का डर दिखाया गया। मृत्यु पश्चात यह उड़ा दिया गया कि आर्य अपने परिवार जनों की लाश को तेल में भून कर खाते हैं। आखिर में पुलिस और भारी भीड़ की उपस्थिति में दाह संस्कार हुआ तो उसका अच्छा प्रभाव जनमानस पर पड़ा। अन्य सभासद लाला कांशीराम के भतीजे के विवाह के अवसर पर विघ्न डालने का प्रयास क्या गया। पं रतिराम जी और उनकी पत्नी का अकस्मात् देहांत प्लेग से हो गया। उन्होंने मृत्यु से पहले अपनी संपत्ति आर्यसमाज को उनके सेवा कार्य देखकर दान कर दी थी। उनके रिश्तेदारों ने कोर्ट में केस कर दिया जो लाहौर कोर्ट में गया। आर्यसमाजी वकील चौ रामभजदत्त अधिवक्ता ने बिना कोई शुल्क लिए मुकदमा लड़कर आर्यों को विजय दिलाई। 1907 में लाला लाजपतराय के देश निष्कासन के समय पानीपत आर्यसमाज के साप्ताहिक सत्संग पर पुलिस के गुप्तचरों की निगरानी रही। 1909 के पटियाला अभियोग के समय भी यही स्थिति बनी रही।  लाला जीताराम जी लोहे वाले का जन्मपत्री आदि पर बड़ा विश्वास था। उनके पुत्र हुआ जिसका नाम उन्होंने जगदीश रखा।  अकस्मात उनके प्रिय पुत्र की मृत्यु हो गई। उनका बड़े बड़े दावे करने वाली जन्मपत्री रूपी अन्धविश्वास से विश्वास उठ गया और वे आर्य बन गए। पानीपत के विशाल देवी मंदिर को पौराणिक साधुओं ने चिलम के धुंए से प्रदूषित कर रखा था। आर्यों ने इसकी शिकायत मंदिर चलाने वाले वैश्यों से की तो उन्होंने ध्यान नहीं दिया। आर्यों ने रतिराम आर्य वाटिका के नाम से एक उद्यान का निर्माण किया जिसमें प्रतिदिन शुद्ध वायु ग्रहण करने, यज्ञ, हवन, संध्या , उपासना करने सैकड़ों लोग आते। एक अखाड़ा भी शारीरिक निर्माण के लिए स्थापित किया गया जिसमें बिना जातिभेद के कुश्ती सिखाई जाती। आरम्भिक हिचकीचाहट के बाद अछूतों के बच्चों को सवर्णों के साथ कुश्ती और स्नान आरम्भ हो गया और जातिवाद को अखाड़े की मिट्टी में दफन कर दिया गया। 19 जनवरी 1914 में विधवा हरदई का विवाह लाला रंजीतराय से दोनों की सहमति से हुआ। विधवा छोटू पुत्री घसीटा अग्रवाल का विवाह संग्राम पुत्र शादी अग्रवाल से हुआ। इस प्रकार से अनेक रूढ़िवादी अवरोधों का सामना करते हुए अनेक विधवाओं के जीवन का उद्धार करने का सौभाग्य आर्यसमाज को प्राप्त हुआ। पानीपत में धनिक लोग होली आदि के नर्तक, गायक, वेश्या आदि को बुलाकर नाच, गाना, मदिरापान आदि कुकर्म करते थे। आर्यसमाज ने इस कुमार्ग को छोड़ने के लिए प्रेरित किया और सफलता प्राप्त की। इसी प्रकार से किसी की मृत्यु पर भोज के नाम पर भोग ग्रहण करने रूपी कुरीति का भी आर्यसमाज ने विरोध किया उसका व्यापक प्रभाव हुआ। पानीपत और उसके आसपास के जिलों में आर्यसमाज के प्रचार से यज्ञोपवीत धारण करने का प्रचार हुआ। ब्राह्मण समाज के अतिरिक्त अग्रवाल वैश्य, जाट जमींदार, जेलदार, कृषक, श्रमिक, शिल्पी समाज आदि ने बड़ी संख्या में जनेऊ आर्यसमाज के प्रचार से प्रभावित होकर धारण किये। उनकी यह सामाजिक उन्नति रूढ़िवादी ब्राह्मणों को अप्रिय लगी। एक ब्राह्मण जिसका नाम कूड़ा ब्रह्मचारी ने यह प्रतिज्ञा की कि जब तक इस क्षेत्र से आर्य समाज की जड़ न उखाड़ डालूं और जिन व्यक्तियों ने यज्ञोपवीत धारण किये हैं, उनके यज्ञोपवीत न उतार डालूँ। तब तक चैन से न बैठूंगा। इस सम्बन्ध में गांव खाण्डा में पौराणिकों ने 2,3 दिसम्बर 1906 में सम्मेलन बुलाया जिसमें पंडित शिवकुमार शास्त्री, पंडित श्रीधर, पंडित गरुड़ध्वज , पंडित जवालाप्रसाद मुरादाबादी, पंडित भीमसेन इटावा आदि शामिल हुए। आर्यसमाज ने उसके मुकाबले में एक महोत्सव का आयोजन किया जिसमें पंडित गणपति शर्मा, पंडित मुरारीलाल शर्मा, पंडित शम्भूदत्त शर्मा, पंडित श्रीराम, पंडित बालमुकुंद, पंडित रामरत्न, पंडित रामस्वरूप , दो भजन मंडली तथा मुज्जफरनगर की जाट सभा की ओर से बहुत से लोग सम्मिलित हुए। आर्यों की ओर से अनेक पत्र शास्त्रार्थ की चुनौती के लिए भेजे गए पर किसी का साहस शास्त्रार्थ करने का नहीं हुआ। आर्यसमाज का महोत्सव सात दिन चला। 63 बड़े बड़े सरदारों ने यज्ञोपवीत धारण किये। कई आर्यसमाजें ग्रामीण क्षेत्र में स्थापित हुई।

 

शुद्धि के रण में उतरते हुए आर्यसमाज पानीपत ने अनेक जन्मजात ईसाई और मुसलमानों की शुद्धि कर उन्हें वैदिकधर्मी बनाया जिनके  पूर्वजों ने कभी भूलवश अन्य मत स्वीकार कर लिया था। अनेकों शुद्ध हुओं के विवाह भी वैदिक रीति अनुसार आर्यसमाज ने करवाए। आर्यसमाज  पौराणिक ही नहीं मुसलमानों की आँखों में भी सदा शूल की भांति चुभता रहा। उसका मूल कारण मतान्धता था। लाला शादी राम जी माननीय अर्जी नवीस थे। आपके पुत्र लाला दीनबंधु गुप्ता जिनके नाम पर दिल्ली में करोल बाग़ में सड़क है, स्वामी श्रद्धानन्द जी के शिष्य थे। आप लेखनी से वैदिक  सिद्धांतों का प्रचार करते थे। आपके कई लेख आर्य मुसाफिर, इन्द्र, आर्य जन्त्री आदि पत्रिकाओं एवं दैनिक तेज में प्रकाशित हुए थे। आपके पुत्र ने अपनी लेखनी और वार्तालाप कला से ईसाईयों के पादरी ज्वाला सिंह और मुसलमान ख्वाजा गुलाम हुसैन कादयानी को निरुत्तर कर दिया था। आपकी प्रसिद्द उर्दू पुस्तक थी 'इल्म हिंसा का मम्बा वेद है' आपने ख्वाजा हसन निजामी की पुस्तक दाइये इस्लाम का प्रतिउत्तर ' इस्लाम से रंडियों की फरियाद' लिखकर दिया था। जो बहुत से अख़बारों में प्रकाशित हुआ था। पानीपत मुस्लिम बहुत क्षेत्र था। वहां की मस्जिदों में हिन्दुओं के प्रति भड़काऊ भाषण दिए जाते थे। आर्यसमाज के श्री आशाराम जी मुस्लिम वेश में मुसलमानों की मस्जिद में नमाज पढ़ने के बहाने घुस जाते और उनकी भाषण की गतिविधियों को आर्यसमाज के प्रधान को आकर बता देते थे। मुसलमानों ने एक लघु पुस्तिका

' खुनी आर्यों की खुनी दास्तान' के नाम से प्रकाशित की थी। इसमें हिन्दुओं और आर्यसमाज के विरुद्ध विष वमन था। आर्यसमाज ने उत्तेजित न होते हुए उसके विरुद्ध पुलिस में जब्त करने और प्रकाशक पर मुकदमा चलाने का आवेदन किया था।

 

मुसलमानों ने शरारत करते हुए 'मोहरेस्कूट', अटल मोहरेस्कूट और उनीसवीं सदी का महर्षि पुस्तकें प्रकाशित की। उसका प्रति उत्तर श्री अनूपचंद जी आफताब ने 1934 में 'मगर के आंसू', 'सदाकत का बोलबाला', ऋषि का बोलबाला' पुस्तकें लिख  कर दिया। आर्यसमाज का इससे सिक्का जैम गया। 1947

 से पहले पानीपत मुस्लिम बहुल शहर था। इसलिए अनेक मस्जिदें सारे शहर में थी। हिन्दू बहुल कुछ ही क्षेत्र थे। महात्मा गाँधी ने खिलाफत के नाम पर देशहितों को ताक पर रखते हुए देश के स्वतंत्रता आंदोलन को मुसलमानों के विदेशी मजहबी आंदोलन के साथ जबरन नत्थी कर दिया। उनका यह स्वप्न स्वप्न ही रहा पर इसका परिणाम अवांछनीय था। 1920 के दशक में सम्पूर्ण देश में खिलाफत आंदोलन के असफल होने की खीज को मुसलमानों ने हिन्दू मुस्लिम दंगों के रूप में निकालने का प्रयास किया। पानीपत भी उससे अछूता न रहा। ईद के अवसर पर गोकशी करने और हिन्दू त्यौहार पर मस्जिद के सामने से जुलूस निकालने पर दंगा तो पुरे देश में सुनाई दिए। अंग्रेज भी आँख बंदकर मुसलमानों की शरारत पर उन्हें कुछ नहीं कहते उलटा हिन्दुओं को जुलूस निकालने पर रोक लगा देते थे। पानीपत में विवाद का कारण ऐतिहासिक रहा। 1923 में आर्यसमाज की वाटिका के समीप भक्तजन श्री जगन्नाथ मंदिर में आरती उतार रहे थे। अचानक बराबर वाली मस्जिद से कुछ मुसलमान हाथों में लाठियां लिए हुए शोर मचाते हुए आए 'आरती बंद करो, अजान में खलल होता है। ' मंदिर में घुसकर भक्तजनों पर लाठियों से प्रहार करना आरम्भ कर दिया। भक्तजनों ने भी मुकाबला किया। दोनों ओर से संघर्ष हुआ। पूरे शहर में समाचार फैल गया कि हिन्दू मुस्लिम दंगा हो गया। आर्यसमाज पानीपत ने सनातन धर्मियों को इस मुद्दे पर पूरा सहयोग देने का वचन दिया। एक  जिसमें सनातन धर्म सभा, आर्यसमाज , जैन समाज आदि के प्रमुख प्रतिनिधि थे। यह मामला कानूनी रूप धारण कर गया। मिस्टर कोनार स्पेशल मजिस्ट्रेट ने इस मामले की सुनवाई की। मुसलमानों का कहना था कि हिन्दू अपनी आरती अजान के बाद  किया करे। हिन्दुओं का कहना था कि उनकी आरती का समय शास्त्रानुसार निश्चित है। अत: वे कोई परिवर्तन नहीं कर सकते। मजिस्ट्रेट ने दोनों पक्षों को अपने पक्ष में सबूत पेश करने का आदेश दिया। सनातन धर्मी पंडित और काशी के प्रकांड पंडित आरती का सही समय पुराणों से सिद्ध न कर सके। तब आर्यसमाज के प्रधान लाला खेमचंद लाहौर गए और पंडित रामगोपाल जी शास्त्री वैद्य से मिले। उस समय उत्तर भारत का सबसे बड़ा पुस्तकालय डी.ए.वी लाहौर में था। सभी धर्मों की पुस्तकें वहां पर उपलब्ध थी। शास्त्री जी के सहयोग से पं भगवत्तदत्त रिसर्च स्कॉलर ने शास्त्रों में से आरती के समय के प्रमाण खोजे और उन्हें न्यायालय में प्रस्तुत किया। पुस्तकें लाहौर से पानीपत लाई गई। साथ में कुछ पुस्तकें स्वामी श्रद्धानन्द जी के सहयोग से भी प्राप्त हुई। इस प्रकार से आरती के समय को संध्या के समय सायंकाल में सिद्ध किया गया। मुसलमानों ने भी अपनी अजान के निश्चित समय के सम्बंधित प्रमाण न्यायालय में प्रस्तुत किये। न्यायाधीश ने दोनों पक्षों को सुनकर यह कहा कि अजान और आरती दोनों का समय इस्लामी पुस्तकों और हिन्दू धार्मिक पुस्तकों के अनुसार निश्चित हैं।  इसलिए सरकार कोई पाबंदी नहीं लगा सकती। इस निर्णय का पानीपत ही नहीं पुरे देश में प्रभाव हुआ। हिन्दुओं की इस विजय का यश आर्यसमाज को मिला। आर्यसमाज ने एक बार फिर से अपने को हिन्दुओं ढाल के रूप में रक्षक सिद्ध किया। इस विवाद के बाद एक अन्य विवाद हुआ।  श्रावण मास में यमुना तट  पर स्नान के लिए भारी मेला लगता था। मेले में ग्रामीण और नगर के हिन्दू आते थे। नगर में पहले से तनाव था। दंगा होने की आशंका थी। इसलिए आर्यसमाजी चौधरी जोतराम जी बिझौल निवासी और लाला खेमचंद के भाषणों से जनता में उत्तेजना फैलने से बच गई और मेला शांति से संपन्न हुआ। 1925 में पानीपत में श्रावण मास में यमुना स्नान और मुहर्रम का एक ही दिन था। मुसलमानों का ताजियों का जुलूस और हिन्दू ग्रमीणों का टोला कलंदर चौक में भीड़ गया। सांप्रदायिक दंगा हो गया। अनेकों हिन्दुओं को चोट आई। अनेक हिन्दुओं को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया। पुलिस के विरोध में हिन्दुओं ने बाजार बंद रखा।  वस्तुत यह दंगा पानीपत के तहसीलदार चौधरी सुलतान अहमद  ने करवाया था जो हिन्दुओं का कट्टर विरोधी था। इस दंगे में 300 ले लगभग हिन्दू जख्मी हुए और 300 गिरफ्तार। लाला देशबंधु गुप्ता ने दिल्ली से आकर दंगा पीड़ितों की सेवा आरम्भ कर दी। स्वामी श्रद्धानन्द, डॉ गोकुलचंद नारंग एवं अन्य आर्य नेता पानीपत पधारे ताकि लोगों का मनोबल बढ़े और भय दूर हो। महात्मा हंसराज ने लाहौर से मरहमपट्टी के लिए डॉ नानचन्द, डॉ गिरधारीलाल और डी.ए.वी. लाहौर के विद्यार्थीयों को पानीपत भेजा। मुक़दमे लड़े गए। सभी सज्जन अदालत से ससम्मान मुक्त हुए।  शिवरात्रि, कभी होली आदि पर हिन्दुओं और मुसलमानों में दंगे 1947 तक होते रहे।  आर्यसमाज हिन्दुओं के रक्षक के समान खड़ा रहा।   

शास्त्रार्थ के रण में भी आर्यसमाज ने ईसाईयों-मुसलमानों को अनेक बार परास्त किया। सबसे प्रसिद्ध शास्त्रार्थ बेनुक्त क़ुरान को लेकर था। एक कादियानी मौलवी ने आक्षेप किया कि स्वामी दयानन्द जी ने सत्यार्थ प्रकाश के 14वें समुल्लास में लिखा है कि अकबर  नौ रत्नों में से एक मुल्ला फैजी ने 'बेनुक्त क़ुरान' बनाया और उनके चेले पं लेखराम ने अपनी पुस्तक 'कुल्यात आर्य मुसाफिर' में बेनुक्त क़ुरान के अस्तित्व से इंकार किया है। यह बताये कि गुरु सच्चा है अथवा चेला? आर्यसमाज के पं रामचंद्र दहेलवी जी ने उत्तर दिया कि -स्वामी दयानन्द ने क़ुरान में यह प्रश्न किया है कि 'लाओ इस किस्म की कोई और किताब'। उसके उत्तर में बतलाया है कि मुल्ला फैजी ने अकबर के समय में बेनुक्त क़ुरान बना दिया था। इसलिए क़ुरान में उठाया हुआ प्रश्न गलत है और  कुल्यात आर्य मुसाफिर में पं लेखराम जी ने वेदों की हस्ती को सिद्ध करते हुए लिखा कि उपनिषदों और ब्राह्मण ग्रंथों को वेद मानना ऐसा ही बेबुनियाद है जैसा कि फैजी के बेनुक्त क़ुरान को क़ुरान मानना। यह हर दो स्थानों पर दो विषयों के मजमून और मंशा भिन्न भिन्न हैं। परन्तु अहमदी जिद पर अड़ गए। पं जी ने बेनुक्त क़ुरान को दिखाने के लिए चार माह का समय निश्चित करवाया। लाहौर आर्यसमाज के पुस्तकालय में यह क़ुरान उपलब्ध था। आर्यसमाज के प्रेमी भक्त श्री राम उसे लाहौर से मांग कर ले आये। नगर में मुनादी करवा दी गई। विशाल जनसमूह ने रात्रि में धर्मशाला में एकत्र होकर उसे देखा। इसमें कहीं भी नुक्ता नहीं था और इसका असली नाम 'स्वातह इल्हाम' था। बाद में इसका नाम बेनुक़्ता क़ुरान था। इस प्रकार से स्वामी दयानन्द और पंडित लेखराम दोनों का मत सही सिद्ध हुआ। मौलवी लज्जित हुए। आर्यसमाज की विजय हुई। हमारे पूर्वज आर्यों के पुरुषार्थ और तप की झांकी इस प्रसंग से हमें देखने को मिलती है।

पानीपत आर्यसमाज के महान इतिहास से हमें प्रेरणा मिलती है। महान आर्यों को नमन।

डॉ विवेक आर्य