Khaksar Movement Weekly “Al-Islah’s” Role Toward Freedom

Abstract

In-depth study and analysis of the Khaksar Tehrik’s (Khaksar Movement) weekly paper Al-Islah (started in 1934) is imperative from the perspective of British India’s independence — the emergence of Pakistan and India in 1947. It is not conceivable to record a balanced and uncontaminated account of the freedom movement of the Indian sub-continent without examining the role of Al-Islah in the 1930s and 1940s.   This paper, Khaksar Movement Weekly “Al-Islah’s†Role Toward Freedom, discusses the paramount and pre-eminent role that the said weekly (newspaper) played in spreading the Khaksar Movement’s ideology, the goal of which was to inculcate character and discipline amongst the masses and ultimately lead to freedom of India from the British. Al-Islah indeed served to spread the Movement, which rose to become a Private Army (as referred to by Lord Linlithgow, Viceroy of India) of 5 million, and generated following in other countries. In addition, the Al-Islah inspired others who copied the Khaksars and formed similar organizations. The weekly also helped to achieve Allama Mashriqi’s (founder of the Khaksar Tehrik) mission of instilling unity, strict discipline, equality, and self-less community service (regardless of religion) amongst millions of Khaksars.   The spread of the Khaksar Movement in British India and other countries and the emergence of analogous organizations provide clear evidence that Al-Islah’s motivational, instigating, and morale-raising contents brought about an awakening amongst the people of pre-partition India. The Government of British India was alarmed and banned the Al-Islah. Yet they could neither suppress the Khaksar Movement nor the spirit of freedom which Al-Islah had infused throughout the nation.   This piece argues that the British would not even have spoken to Indian leaders or thought of transferring power, and the emergence of Pakistan and India could not have been envisioned, unless the rulers understood the grave threat posed to their rule by this awakening brought on by Al-Islah and the Khaksar Movement.