Abul Hashim: The Unsung Hero of the Freedom Struggle

Abstract

Abul Hashim was one of the greatest leading figures in the history of Bengal’s freedom struggle. Born in a time when the British Raj in India had begun to convulse under its own weight, Hashim’s political philosophy, though shaped by larger Muslim sentiments, was also marked by his independent thinking and sense of justice. He was no demagogue trying to rouse the emotions of his people by crying socialism,in fact, he took drastic measures to revamp the Bengal Muslim League and made it a party of the people. Very few leaders of the 20th century had the twin traits of loyalty of purpose and exceptional abilities to turn their goals into reality. Some succeeded, some perished in the struggle but it’s the struggle which makes man a hero.Abul Hashim’s life is also a tale of that struggle, first against the imperialist power then against the elite feudal industrialist coterie of politicians who dominated the Muslim League. This paper will try to prove that Abul Hashim was one of the most charismatic leaders of Bengal freedom struggle who not only revitalized the League by setting it free from elitist monopoly and opening its doors for the poor but also refused to toe the line of Central leadership over the provincial autonomy of Bengal.