Role of the Press in the Pakistan Movement

Prof. A. Sattar Khan

The importance of Press in an independent society cannot be underestimated. The journalists

and the Press play a significant role especially during the freedom movements and national
struggle. The Press is moreover. A powerful agent an influencing public opinion and gathering
support for public or political movement.

The existence of Muslims Press in the subcontinent, before and after the war of 1857, was
rather insignificant. Consequently, the tone and style of Muslims journalism, after the War of
1857, remained soft, and the attitude compromising. Most of the newspapers were busy in
projecting the western arts and sciences and ways of life. There were some newspapers,
however, which continued criticising the policies of the government and expressed their own
point of view about the affairs of the country. The newspapers like Sho’la-i-Tur, Khair Khahan-i-
Khalq, however, and Akhbarul-Alam were notable for publishing political news of national
importance and giving useful suggestions to the government on administrative matters;
sometimes they also criticised the policies of the government.

Some newspapers movingly portrayed the picture of Muslim suffering under the British rule.
They also tried to arouse and develop political and national consciousness amongst the
Muslims. Credit goes to the great leaders Sir Syed Ahmad Khan for publishing the periodicals
Scientific Society and Tahzibul-Akhlaq to educate the Muslims and to train them for the struggle
for survival. Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq was monthly magazine which was published on the pattern of the
British journal Spectator. These magazines were the torch bearers of his movement and
representative of his policies. Through these, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan wanted to apprise the
government of the problems and difficulties of the Indian and the same time he wished to
create political consciousness amongst his countrymen and introduce to them the new system
of government. Besides, he also aimed at giving a new line of thought and action to the Muslim.
It is interesting to note that in the beginning, Sir Syed’s ideas could not attract to common
Muslims. But slowly and gradually their influence penetrated into a limited receptive circle. The
Tahzibul-Akhlaq encouraged the Muslims to accept that was good and attractive in European
norms and way of life. Some contemporary newspapers also tried to follow in the footsteps of
the Tahzibul-Akhlaq. Agra Akhbar was the most determined amongst them which tried to kindle
the fire of freedom in the garb of a newspaper. They contemporary newspapers like Khairu’l-
Muwaiz, Dabdaba-i-Sikandari and Manshur-i-Muhammadi were notable for countering
propaganda of the Christian missionaries in the subcontinent. Some newspapers were keeping
a regular touch with the world of Islam and preached the gospal of Muslims brotherhood. The
Shamsu’l-Akhbar, Nasir’ul-Akbar and Ahsanu’l-Akhbar were well-known in this field.
After Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the outstanding person who used the press as a source of
propagating his ideas was Abdul Halim Sharar. He tried to awaken the Muslims out of Political
rethargy through his journals, Dilgudaz and Ittihad. His distinguished publication in this respect
was Muhazzab Abdul Halim Sharar was a strong exponent of a separate political entity of the
Indian Muslims and wanted to keep away from the Congress. In an editorial of Muhazzab in
1890, he presented in idea of the division of the sub-continent which was, in his opinion, the
only solution of Hindu-Muslim problem. It was a novel idea and was presented in the Indian
press for the first time. The Urud-i-Mu‘alla of Hasrat Mohani was daring journal which always
published his revolutionary thoughts against the foreign rulers. On account of daring thoughts
expressed through his press, he was arrested several times.

The twentieth century press concentrated on the politics of the country. The newspapers and
journals represented the sentiments and thoughts of the people during the stormy period of
political movements and disturbances in the country. In the beginning of the 20th century. The
Comrade of Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Al-Hilal of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and
Zamindar of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan provided an outlet for the Muslim sentiments already
disturbed against the British rulers.

Maulana Muhammad ali Jauhar published two newspapers, the Comrade in English and
Hamdard in Urdu. The Comrade was started on January 1, 1911, from Calcutta. The Maulana
had made thorough preparations for the paper and everything concerned with it was of a high
order. Lovat Fraser wrote in an editorial in the Times of India, that Maulana Muhammad Ali had
“marvellous command over the English language. No Indian, and perhaps few Englishmen could
write better that he did. Thus, Maulana Muhammad ali Jauhar, with the help of a talented band
of youngmen, gave Muslim India the best weekly it ever had.

From the date of its first appearance, the Comrade was looked upon as the mouthpiece of the
grievances of the Muslims and voice of their aspiration throughout its existence. The Comrade
played an important role in formulating the political policy of Muslim India. Maulana
Muhammad Ali Jauhar always defended, very bravely, the Muslim interests through The
Comrade about which S.M. Ikram writes: “It was fearless in denouncing discrimination and
hardships to which the editor’s community was exposed, but it also systematically criticised the
Bengalee, the Tribune and other Hindu newspapers, which opposed the newly organized All-
India Muslim League, or the efforts of Aligarh leaders to secure suitable safeguards for the
Muslim.The Hamdard also earned a great reputation in Urdu medium newspapers and had a
respectable place in the Indian press, but it could not continue for a long time.

Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal was founded, edited and published by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Its first issue
appeared on 13 July 1912, and was well-timed in the contemporary political atmosphere.
Muslim India was in excitement. The termination of the partition of Bengal had compelled the
Muslims to abandon the policy of political quietism and reliance on the government. Al-Hilal
generally published serious articles and religious literature. A substantial portion of al-Hilal was
devoted to photographs and article on Turkey. The Muslim leaders differed with political vies of
Azad. He was not in favour of a separate platform for the Indian Muslims. He as against the
division of India and opposed to be creation of Pakistan. The period of Azad’s career as a
journalist came to an end after three and half years. In 1914, the First World War started, and
on account of certain pro-German articles the security of al-Hilal was lost, and it was asked to
deposit another sum of Rs. 10,000 which brought its publication to an end. Although its political
views were controversial yet its contribution in the field of religion was remarkable. Maulana
Azad started another weekly, Al-Bilagh. This also came to an end in 1916 when the Maulana
was extorted from Bengal.

Muslim Press in 1940s

Towards the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century the Hindu newspapers, novels
and other writings were concentrating on Hindu revivalism and circulating the flames of Hindu-
Muslim hatred. These activities of Hindu press motivated the Muslims. With the advent of the
Congress rule in various provinces under Government of India Act 1935, they had sustained
terrible Congress injustice, which was later compiled in the Pirpur Report. The comments of the
Pirpur Report on the congress oppression, even in more loud and horrible details, were
published in the Dawn and Manshoor under a series of articles captioned ‘It Shall Never Happen
Again’. “The described how the Muslims were forbidden from eating beef, their prayer
meetings were disturbed and sometimes attacked and desecrated, and how Muslims suffered a
much heavier toll of life and property in the uprisings that took place during the two and half
years of Congress administration”.

There was a marked change from appeasement to resistance in the Muslim mood henceforth,
which could be seen in the Muslim newspapers.

Although the British Government tried her best to repress the Muslim press but it
succeeded to establish its prestige and associated itself with the desire and aspiration of the
Muslim community. The Muslim press projected and protected the Muslim community. The
Muslim press projected and protected the Muslim cause very effectively. “The Muslim League
had built up a very strong press, particularly in Urdu. Delhi had Anjam, Jang and Manshoor in
Urdu, and Dawn in English, Lahore produced Inqilab, Nawa-i-Waqt,, and Zamindar in Urdu.
Earlier, Lucknow had its Hamdam. Calcutta produced Asr-i-Jadid in Urdu, Azad Bengali and Star
of India in English. There were many besides these prominent newspapers.”
Zamindar

The most important Urdu newspaper published from Lahore was the Zamindar. It was edited by
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan (1837 – 1956). He was an eminent scholar who commands mastery on
prose and poetry. His writings filled the hearts of the Muslim community with religious
enthusiasm and a devotion to an independent homeland. Zamindar, in fact, was symbol of the
idea of Pakistan and it waged a fierce battle against Hindu domination and British imperialism.
Zamindar strongly supported the League’s demand for Pakistan and its objectives. It was
considered to be a “naked sword” for the Hindu and the British. Zamindar succeeded to bring
about a revolution among the Muslim masses add motivated them to achieve their cherished
goal-Pakistan. After the partition Zamindar was closed down.

Nawa-i-Waqt

It is the name of a powerful and prestigious daily newspaper in Urdu which played a dynamic
role in the Pakistan Movement. It was founded in 1940 by an enthusiastic student leader and
founder president of the Punjab Muslim Students Federation. It had a very modest beginning. It
started as a small-size fortnightly. The first issue was dated 29 March 1940. Later, in November
1942, it became a weekly and afterwards a daily newspaper. The Muslim press in the Punjab,
with the exception of the daily Ehsan, was under the firm control of the Unionist Party. The
British and Hindu Press had launched a campaign of hateful propaganda against the Muslims
community and its leadership. The Nawa-i-Waqt very successfully defused all these baseless
fabrications, and Hameed Nizami had to work immensely hard on this front.

When there started a war of wits between the Hindu and Muslim newspapers, the Nawa-i-
Waqt was made a target of attacks by the Hindu press. Hameed Nizami, the young and daring
journalist, with his powerful pen and style tackled the situation bravely. He introduced new
trends and innovations in the traditional journalism. He wrote very argumentative and coherent
prose which instantly convinced the readers and cast a great impact on their views.

The Nawa-i-Waqt had a character of its own. It was the mouthpiece of the younger
generations which had been inspired by Iqbal: its management was competent and although it
was a privately owned newspaper, for all practical purpose it was the organ of the Muslim
League which kept a critical watch on what the Unionist party was doing to bolster up the
Zamindar League. It published poems and article in support of the demand for Pakistan and
became a powerful factor in forming public opinion in the Punjab”. The role of Nawa-i-Waqt
and its editor Hameed Nzami was no doubt without parallel as it gave voice to the Muslim
community which was formerly fighting for rights, guarantees and safeguards in united India.
This position was now changed into a demand for an independent home for the Indian
Muslims. In this revolutionary change the Muslim press, especially the Nawa-i-Waqt, played a
pivotal role. According to S.M Ikram: “Hameed Nizami’s greatest contribution to national
struggle came through the newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt, which became mouthpiece of the new
generation struggling for the achievement of Pakistan.

Ehsan

The Ehsan, founded in 1934, was another contemporary daily newspaper which also exercised a
great deal of influence on the political currents of the subcontinent it was edited by Maulana
Murtaza Khan Maikash who was a well-known journalist, and who later edited the daily
Shahbaz of Peshawar. Ehsan mustered useful support for the Pakistan Movement.

At this stage, Muhammad Shafi, popularly known as “Meem Sheen” and T.K. Durrani
richly contributed to journalistic literature. They projected and consolidated the stand of
Muslim League and were a great source of strength for the Pakistan Movement. They
immensely contributed to the demand for Pakistan. These journalists were also members of the
Punjab Muslims Students Federation and they championed the caused of Pakistan with
devotion and dedication.

Apart from these main centres of the Muslim press in Lahore, Bombaby and Calcutta,
the other centres of Muslim newspapers and periodicals had been places like Quetta, Karachi
and Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) etc. The Daily “Sa‘adat, edited by Nasikh Saifi, was published
from Lyallpur, It was an Urdu newspapers which faithfully represented and projected the views
of All-India Muslim League. Sa ‘adat applied a considerable influence on the Muslim of the
region. The Muslim press from these centres went a long way to unite the Muslim masses
under the green flag of the League for the cause of Pakistan.

Dawn

The daily Dawn was published from Delhi. It was founded by the Quaid-i-Azam to meet the dire
need of an English daily which could act as a powerful organ of the League as “the Hindu press
had not left any gun in its magazine unfired at the Muslims”. It was edited by Altaf Hussain who
was a prolific writer. According to M.A.H. Ispahani, “…..Dawn, which had captured, substantial
Muslim readership throughout the north and the adjoining Muslim areas, began to grow
stronger and stronger with he passage of each month. There was no looking back until partition
compelled a shift from Daryaganj, old Delhi, to Karachi.

Another couple of newspapers, Al-Aman and Wahdat from Delhi also played a
significant role in the Pakistan Movement. They were edited by Maulana Mazhar-ud-Din who
was a courageous man. He bravely fought for the cause of Pakistan and very fervently
presented the idea of separation of Muslims from Hindus. He met with a martyr’s death. The
other centres of Muslim journalism included Sindh, the N.W.F.P. and Baluchistan, al-Wahid was
published in Sindh. In the N.W.F.P., a good number of journalists made an excellent
contribution to strengthen the Pakistan Movement. Notable names amongst them were Allah
Bakhsh Yousufi, Rahim Bakhsh Ghazanvi, Maulana Abdur Rauf, Ghaus Sahrai, Abdul Akbar Khan
and many others. They weekly al-Islam was published from Queetta. It was founded by Qazi
Muhammad Isa and edited by Maulana Abdul Karim who was a well known religious scholar.
The objective of al-Islam was to apprise the Muslim of Baluchistan of the message of Muslim
League. Another weekly newspapers Tanzim was also published from Queeta under the
patronage of Sardar Mir Ja’far Khan Jmali. It was daring and dauntless supporter of the Pakistan
movement in Baluchistan. Its editor was a famous Urdu writer Nasim Hijazi, The editor,
narrating an incident of the devotion of Sardar Mir Ja’far Khan Jamali to the cause of Pakistan,
said that the Sardar Sahab one day in a single sitting dictate names of 500 leading personalities
of Baluchistan to whom complimentary copies of the Tanzim had to be sent regularly, because
he was of the view that if these 500 leadings Muslims were mentally associated with the
Pakistan movement, the entire Baluchistan would resound with the slogans of Pakistan
Zindabad; and so it happened.

The Muslim Press and newspapers were, no doubt, quite alert and active on their respective
fronts. They were engaged in a continuous fierce battle against the League’s opponents and
successfully refuted their subtle and malicious propaganda against her leadership. They took
the message of the League to every nook and corner of the subcontinent; explained the
rationale of Pakistan to the Muslim masses and mustered their support for Pakistan. Thus,
through their untiring efforts they made the task of the Quaid-i-Azam easier and the creation of
Pakistan inevitable.