#HyderabadLiberationDay #MarathwadaMuktiSangramDin Thread on how Ganapati Celebrations, Nizam's follies, Razakar terror, common people's bravery, deft political manoeuvres, armed resistance, daring attempts, rapid 'police' action #OperationPolo led to Sept 17th, 1948.

When Lokmanya Tilak gave the call for Sarvajanik Ganapati celebrations in 1893, one of the first few people to answer his call outside MH were from Hyderabad..! In 1894, the Marathi speaking population of Hyd started Public celebrations of Ganapati at 2 locations.

One was at Shah Ali Banda. Arya Samaji Gore Shastri of Vaidik Dharma Prakashika installed the Ganapati near Akkanna Madanna temple. The other was installed by students of Osmania University in the Deodi of Bellap Hanumantha Rao near Hari Masjid Sultan Bazar.

They celebrated the 10-day festival with great fervor. Remember the context. Nizam's Hyderabad ‘state’ was in effect an independent country. It had it’s own currency, laws, courts & even charged Custom duty. Present-day villages of Itkal, Yedshi for e.g. were Custom Checkpoints.

The 'state' was effectively a Muslim run state with a complete hold on Edu, Admin, Police. The Muslim population was ~7% of the state population. Osmania University was Urdu medium. They had total control over Education. 85% students in higher edu were Muslims. Iron fist & all..!

Not without its internal churns though. A lot of political one-upmanship & assassinations & 'palace' intrigue plagued the Nizam's admin. For e.g. 1937-47 saw the Nizam go through 3 Wazirs.

Bahadur Yar Jung, the founder of Khaksar Party, was one. A zealot who pushed for Hyderabad to be an Islamic state under Shariah laws. His sharp rise to power even threatened the Nizam's position. He was assassinated in mysterious circumstances. Poisoned through his Hookah..!

Chhattari was another. Nizam even brought in the Dewan of Mysore Mirza Ismail. A sharp cookie, he pushed for rapid development & modernisation of Hyderabad. He was also instrumental in the signing of the Standstill agreement for 1yr to resolve the issue of accession of Hyderabad.

He had opposed Jinnah & his partition plan. But he lost out to fast-rising zealots under the newly formed MIM led by Kasim Razvi. MIM pushed for a Shariah state (party constitution believes that since the British took power from Mughals, their exit should mean power back to Ms).

What was people's response during this period? 1937 saw a 2yr Bhaganagar Satyagraha led by Arya Samaj. It was a 'self-rule' demand which ended with many caste groupings getting Nominated members in Nizam's court.

What this also led to, in later years, was aggressive wooing of Harijans by Razvi via land grants. Ring any bells with what Owaisi is trying now? This is a separate story though. Not for this thread.

The Hyderabad State Congress was formed in 1938 (preceded by Andhra Mahasabha, MH& KA Parishads). Swami Ramanand Tirtha was a big name in this political movement. Born as Venkatesh Khedgikar in Hipparga village in Lohara Taluka, he was a teacher & before he took Sanyas.

Incidentally, PV Narasimha Rao was associated with this school too :). Some day, someone might write stories about his role in Hyderabad Liberation. Until then, we move on with the thread.

So. A churn in the Nizam's admin, Independence movement push across India, Political push against Nizam via State Congress, moderate voices hounded out, rise of the zealots & Razvi gathering his own militia. Things had to come to a head. And they did.

A 1946 GastiNishan i.e. circular banning private schools was issued. Religious gatherings in public places was also outlawed. So a 50yr+ public Ganapati celebration tradition had to be pushed indoors. In response Sara Bandi (revenue stop) calls were sent out.

Nizam's response was unleashing of the Razakars, who began forcible 'Chanda' collection. And also began their terrible atrocities (worst in the rural parts). Entire leadership of State Congress was jailed, effectively neutering that movement. Only one sort of response remained..!

Armed Resistance. Led by Students who set-up 'Camps' on the 'Indian' side of the border. They carried out counter-raids with clear aim to resist Razakar atrocities & putting fear back in their hearts. A brave bunch even decided to strike at the heart of the problem.

A daring assassination plan by bombing the Nizam's cavalcade was hatched in the heart of Hyderabad. Hanuman Vyayam Shala (my alma mater) hosted the men who would execute the plan. It did not succeed. Nizam was saved by a whisker. Read more here - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/remembering-the-forgotten-heroes-who-fought-to-free-hyderabad-from-the-nizam/articleshow/60711826.cms

This was Dec'47. The failed attempt, 3 caught, forced the rest to escape to Pune where Phoolchand Gandhi sheltered them. He later moved them to Solapur, closer to Hyd border, where they continued making bombs with a cover of being workers in a mill (Manik Oil Mill of Solapur).

Chandrashekhar Bajpai gave similar support in Latur. The Chincholi Camp was set-up during this time IIRC. In the 3 areas of Tuljapur-Bhoom-Paranda, they managed to liberate 90 villages. They were together named ‘Muktapur Swarajya’.

A 21lakhs+ bank loot in 1947 in Umri village of Adilabad (Nanded presently) funded the rebellion. In fact, Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad (Congress office) was apparently constructed thru this. Nehru apparently refused to inaugurate this facility since it was built using loot funds!

The Nizam was dithering wrt Standstill agreement post Gandhi's death. Razakar atrocities continued unabated though. In May'48, Sardar Patel demanded release of all State Congress leaders as condition to resume talks with the Nizam. The armed rebellion took off more after this.

Side note: My great-grandpa, Hutatma Srinivasrao Muglikar, serving a 2 yr jail sentence was also released then. This sadly also meant, he came home & was killed resisting a Razakar raid in our ancestral village.

One of the members of the bomb plan was Hutatma Sridhar Vartak; my maternal grandfather's elder brother. He was trained to make bombs & sniping. He made his last stand at Apsinga, near Tuljapur.

He & a colleague (Khot iirc) had pinned down a few Razakars who had holed up in a Masjid. Sadly, the Machine gun of Khot jammed. Vartak went to repair, peeped out when the firing stopped, was hit by a bullet & passed away there!

Anyhow. Things kept spiralling out of control with Razakars growing even more violent. It was then that Sardar Patel decided to move-in. #OperationPolo, a short 5-day 'police' action from 13-17 Sept'48 which ended in the Nizam's rout & surrender.

Not all stories can be covered here. Nor did things happen in a 'linear' manner as a thread like this suggests. Many brave hearts gave the ultimate sacrifice in the face of odds that I cannot list. On this #HyderabadLiberationDay #MarathwadaMuktiSangramDin, my naman to them.

Hutatma Sridhar Vartak

Hutatma Srinivasrao Muglikar

Swami Ramanand Tirtha

Swamiji with Pattabhi Sitaramayya

The Hipparga school I mentioned in the thread earlier.

Pics from Chincholi Camp.

A village liberated & brought under Muktapur :)

A pic from my collection. Where Hutatma Sridhar Vartak fell. This place is less than 15mins away from Tulja Bhavani temple in Tuljapur. Apsinga Villagers still honour his sacrifice each yr.

And to see that the KCR govt, under MIM pressure, is REFUSING to celebrate #HyderabadLiberationDay makes my blood boil. This article by Shri @kishanreddybjp, written last yr, says it best. https://twitter.com/c_aashish/status/1041233690544746496?s=20

Glad to see though that Maharashtra continues to celebrate this day each yr. @Dev_Fadnavis govt has even hiked the pension of those who participated in #MarathwadaMuktiSangram. Perhaps KCR can learn a lesson or two & mend his ways.

*end*