It was the Khilafat Movement that paved way for the Mappila Riots in Malabar. But then, there are proofs of the organization of Khilafat being a pan-Islamic organization and that they tried to make India an Islamic nation. Muslims in India had issues with British when Turkey lost the Khalifat status. But it is not a part of freedom Struggle of India and for that matter nowhere related to India. The Ali brothers somehow wanted to stop British rule and wanted to bring Islamic rule. Hindus of the country were worried about these dangerous thoughts of Muslims. Gandhi, who understood this said that Hindus shouldn’t be scared of pan-Islamic and rather Hindus should support the Khilafat matters.
Gandhi stated about this in Young India as follows:
” Let Hindus not be frightened by Pan Islamism. It is not, it need not be, anti -India or anti-Hindu. Musalman must wish wall to every Musalman state he must therefore co-operate with his Muslim brother in the attempt to save the Turkish empire from extinction.
(Mahatma Gandhi – young India, Turkish question. June 29, 1921”
Though they tried to convince Hindus through Gandhi, their ultimate decision was to convert India into an Islamic country in the name of Turkey Issue. They wanted Afghan-Taliban rule in India. They even requested the Emir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan to attack India. When this didn’t work they made another way out. They said that the state of India is dangerous for Muslims and thousands of Muslims started migrating to Afghanistan. They wanted to pressurize Afghanistan and make them declare war against India so that India comes under them. But that also didn’t work.
Pattabhi Seetharamayya has written about this in Congress History:
“In the meantime, the Muslims embarked upon a plan of Hijarat (flight) to Afghanistan, as they felt they could not stay in India under British , after the treaty with Turkey. The movement started in Sindh and spread to the North West frontier. In the month of August it was estimated that 18000 people were as their way to Afghanistan. But very soon the Afghanistan authorities forbade the admission of the pilgrims and a setback was given to the idea, after considerable loss of life and sufferings.”
When all these didn’t came out well they decided to start the Khilafat organization. They still believed that India should become an Islamic country once. They would have decided to overcome the Congress movements with Khilafat Movements for the same. Their aim was to concentrate on the small villages or else to divide and make a new Islamic nation. As a result they could manage to get control over two Taluks of Malabar. But when even the Muslims of the area were against this, then the Central Khilafat Committee had to take a stand against the Mappila Riot. They found satisfaction by dividing India and Pakistan for the time being. Hindu orators who took part in the Khilafath Committee that held at Allahabad pointed out that they were worried about the Muslims’s love towards Afghanistan. The Islam took double stand in the answers they gave.
Gandhi Mentioned about this in Young India:
“The Khilafat meeting at Allahabad has unanimously re-affirmed the principle of non – cooperation and appointed an Executive committee to lay down and enforce a detailed program. It was a wise setup on the part of the Khilafat Committee to invite Hindus representing all shades of through to give them the benefit of their advice. Whilst other Hindu speakers approved of the principle of Non – cooperation in theory, they saw many practical difficulties and they feared also complications arising from Mohammadans welcoming an Afghan invasion of India. The Mohamadans speakers gave the fullest and frankest assurance that they would fight to a man any invader who wanted to conquer India. But they were equally frank in asserting that any invasion from without under taken with a view to uphold the prestige of Islam and to vindicate justice would have their full sympathy. If not their actual support “
( Mahatma Gandhi, ,Young India, June 9 1920)
The founders of the Khilafat became furious and anxious as their plans regarding the Khilafat movements weren’t touching lights in India. Moulana Shaukath Ali ordered the Muslims to stay away from the Indian freedom struggle. Gandhi wired Moulana to know about this only to find that this was true.
Gandhi about this in Young India:
“Molana shaukat Ali is reported to have said that the independence movement is a movement not for Swaraj but for Hindu swaraj and against Musalmans, that there for the latter should Ieave it alone. On reading the report, I wired to the Maulana enquiring whether he was correctly reported. He had kindly replied confirming the report “
(Mahatma Gandhi, Young India. 1930 March 12 )
Those who debate about Mappila Riot being a part of Indian freedom struggle has purposefully ignored these facts. The question remains that, how can Mappila riot be considered as a part of Indian freedom struggle just because it was against the British.
