Kamran Khamiso Khowaja & Qadir Bux Samejo
The Land of Sindh has produced gems in different periods of History, who not only played a crucial role in the independence movement but were also known for their uprightness, courage, integrity, and distinguished stature in society, Raees Ghulam Mohammad Bhurgri is one of those, but sad to say that young generation is unaware of his remarkable work and Services for the country. A statesman, Jurist, and reformist, Barrister Raees Ghulam Mohammad Khan Bhurgri was born in 1878 in Dengan Bhurgri Village Taluka Jamesabad of Tharparkar District (The Taluka was later named after his name- Kot Ghulam Mohammad and is now part of Mirpurkhas District). His father Raees Wali Mohammad Khan Bhurgri was a landlord and notable political figure of Sindh during the18th and 19th centuries. He was educated at several educational institutes of Sindh at that time including Mission School Hyderabad, Sindh Madressatul Islam High School, and Aligarh Muslim High School from where he did his matriculation in 1890. In his childhood after the demise of his father he and his family were deprived of the large scale of their ancestral property as it was taken over by the British government, that incident deeply dejected him as a child. The rising leverage of British rulers in the subcontinent and their unfair treatment of Muslims fueled further his hatred for British rule and impaled him to move abroad for higher education. He returned to Sindh after completing his Bar-at-Law from Lincoln’s-inn in 1908 and started practice in Hyderabad. During his practice along with his bosom friend Molana Abdul Majeed Sindhi, he launched a weekly magazine Al-Amin to create awareness among the Muslims about their legitimate Rights Despite being a landlord he was an advocate of poverty-stricken and misery-ridden people of the subcontinent and his prime aim as a politician was to provide relief to those subjugated people groaning under the curse of slavery. After joining Congress in 1909, he was elected member of the Bombay legislative assembly from a seat reserved for landlords and was re-elected again in 1913 and 1917. He believed that Education is necessary to uplift the social status of Sindhis and apropos to that he got passed the Muslim Education Cess Bill from the then Legislative Assembly of Bombay. As a result of that innovative move , he had to face bitter opposition from Landlords, feudal lords, and the elite class of Sindh. But continued to serve the interest of the common people. As a farsighted and prudent leader, he always emphasized that religion must be kept away from politics. “Politics must be segregated from religion; the blend of the two would prove lethal for Muslims in future”, he wrote in his letter to Abdullah Haroon. In 1918 he joined the All India Muslim League and worked as its loyal and dedicated member till the last breath of his life. The progressive leader also actively engaged himself in Khilafat Movement and was made the President of the Khilafat Conference in 1920 and sailed with Quaid-e-Azam to London to attend that conference. Along with Sir Agah Khan, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, and other Muslim Leaders he took the plunge for Sindh,s separation from the Bombay Presidency. As a member of the Mohammadan Education Society, he made efforts to expand the facilities for educating the people of rural Sindh. “Our Perspective Changes about Feudal lords, when We talk of Raees Bhurgri, His Contributions for Sindh were exceptional,” wrote G.M Sayed in his book. In an interview eminent politician and Jurist Rasool Bux Palijo Said: “If Bhurgri had been alive at the time of independence, Quaid-E- Azam Would have made him the first Prime Minister instead of Liaquat Ali Khan”. He was among the most trusted and close political allies of Mr. Jinnah he further said. “Raees Ghulam Mohammad was among those very few leaders who openly opposed the British rule right from the word go, He was progressive Landlord”; Like other Feudal Lords of Sindh rather than spending resources on lavish matters and merrymaking he invested resources on Sindh,s Development.”; writes Dr. Hameed Sabzvi in his Article ” An Extraordinary Personality of Sindh”. Carrying his legacy his son Raees Ghulam Mustafa Bhurgri also raised a voice for the cause of Sindh. He was a member of the Sindh Assembly and blatantly opposed the “One Unit” move. The Diligent, Eminent, and luminous personality of Sindh Raees Ghulam Mohammad Khan Bhurgri passed away in 1924 at the age of 45, but before leaving this world he achieved the status that very few people had achieved in history. His life, struggle, and contributions should be made part of our syllabus so that the young generation could learn from this paradigmatic figure.
(-The writers are Law Students and Columnists.)