HYDERABAD: Speakers at the 149th birth anniversary programme of one of the great revolutionary leaders of the subcontinent, Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi, said maulana had taken a clear stance that Sindh belonged to Sindhis and devoted his entire life to relentless struggle against capitalism and feudalism.

Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said at the programme at Sindh Museum on Wednesday night that maulana was a true revolutionary who believed in freedom of nations and talked about federation of “enslaved” nations living in Indian subcontinent.

He said that maulana was not a rigid puritan and he respected all religions and greatly valued human liberty, religious philosophy and self-respect of nations. He also produced literary and academic works of great value, he said.

He said that history underwent many changes in Pakistan after every decade hence it was a duty to pass on facts-based history to future generations. He called for reading and understanding Maulana Sindhi afresh.

Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Ghazala Siyal said that there was greater need today to transfer knowledge about Maulana Sindhi to youths. Through its slogan of roti, kapra aur makan, PPP was taking message of maulana forward, she said, adding that maulana talked about a society based on equality.

Sindhica Academy chairperson Noor Ahmed Memon said that maulana was a revolutionary. He spent his entire life in three pair of clothes and never coveted worldly things though he could have easily amassed massive wealth through his admirers and devotees.

He said that maulana greatly valued national ideology and never succumbed to political expedience. He differed with Gandhi on grounds that India was a multination state.

He said that maulana always said that nationhood was based on language and motherland as opposed to two-nation theory. He tried to form an alliance of nations on international level in the subcontinent and gave idea of Asiatic Federation before the British rulers partitioned the subcontinent, he said.

He said that maulana had given social programme to people of Hindustan so that needs of all people were met. He was clear in his concept about making social programme as foundation of a state.

He said that maulana had rejected religious inequality introduced by kings and regarded it as anti-religious. He lived in exile for 19 years and on return to Sindh he focused on Sindh alone and never allowed colonial rulers to have an easy ride.

Dr Mohammad Anas Rajpar said that maulana had said Sindhi language should be written in Roman script instead of Arabic and he had got a Sindhi typewriter readied which used Roman script.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon said that in recognition of the great love and respect accorded to him by religious scholars of Sindh maulana made ‘Sindhi’ second part of his name. He was a keen observer who waged a tireless struggle against capitalism and jagirdari system, he said.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2021