Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal And Kashmir

Kashmir valley is one of the most beautiful spots on the surface of globe, and Iqbal himself was a Kashmiri by birth.  Allama Mohammad Iqbal had earned preeminence due to his thought-provoking poetry, his philosophy, his dream about the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent, the two-nation theory, stature of man, one's self hood, dignity of man, and knowledge and norms of the modern sciences. His works cannot be described in isolation.
Rather these are integrally related. Iqbal had successfully striven to convince humans to be
perfect qua humans, and the Muslims to have an honourable position. That is why, homage is paid to Allama Iqbal in many countries of the world, particularly in Pakistan and India, on April 21 and November 9 every year. The people of Iran have also learnt a lot from his Persian poetry. Allama was an accomplished figure who had commanded the knowledge of Urdu, English, Persian, Arabic and German languages. In private meetings with his close friends, he would speak the Punjabi language.
When the Kashmir movement started in 1931 an all India Kashmir committee was formed to extend moral and material support to the Kashmiris in British India. Dr. Iqbal was also associated with it. Even after he resigned from the committee, Iqbal continued to support the Kashmir movement. He exhorted the Indian Muslims to help their Kashmiri brethren out of their present lot so that they could play their part in th all-round progress of the Muslim nation of India.
Almighty Allah had blessed Iqbal with the best qualities. He was a great poet, a philosopher, a professor, a lawyer and above all a dignified Muslim in the real sense. He passed his whole life as a Muslim who had struggled to change the fate of the Muslim Ummah and to put it on the track of development and progress. Had Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam not born in the 19th century, Pakistan would never have come into inception – and had Pakistan not come into existence, the Muslims would have lost their entity in the Indian subcontinent. Although a seizable number of Muslims opted to live in India, Pakistan emerged as a blessing in disguise for them.
Amidst functions to mark the death anniversary of Allama Iqbal throughout Pakistan on April 21, the Kashmir Studies Department of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has organized an innovative function in Muzaffarabad to demonstrate its love for Iqbal for his being a Kashmir-origin. Allama had never denied his links and relationship with Kashmir. Irrespective of whether he lived in Lahore or Sialkot, England or Germany, he would always hold his head for Kashmir and would highlight the agonies of Kashmiris in his poetic and literary works, philosophy and conversation. The historian on Kashmir, Munshi Mohammad Din Fauq used to consistently briefed Allama Iqbal on Kashmir. That is why, Iqbal played an active and effective role in setting up Anjuman-e-Kashmiri Muslimanaan-e-Lahore – a platform Allama had used to fight for the rights of his Kashmiri Muslim brethren. Under the able guidance of Allama Iqbal, Munshi Mohammad Din Fauq launched monthly Kashmiri Gazette in 1900. In 1906 (when All-India Muslim League was founded), a monthly journal Kashmiri Magazine was taken out. It was renamed as Akhbar-e-Kashmiri in 1912 was published on weekly basis till 1934. It is pertinent to note that Anjuman-e-Kashmiri Muslimanaan-e-Lahore was also renamed as All-India Muslim Kashmiri Conference in 1908 and Allama Iqbal was elected its first secretary general. Allama Iqbal visited Kashmir for the first time in 1921. In short, Allama Iqbal supported the Kashmiri Muslims against the brutalities perpetrated by Maharaja Hari Singh. Other prominent
Muslim figures who had the chance to work with Allama Iqbal day and night from the platform of All-India Muslim Kashmiri Conference, Lahore included Khan Bahadur Haji Rahim Bux (1931), Mian Nizamuddin honorary magistrate, Haji Mir Shamsuddin, Maulana Syed Habib editor, Mian Amiruddin (lord mayor Lahore), Munshi Mohammad Din Fauq (Kashmiri historian), Mohammad Rafiq Ahmad bar-at-law, Khawaja Ghulam Mustafa advocate, Mian Hisammuddin (honorary magistrate), Nawab Habibullah, Sheikh Sadiq Hassan (he was appointed minister in the Punjab cabinet after creation of Pakistan), Sheikh Mohammad Sadiq, Khawaja Mohammad Yousuf, Khan Bahadur Sheikh Din Mohammad (later chief justice and member boundary commission), Malik Abdur Rafi, Malik Abdul Qayyum bar-at-law and Col Mirza Qutubuddin while Syed Mohsin Shah was appointed secretary of the committee. After the Dogra rulers rained bullets on the Muslims in the compound of Srinagar prison on July 13, 1931 leaving 22 Muslims martyred, a meeting of All India Kashmir Committee was held at the residence (Fairview) of Nawab Sir Zulfikar Ali Khan of Maalir Kotla state in Simla on July 25, 1931. The invitations for the meeting were issued by Maulana Ilmuddin Salik (later professor Oriental College, Lahore). The meeting was attended besides Allama Iqbal (later he became president of the committee), by Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood, Khawaja Hassan Nizami, Nawab Zulfikar Ali Khan, Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan, Khan Bahaur Rahim Bux, Syed Mohsin Shah, Maulana Mohammad Ismail Ghaznavi, Maulvi Nurul Haq (editor Muslim Outlook) and Maulana Syed Habib etc.
The committee decided to launch a mass movement against the tragedy. Later, the Punjab-based Majlis-e-Ahrar also joined movement. Maharaja of Kashmir sought help from the British Government. However, he had to offer some concessions to the Kashmiri Muslims, including the creation of a full-fledged legislative assembly for the Kashmir state (1934).
This year, Vice-Chancellor, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Habibur Rahman and Dean Faculty of Arts Dr Syed Nisar Hamdani, with the collaboration of the fine arts department of the university, have organized a programme and an exhibition to pay homage to Allama Iqbal. The program will focus on the philosophy of Allama Iqbal in the form of fine arts. Governor of Kashmir Khushi Mohammad Nazer who hailed from Gujrat, wrote a poem in the perspective of the natural beauty of Kashmir.
Discovery of one's self hood is a great achievement of Allama Iqbal. To ascertain the secrets of the Nature, one is required to first discover his own self hood. Iqbal impressed the minds and hearts of the Muslims. He diagnosed the disease, treated it and even suggested preventive measures. He had an extensive and in-depth knowledge about the Nature. He had full command on the modern sciences and full knowledge of the social life and the history of the Western nations.
He had an in-depth study on Islam. Unfortunately, the selfishness of the Pakistani Muslims has put the dignity of the country at risk. Had Allama Iqbal or Quaid-e-Azam a chance to study the current state of affairs in Pakistan today, they would have got highly worried. Since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, India has fast emerged a political and democratic power in the region while we see the existence and the survival of our country in danger. We blame world powers for all our ills, but we never searched our own soul. Scores of people have written research papers on the poetic works, quotations, speeches, lectures and biography of Allama Iqbal to get a doctorate's degree. Thousands of papers on his poetry have been written in Pakistan. Journals and newspapers – right from Naqoosh to Sayyara - have published hundreds of special editions on Iqbal during the last 75 years. Those working on Allama’s poetry have discussed his philosophy.
Every country or nation has a hero. Undoubtedly, Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam are our national heroes and benefactors. Those who have learnt the Persian language (Persian was dropped from our educational curriculum about 30 years back), fully know that Allama used Urdu and Persian language as medium of his poetry. The Iranian people equate Allama Iqbal with their own national poets like Firdausi, Roomi, Attar, Saadi and Bihar. Iqbal Chair has been established in the many universities in the world. Allama’s vision  cannot be described in this brief piece.