A STORY OF 109 YEAR OLD, FREEDOM MOVEMENT HERO AND CLOSE AIDE OF QUAID-I- AZAM

A STORY OF 109 YEAR OLD, FREEDOM MOVEMENT HERO AND CLOSE AIDE OF QUAID-I- AZAM

PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN

AN INTERVIEW PRESENTED IN THE FORM OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

               My name is Abdul Ghani s/o Mahar Ali. I belong to Chohan family of Rajputs. I have three sons and seven daughters. I got birth in April 1904 in Tehsil Narain district Ambala,India. I spent my childhood in a town “Rani Ka Raypure”. Due to poverty and the deplorable plight of the Muslims, I couldn’t attend the school. I joined the platoon 46 of Indian Army in 1929. I fought 1939’s World War II and got a medal of distinction from the British Monarch. In 1947, I migrated to Pakistan and became a part of Baloch regiment of Pakistan Army. I also fought 1948 War in the area of tehsil Bagh. I was retired from Army in 1963 but the army called me back in 1965 war. When 1971 war broke out, I was again recalled to join the war. So, I have the distinction to fight all the wars.

                 Quaid-i-Azam gave medal on my services rendered for the Pakistan on which my name is inscribed. But much greater than these medals, I got the honour on 14 August 1947, when Quaid-i-Azam and me broke the fast in Ramazan together and even shared the same plate. Furthermore, on the orders of Quaid-i-Azam, I along with Hawaldar Mukaram Khan waived the flag of Pakistan for the first time in Karachi.

            Later on Quaid-i-Azam deputed me on the Pakistani border to escort safely the Muslim caravans coming from India. Here one day, a colonel Partab Singh tried to stop the caravans from going to Pakistan. Then he went ahead in wickedness and engineered plundering of the caravans and then he moved further ahead in vile and kidnapped 30 Muslims as hostage including women. At this juncture, my emotions went out of control and I shot the colonel and got released all the arrested 30 Muslims and took them safely to Pakistan. Later on Quaid-i-Azam acknowledged my services at border and offered me to take any village or a market in a big city. I said reverently to him, “The corpse of my Muslims brothers and sisters are scattered everywhere; the land has turned red at many places with the blood of my Muslim brothers and the migrants have no food, no shelter and even no clothes. In these circumstances, how can I take courage to become a lord of the village?” On hearing this, Quaid-i-Azam became so happy and emotional that he came near to me and kissed at my forehead. I will never forget this reward of nation’s father that many will covet for it in the later days.

      Later on, when the condition of migrant improved, normality prevailed and the newly built state started showing the sign of progress. I went to Revenue department and inquired about my claim of land. The patwari asked me to utter the kalmia. When I recited the kalima, he said to verbalize the kalima of patwaries. Then he himself enunciated: “Pakistan ka mutlab kiah….. Saow rupia fi killah! (Hinted to give hundred rupees per killah) When I refused to pay him bribe, he threw ink on my claim and said, “I will see, how you will take your land without spending money.” Later on, his statement came true and till now I am homeless, jobless and living from hand to mouth. But I have no repentance as my country is free and today we are celebrating its 65^th Independence Day. My cottage is filled with medals, my heart is filled with the love for Pakistan, my mind is thinking about the future glories of Pakistan and my spirit is soaring sky high. Then he raised a slogan loudly: Pakistan Zindabad!

          J.C. and A.W. HARE have rightly said: (Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action.) and he is following the words of Daniel Webstei in letter and spirit that “Let our object be our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country.”Should we follow his suite?