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Days after Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on Yogi Adityanath over the ‘Batenge to Katenge’ slogan, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister countered the Congress chief saying, he purposely kept mum on the “death of his mother and sister in an attack by Razakars.”
Addressing a poll rally in Maharashtra‘s Amravati, the UP Chief Minister claimed that despite suffering a personal loss, Kharge had conveniently forgotten the history of the Razakars under the Nizam of Hyderabad and was suppressing this truth, fearing he might lose Muslim votes.
Adityanath also claimed that Kharge’s village, Varawatti, was also burned down by Razakars.
Recently, speaking to media persons in Nagpur, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also referred to the term Razakars saying, the ‘Razakars’ tortured the people of Marathwada, looted their lands, and destroyed families.
What does Razakar means?
Razakar means ‘volunteer’ or ‘helper’ in Persian and Urdu, who are said to have collaborated with the Pakistani Army during the 1971 War of Independence.
According to the anthropologist Nayanika Mookherjee, it is used as an abuse, reported the Indian Express.
Who were Razakars?
The Razakars was a paramilitary force that operated in the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. It was the armed wing of the Majlis-e-Itthadul Muslimeen.
What was their objective?
A primary objective of Razakars was to maintain the rule of the Muslim Nizams of Hyderabad and prevent the accession of Hyderabad to India.
What happened to Kharge’s family?
Mallikarjun Kharge was born in the Varawatti village of Bhalki Taluk in Bidar district, in 1942. When he was six-year-old, his family became a victim to riots in Bidar by Razakars, which was headed by Kasim Razvi.
According to News18, in an interview to CNN-News18, Kharge’s son Priyank had said that neighbour had rushed to tell his grandfather that the Razakars had set their house on fire, while he was working in the fields.
“The Razakars were attacking every village in sight. They were a four lakh-strong army and were acting on their own as they did not have a leader. My grandfather rushed home, but could only save my father, who was within his arm’s reach. It was too late to save my grandmother and aunt who died in the tragedy.”
Independence from Nizam Rule
After independence, the then princely state of Hyderabad which enjoyed autonomy under the British rule. It had refused to become part of India even an year after India secured Independence from the British. Meanwhile, the Razakars continued to carry out atrocities against common people. Following that, ‘Operation Polo’ was launched in 1948 and within few days on September 17, the state of Hyderabad got its independence from Nizam’s rule.