Revisiting Syed Hasan’s ‘Whither Hyderabad’ : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Revisiting Syed Hasan’s ‘Whither Hyderabad’

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Pioneer (24-09-2020)

With a view to over-haul the Hyderabad state administrative machinery following the great debacle of 1857 mutiny, outsiders were imported by Nizam, on the plea that, there were not enough of capable persons within the state, heralding the era of exploitation of the insiders. What it was to be a temporary phenomenon then, became a permanent feature in the days to come, and the outsiders from the erstwhile Madras Presidency later in the form of “Seemandhra” rulers with the formation of Visalandhra continued until the formation of Telangana state in varying proportions and in various forms.

When I was a student of New Science College, in my routine search for old books being sold on pavements of Hyderabad. Mostly in Abids, I bought a book for one rupee, which was the original price, titled ‘Whither Hyderabad’ authored by Syed Hasan. The contents were very interesting and still fresh in my memory.

In fact, the outsiders, thus brought by Nizam, were supposed to train the locals to undertake higher responsibilities. Instead, local talent was meticulously suppressed besides creating fresh opportunities to import more and more outsiders of their choice. Neither the foreign returned Osmania University Graduates, nor were the otherwise talented local youth able to enter the state service. Outsiders occupying key positions favoured only a fellow outsider draining wealth from Hyderabad. This gave rise to the feeling that persons come to Hyderabad either for jobs or for economic benefits, as a rule, should not settle down for ever.

A realization of this gave birth to what was known then and later as Mulki Movement, essentially which has been a Constructive Movement.

Mulki Movement was born out of a discontent and self-respect in every ‘Hyderabadi’ as far back as 1935 itself. As a sequel to this, a five-member group of well meaningful citizens of Hyderabad of the stature of Miss Padmaja Naidu, Abdul Hasan Syed Ali, Burgula Ramkishen Rao, Bar-at-law SB Sharma and Syed Abid Hasan proposed to start an organization at that critical juncture. Thus, ‘The Nizam’s Subjects League’ was born.

The group strongly felt that, all was not well with the state, things were not what they should be and can be and something must be and can be done or undone to improve the then existing affairs. The book ‘Whither Hyderabad’, Published in 1935, gave a brief but detailed account of some of the outstanding problems of the Premier Indian State that prevailed then. In the preface, Secretary of the League, mentioned that the Mulki Movement was a self-help and self-development movement without harming anybody or without being hostile or antagonistic to anybody.

The ‘Doctrine’ that the League prepared then categorically asserted the ‘Rights and Privileges’ of the sons of the soil. It said ‘the privileges of serving the state, profiting by the economic resources, shaping the administrative policies belong to Mulkis’. The doctrine explicitly warned those insiders, who doubt the ‘righteousness and legitimacy of the claim’ to forfeit their claim to be called as ‘Mulki’!

When the league talked of an ‘Outsider’ it meant that ‘any outsider is an outsider’. There shall not be any WHY and HOW of it! The doctrine called for a definite stoppage of outsiders being brought to the state. If it was not done, the discontent among the people of Hyderabad will grow to such perilous proportions that it will be extremely difficult to keep it in check warned the League. The league was of the opinion that capable Mulkis could be found and ought to be found for every administrative and technical post.

The League even went to the extent of quoting instances of vacancies that were likely to fall vacant in a short while from then like Directors of Medical, Agricultural and Educational departments and to fill them to pick up suitable Mulki and train him for the post! Even if they are found incompetent (on this false plea the services of outsiders even after they outlived their utility were extended preventing young Mulkis from rising to their stature) they should be given a chance to benefit by their failures and to learn by experience felt the League. They had a ‘Right to make Mistakes’ like any other human beings.

Had the ‘Look Ahead’ Policy suggested by the wise group then, been followed, the situation in Telangana would have been different, prior to formation of Telangana.

Few startling facts concerning the non-Mulkis in Hyderabad were given in the book by the League. As per the 1931 Census, the Telangana Region in the Nizam's Hyderabad consisted of a population of around 75 Lakhs including the urban and rural areas. Probably it would not have been more than four to five lakhs in Hyderabad-the main potential for employment then. Among them the Non-Mulkis accounted for 2.5 Lakhs and more than half of them were from Madras Presidency (Mostly the Telugu-English speaking Coastal Areas’ People).

The Railways, the general Trade, the educational institutions, the Singareni Mines, the irrigation projects under construction etc mostly accounted for large number of Madrasis (From Coastal Area). When it came to exploitation, initially in those days, services were mostly manned by Northern Indians and they formed a sort of caucus and clique with a view to keep out Mulkis from the administration.

What would otherwise have been a purely economic question had become a question of honour and self-respect for the people of Hyderabad. The Mulkis therefore demanded that they should have the privilege to shape their own administrative policies and for that the right type of Mulkis were to be chosen. That was the crux of the Mulki Movement of 1935.

The League also pointed out that, the Muslim outsiders from Northern India advocated that Hyderabad State was only for Muslims and Hindu Outsiders from Southern (Mostly from Madras Presidency) advocated ousting Muslims. Between these two outside elements, the atmosphere of the state got polluted. A similar situation with a difference provoked by the Seemandhra Business Lords was prevalent later. A sincere Nationalist Mulki according to the League never bothers whether the beneficiary is a Hindu or Muslim but whether it is Insider or outsider.

The League also pointed out that outsiders not only entered in to administrative machinery but also systematically crippled the cottage industrial potential of Hyderabad and Telangana. There was a time when the state could boast of several cottage industries that flourished and provided employment to lakhs of Mulkis. For instance, the Paper Industry (Karimnagar and Medak), Dyeing and Printing (Warangal, Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Medak), Gold Thread (Hyderabad), Woollen Carpet (Warangal), Arms and Weapons (Hyderabad and Warangal), Metal (Adilabad), Toy Making (Adilabad), Silver Filigree Work (Karimnagar) and Bangles.

The Mulki movement was not just for service benefits. It also meant that Mulki Industries should thrive and nothing that can be manufactured or provided locally should be imported from other areas. The demand for separate Telangana was not merely for more development, but equally for self-respect and for self-rule. Creation of Telangana State was the only answer.

The tremendous development as well as the self-respect through implementation various welfare programs, with which the people of Telangana are living is an ample proof of benefit that accrued by formation of Telangana state.