User:Chudhry Mumtaz

Story of A person belonging to a very humble family and achieved a remarkable rise from a village to the highest society & institutions in India without any family or native support..

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Name: Chaudhri Muhammad Shaffee

He was known as Comrade Chaudhri Muhammad Shaffee.

Occupation: Freedom Fighter/ Civil & Human Rights Activist

Office: Member Indian Parliament (1st - Lok Sabah from Kashmir) 1952-57. He was also a Member of Kashmir Provincial Assembly and took a Minister’s office in early1970s. He remained a member of Saint of Kashmir University. He was also a Member of Central Executive Committee (CEC) of All India Congress.

Birth Date: January 21, 1918

Death Date: February 25, 1988

Education: Graduation from Punjab & BA (Hons) from BW College Jammu (now Gandhi Memorial) in Indian held Kashmir

Place of Birth: Baghsar, District Mirpur (now District Bhimber) Pakistan held Kashmir

Father’s Name: Hassan Muhammad

Mother’s Name: Laha Bibi

Wife & Children: Not married

Family: He was born on January 21, 1918 at Baghsar, District Mirpur (now District Bhimber) in Pakistan held Kashmir. He was belonging to Arian Family. He had three brothers i.e. Mian Ahmed Din, Molvi Muhammad Sadiq and Chaudhry Muhammad Sadeeq. Chaudhri Muhammad Shaffee was the youngest. He had two sisters i.e. Ahmed Bibi and Muhammad Bibi. He was separated from his family 1947. His family lived in Pakistan held Kashmir where as he passed his life in India until his death.

Religion: Islam

Life Style: He was a simple man. He wears Khaddar (coarse) cloths. He mostly possessed two suits of clothes and prefers to sleep on floor. Most of his life passed in Jail. He never wanted to become a prominent figure in media.

Salient information (available through Newspapers, relatives, his friends and politicians)

Comrade Chaudhri Muhammad Shaffee was also recognized as Mujahid – e -Azadi -a - Kashmir. He was an activist of freedom movement. He worked hard for freedom of Kashmir from Dogra regime and went jail many times. In his life he had born many hardships and miseries. He delivered emotional speeches and possessed a full command over English, Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit, Punjabi and many other local Indian languages. He raised his voice against the Dogra regime of his cruel and unjust policies at the time when criticism was impossible. He bravely used to deliver speeches in Main Chowk of Jammu (capital of Dogra regime- Mahraja Hari Sing). He was very popular in delivering emotional speeches.

He attain more popularity throughout India when he was a student of Jammu College and arrested over a speech against Hari Sing who’s interior Minister Raja Muhammad Afzal Khan (father of Raja Zulkarnain Khan Ex President of Pakistan Held Kashmir) had badly beaten the people of village ( Kangra Fakrot near Bhimber) where he was gamming the birds and during that, the leg of his Eagle was broken by an old woman. Minister and his companion thought that villagers are telling lie to escape themselves and using the name of woman. Actually the eagle pounced on a hen of old woman who threw a stick towards eagle and its leg was broken. When Mr. Shafi herd this horrible incident he spoke very serious against Mahraja and his Minister. When he was arrested the lawyers from different parts of India reached Jammu to see the young man and to rescue him. He remained in Jail for 19 days. The lawyers fought the case at free of cost for him and succeeded and as a result, Maraja Hari sing dismissed his Interior Minister.

Mr. shafi was a liberal, progressive and revolutionary leader. He was an emotional person, where ever he saw unjust and oppression; he reached there and helped the poor/marginalized and oppressed people.

Mr. Shaffee always struggled for human rights. One incident told by Master Allah Dita resident of Bandala valley district Bhimber. He was a forest contractor and belonged to Rajput (Chib) family. He told that when the people of Bandala valley listen that Mr.Shaffee is coming to home (Baghsar) after graduation, they decided to welcome him because he was 1st graduate in that area and they also want to listen a speech from him. In Bandala and Samani vallies there were two major costs of people i.e. Rajput and Jaat. The rajput family was dominant and terrorized the people of Jaat family to such extent that people of Jaat family could not sit parallel to them. Even the Jaats were not allowed to sit on stone in front of Rajputs. So when Mr. Shafi reached there, he started his speech on the topic of inequality and cruelty of Rajputs over Jaat and people of other costs. Raja Allah Dita told that the speech was so emotional that people of Jaat family started fight against Rajputs. The people started throwing stones and pebbles over each other. This speech changed the life of depressed people in the area.

Mr. Shafi played an active role in establishing Congress party in Jammu. He was selected as General secretary of congress party and presided the public meeting in which 'Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru and Abdul Ghaffar Khan participated.

In 1940, He joined National Conference and worked with Sheikh Abdullah for the liberation of Kashmir. In 1942-45 , he published his own news paper (Sansar). In 1948, he worked as editor of news paper (Such). With the help of wealthy friends, he established Oriental College in Jammu to help educate the Muslims.

During partition 1947 and after, he helped many people in rescuing / sending to Pakistan who were missing or kidnapped. Whenever Hindu-Muslim turmoil occurs he reached there in support of Muslims. He always stood behind the weak and helpless people.

Though he was in congress but he seriously condemned the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah and the action of central government in Kashmir in 1953 and consequently he was also arrested.

He helped Sheikh Abdullah in his release after 11 years of prison and played a vital role in making agreement between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sh. Abdullah. According to a newspaper Mr. Shafi always said that Kashmir issue was initiated by Nehru and he will solve it and consequently a visit of Sheikh Abdullah to Pakistan was arranged in 1964.

In 1964, Shafi sahib visited Pakistan along with Sh. Abdullah. During the visit he told that the visit will greatly help in resolving Kashmir dispute. But meanwhile Mr. Nahru died and Kashmir issue went back to its original position.

Comrade Chaudhry Muhammad Shafi got Freedom Fighter Award in 1972. He met all his living expenses only from a meager amount of freedom fighter award which was very hard but never accepted any financial help from others.

Comrade Chaudhri Muhammad Shafi was Member of Central Executive Committee of Congress. He Passed a long part of life with congress but due to differences with Indra Gandhi, he quit congress and joined Janta Party 1975 but after two years in 1977 he left Janta Party as well.

His Nephew (Shabir Ahmed) who visited India told that his uncle told him that he left Congress during the meeting of Central Executive Committee where he opposed Indra Gandhi’s decisions particularly over Sanjay Gandhi nomination for election. Indra Gandhi who mostly called Paa Ji (brother) to him said “Mr. Shafi ; you are opposing my son in front of me and how you dare“. Mr. Shafi said that Congress will loose election if she give party Tickets to him and his friends. He also said that he has no fear to warn her that she was doing wrong. He also told her that she put him in a jail, he eat Dal Roti and he will get there after that he resigned in the CEC meeting and came out.

Mr. shabir also said when election results announced he was in Delhi and his uncle took him to PM House to introduce with Indra Gandhi. When she looked my uncle she started weeping and said “ Paa Ji ” you were right and then she asked that what should she do. My uncle advised her that she accept the results and announce that she is leaving PM House immediately.

Mr. Shabir also told that during his visit to India his uncle took him to many Ministers including Jugjeevan Ram. He said that his uncle had no personal car, they used to hire Rikshaw/taxi and after meeting when they come out, every Minister see off them at gate and offered their vehicle but his uncle refused them every time.

In 1964 during his visit of Pakistan when he was going in car along with family members to Liaqat Bag Rawalpindi where Sheikh Abdullah and other leaders had to address the public gathering, he suddenly asked the driver to stop and give way to pass the car behind them. In the car me ( Mumtaz Akhtar Qadir) and my cousin ( Muhammad Ali) were child. Mr. Shaffee told that the person in the car behind was Mulana Masoodi, who was more educated than him and we should respect the person who is more educated than us. Actually he was giving lesson that we should respect the person who is more educated than you.

Similarly One more incident of 1964, the family members of Chaudhry Muhammad Shafi also went at Rawalpindi Chaklala airport (Now Benazir International Airport) to welcome Kashmiri leaders. There they met the security in charge “Colonel Adalat Khan” who gave them a great respect and facilitated them in reaching closer to Kashmiri leaders particularly Mr..Shafi. Colonel Adalat Khan told the family members of Mr. Shaffee that during partition 1947, he and his family was stuck in India and had a great threat of life and at that time Chaudhery Muhammad Shaffee saved their lives and send them safely to Pakistan.

Chaudhri Muhammad Shaffee passed whole life in struggles. He was a person belonging to a very humble family and achieved a remarkable rise from a village to the highest society & institutions in India without family and native support. He died on February 25,1988 in New Delhi. His Nimaz e Ginaza was offered at Kashmir House Delhi and buried in the premises of Hazarat Nizam u Din Ulliah’s tomb. All the burial arrangements were made by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir. Dr.Farooq Abdullah and many Kashmiri leaders participated in his death ceremony. But no relative was present. He did not left any property behind. He came with empty hand and went with empty hand but helped the humanity at his great extent. God Bless him Jannat ul Firdos. (Amin)