79th death anniversary of popular and dynamic national political leader, a courageous journalist and a poet par excellence, Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar was observed on Monday. According to historians, TV channels, Maulana Jauhar was the greatest Muslim leader of the 20th century before the emergence of the Quaid-e-Azam.
He died in London on January 4, 1931 and was buried in Jerusalem according to his wish. His convictions were deep and his enthusiasm boundless. By his simplicity, sincerity and missionary zeal he reached the heart of the masses and captured them as no one had done before.
Maulana Muhammad Ali was born in Rampur and was educated at Aligarh Muslim University and the Oxford University (1898-1902). First of all, he served in the Education Department of the Rampur State, then he joined the Gaekwad Civil Service. Except for a few years he remained active in the affairs of the All India Muslim League from 1906 to 1928. He launched his famous English weekly "Comrade" from Calcutta in 1911 and his Urdu weekly "Hamdard" from Dehli in 1913.
For four years after 1911, he remained involved in the Kanpur Mosque affair, The Pan-Islamic movement and the Aligarh University movement. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment (1911-15) for his fearless championing of the Turkish (Khilafat) cause and violation of the Defence of India Rules. Upon his release he became a principal leader of the Khilafat Movement. He led the Indian Khilafat delegation to London in 1920. In 1928 he left the Indian National Congress, opposed the Nehru Report tooth and nail, supported the fourteen points of the Quaid-e-Azam and advised the Muslims to dissociate themselves from the Civil Disobedience movement of 1930.
Although seriously ill he attended the Third Round Table Conference in 1930. Sitting in a chair he spoke in its Plenary Session: 'I want to go to my country. if I can go back with the substance of freedom in my hand; and if you do not give us freedom, you will have to give me a grave here.' The British Government did not give freedom to India, but Maulana Mohammad Ali won a grave in a free country. He died in London and his body was carried to Jerusalem and buried iin the place of the Prophets.