Mazharul Haque (1866-1930) Commemoration

Mazharul Haque was born on 22 December 1866 in Bahpura, Bihar. After receiving his early education in Patna and Lucknow, he traveled to England for higher studies. During his time in England, he befriended prominent Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Ali Imam, and Sachchidanand Sinha. He founded the Anjuman-I-Islamia, a society for Indian students in England, and was called to the Bar in 1891. Upon returning to India, Haque was appointed as a Munsif in Awadh but soon resigned to practice law in Chapra.

In 1897, he gained recognition for his relief work during the famine in Saran District. His public life began with the organization of the Bihar Provincial Conference, where he advocated for the constitution of Bihar as a separate province. A staunch nationalist, Haque opposed the separate electorate scheme but accepted it as a temporary measure once introduced. Under this system, he was elected to the Imperial Legislative Council.

Haque played a significant role in the Home Rule Movement in Bihar, serving as its President in 1916. He actively participated in the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917 alongside Mahatma Gandhi. The peak of his political career came during the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements, where he gave up his legal practice and withdrew from council elections. He became disillusioned with the idea of self-rule under the Crown and began advocating for complete independence, declaring it the birthright of every nation.

A proponent of democratic decentralization, Haque organized Panchayats in Saran District and strongly supported compulsory and free primary education. He suggested forming Education Leagues to encourage school attendance and called for greater educational facilities in Bihar. In 1921, he founded “The Motherland,” an English weekly that became a prominent voice of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Besides his political activism, Haque was a poet and writer. He contributed to the establishment of Bihar Vidyapeeth, which coordinated activities at the Sadaqat Ashram, the headquarters of the Congress in Bihar. A fervent advocate for communal harmony, Haque considered it his life’s mission and believed that achieving communal harmony was essential for Swarajya.

In the later years of his life, Haque retired from active politics and passed away on 2 January 1930 at his home, “Ashiana.” To honor his contributions, the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department issued a commemorative postage stamp.

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