AMU to Freedom Movement: Mohammad Irtaza Hussain (1905-1966)

Mohammad Irtaza Hussain was born on November 1, 1905, into an affluent, aristocratic family in Dibai, Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh. The son of Molvi Ali Husain, his early childhood was marked by personal tragedy when his mother passed away when he was just two years old, followed by the death of his father when he was nine.

Raised under the guidance and affection of his eldest brother within a family holding prominent administrative positions and titleholders under the British government, Irtaza Husain was positioned for a life of privilege.

However, his nationalist inclinations emerged early during his school years at Kubair High School in Dibai, where he was deeply affected by the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement and joined student picketers—a step that brought sharp disapproval from his family.

Continuing his academic journey, he passed his High School in 1922 from Dibai Bulandshahar and joined the Muslim University Intermediate College Aligarh. He completed his Intermediate studies in 1924, earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1926, and secured his LL.B. degree in 1929 from Aligarh Muslim University.

Following his legal education, he initially began practicing law in Dibai and later shifted briefly to Gwalior, where through his family’s influence he was selected for a post as a Judicial Officer. Owing partly to a hearing impairment that hindered his court practice and largely to his growing nationalistic convictions, he declined the government post in Gwalior and returned to establish his legal practice in Bulandshahr. Choosing total devotion to the national movement over professional security, he faced persistent rebuke from his family.

By 1937, Irtaza Hasan had formally joined the Indian National Congress as an active member. During a crucial bye-election in the Bulandshahr-Anupshahr constituency where Congress candidate Nisar Ahamd Khan Sherwani contested against a Muslim League candidate, Irtaza Hasan actively supported the Congress campaign.

When Congress workers faced intimidation and lack of support in Dibai, he openly invited the volunteers into his own home, offering them shelter and supplies, which further heightened tension and soured his relation with his family. When Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Individual Satyagraha in 1940, Irtaza Hasan was selected as the first Satyagrahi from Bulandshahr district. Courting arrest in 1941, he was sentenced to six months of hard labor, serving his imprisonment in Bulandshahr Jail before being transferred to Bareilly Jail.

His revolutionary engagement intensified during the Quit India Movement of 1942. Arrested on August 9, 1942, alongside fellow leaders including Babu Banarsi Das, he was initially detained at Bulandshahr District Jail before being moved to Bareilly Central Jail. His incarceration later took him to Naini Jail in Allahabad, where he was imprisoned alongside prominent figures such as Rafi Ahmad Kidwai (1894-1954), Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-1966), and Gobind Sahai (190-1967).

Released after two years in August 1944, he returned to Dibai only to be served an externment order banning him from the province of Uttar Pradesh—making him the sole leader from Bulandshahr district to be exiled from the state by British authorities. Even after his return, his continued anti-government activities led to further arrests and imprisonment in Bulandshahr.

Following Indian Independence in 1947, Irtaza Hasan was appointed as the Principal Private Secretary to Nisar Ahmad Khan Sherwani (1887-1956), then Minister of Agriculture for Uttar Pradesh. During the painful and tumultuous phase of Partition, he turned his Lucknow home into a relief center for needy families, assisting numerous displaced people.

Transitioning into electoral politics, he contested elections under the Congress banner, winning seats in Meerut City and subsequently representing the Bulandshahr North-West constituency. He served in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly continuously from 1950 until 1966.

Remarkably, despite his long legislative tenure, Irtaza Hasan was known for a distinct style of public service that prioritized quiet action over political rhetoric. Archives record that he never delivered speeches in or outside the Assembly, nor did he issue press statements, focusing entirely on directly solving the everyday grievances of the people.

Characterized by profound self-respect and courage, he refused to engage in sycophancy toward powerful political figures, maintaining an unshakeable sense of dignity in all public and private settings. During the violent communal riots across Western Uttar Pradesh, when travel was perilous for Muslims, he fearlessly toured affected areas to protect the oppressed and confront miscreants without regard for his personal safety.

Throughout his public career, Irtaza Hasan remained active in organizational leadership and educational governance. He served twice as a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), was a longtime member of the Provincial Congress Committee (PCC), and held the office of Vice-President of the District Congress Committee in Bulandshahr. 

His commitment to institutional development was reflected in his management roles at Kubair Inter College in Dibai, his elected membership on the Aligarh Muslim University Court, and his work on the managing committee of the All India Muslim Educational Conference in Aligarh.

He passed away following a heart attack on June 13, 1966, in Bulandshahr, leaving behind a legacy honored by contemporaries like Babu Banarsi Das (1912-1985) who was then UP Legislative Assembly Speaker (later Chief Minister UP) as a life of commendable sacrifice in India’s struggle for freedom.

(The author is a Asst. Professor Journalism Mass Communication, Mangalayatan University Aligarh)

References 

• Alumni Directory (1974). Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh. Karachi: Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.
• Barelvi, Syed Altaf (1969). Chund Mohsin, Chund Dost (p. 112). Karachi: All Pakistan Educational Conference.
• Certificate of Freedom Fighting Contribution for Sri Irtaza Husain by Babu Banarsi Das the Speaker of UP Legislative Assembly (Ref No. 7601/Adv/77). Lucknow: Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Uttar Pradesh. 
• Short Life Sketch of Sri Irtaza Husain B.A. LL.B., M.L.A. 
• Thanks to Mr. Rizwanul Hasan Fazli Sb son of Late Irtiza Hasan Sb who shared the important documents related to life of his father to author)
• Note:  Noted Poet Late Nida Fazli (1938-2016) was related to Late Irtiza Hasan Sb.