Prophetic Prediction on Malabar by Swami Shraddhananda

The elders have rightly said that never disrespect and disown any saint who, because of incomparable knowledge and unbiased wisdom, can rightly anticipate; never have any doubt on his knowledge and sayings. Swami Shraddhananda (hereafter Swamiji) was one of the same kind who had the Knack to anticipate things not because of any divine power but because of his incomparable skills of appropriately comprehending things on time. Surprisingly, in 1921, the Mappilas under the Turkish flag and mission performed precisely as he predicted a few years ago. It was only his anticipation where he had shown his concern towards the rapid growth of the Muslim population in the form of Arab traders in the earlier stage. His primary objective was to explain the rapid expansion of the Muslim population over the Hindus, undermining the nation's cultural aspect. He presented considerable historical evidence and detailed descriptions from Indian history about the Islamic invasion (Tipu Sultan’s brutality and Malabar incursion) and their cruelty over the native lives. He said, while after anticipating the historical facts- 

“I pause here, for a moment, and ask the reader to realise the immensity of the mischief done to the Hindu religion by the cruel bigotry of the Muslim Emperors in India. Is it any wonder, then, that lakhs upon lakhs of Hindus were forced to be honored by Islam and their descendants swelled to millions”? 

After a deep analysis of two successive censuses of 1911 and 1921, respectively, Swamiji pointed out several reasons for their rapid growth, of which “they have less marital restrictions, and widows remarry more readily than Hindus”. Moreover, it was the Congress Lucknow Session (1916), where Swamiji once again highlights this issue in his own unique style and said- 

“On sitting on the dais (Lucknow Congress platform), the first thing that I noticed was that the number of Moslem delegates was proportionately fourfold of what it was at Lahore in 1893…Of some 433 Moslem delegates, only some 30 had come from outside, the rest belonging to Lucknow City. And of these majority was admitted free to delegate seats, board and lodging…The result was that…the Moslem delegates were elected or selected. All this was admitted by the Lucknow Congress organisers to me in private”. 

Swami’s Disagreement with Gandhi  

]Swamiji observed the Muslim attitude towards the Caliphate movement in 1920-1922, where he predicted that this movement would shift Swarajya's focus to Islamic radicalism among Muslims. The Ayats (verses) of the Quran recited by Maulana at that time frequently referred to jihad against and the killing of kafirs. The Mohammedan Maulana would not refrain from utilising these lines against the Hindus. When he shifted Gandhi’s attention to this, he got a dissatisfactory reply by him where Gandhi said that "they are alluding to the British bureaucracy." 

Excusing Muslims' Sins

Gandhi has been quite strict in condemning any acts of violence and has pressed Congress to do so. Neither the Mussalmans nor Gandhi condemned these atrocities. Gandhi's goal to preserve Hindu-Muslim unity at all costs explains his mentality. His response to the Moplah riots demonstrates his tendency to excuse Muslims' sins. It was a difficult time for Hindus in Malabar. Several Caliphate authorities misguidedly passed decrees applauding the Moplahs on their "brave struggle for  religion (Jihad)". 

Swamiji observed the Muslim attitude towards the Caliphate movement in 1920-1922, where he predicted that this movement would shift Swarajya's focus to Islamic radicalism among Muslims

Dedicated to promoting Hindu-Muslim harmony, Gandhi dismissed all evidence against the Mappilas, calling them "God-fearing Moplahs who battled for religion and in a good manner.” Even the Congress Working Committee's unanimous resolution on Hindu genocide illustrates how careful they were not to harm Muslims.  Gandhi told the Hindus that–“The Hindus must have the courage and the faith to feel that they can protect their religion despite such fanatical eruptions. Verbal disapproval by the Mussalmans of Moplah madness is no test of Mussalman friendship…."

In the Liberator, on 26th August 1926, he condemned the resolution, where he said—“The first warning was sounded when the question of condemning the Moplahs for their atrocities on Hindus came up in the Subjects Committee. The original resolution condemned the Moplahs wholesale for the killing of Hindus and burning of Hindu homes. The forcible conversion to Islam…the Moplahs were right in presenting the Quran or sword to the Hindus. And if the Hindus became Mussalmans to save themselves from death…”.

During and after the Hindu genocide in Malabar, the topic of Shuddhi re-emerged as crucial importance, which created the background for this battle. As soon as news of the Malabar conversions reached northern India in September 1921, Arya Samaj, under his leadership, took the initiative and responded swiftly in parts of Gujarat and other Northern-regions. He founded the Bhartiya Hindu Suddhi Sabha in Agra on 13th February 1923, with Lala Hansraj as president. Shraddhananda, because of his actions, was banned from making public addresses in several Muslim-dominated areas. Unfortunately, Gandhi’s remarks, in his “Young India” article titled “Hindu-Muslim Tension: Its cause and cure”, in this context, was once again quite discomforting and, moreover, it was highly deterrent.  Once again on his shown path, the Hindu Mahasabha puts its confirmation on the rock of the Bhartiya Hindu Shuddhi Sabha by a clear resolution of making more Shuddhi’s in the perfectly legitimate and proper manner. He promoted the idea that a convert from Hinduism may be re-converted through the process of Shuddhi, which signified purification.

On the other hand, the All India Kshatriya Mahasabha and the All India Hindu Mahasabha convened. Thus, the “Shuddhi” and “Sanghatna” became the watchwords of the Hindu Mahasabha as a result of this session. Therefore, the Shuddhi ceremony was relevant in those days, and it continues to be necessary today. Those who oppose it are unaware of its benefits and only fight it to further their vested interests and political objectives. Sanghatna and the act of Shuddhi movements played absurd battles with the devils, using the brain of such saints as their weapons to fool the eyes of ignorant men.  A significant volume would be required to contain an account of the umpteen swindlers that these cunning souls perpetrated in intended to deceive the Indian people. Finally, as has been argued, the communal sentiment or ‘fanaticism’ of the Moplahs was nothing but a chronic disease. It was neither an expression of long-standing agrarian discontent nor an action against Britishers; it was merely against the Hindus and their dream of establishing the Caliphate in India.