From Movement to Misappropriation: The Untold Story of Khilafat House : By Saeed Hameed
🕌 Title: “Khilafat House: A Monument of Myth, Memory, and Misappropriation”
✍️ Review by Dr. Danish Lambe
📚 Introduction: Unveiling the Layers of Forgotten Truth
In the heart of Mumbai stands Khilafat House—a structure steeped in symbolism, controversy, and contested legacy. For decades, it has been portrayed as a beacon of Hindu-Muslim unity, a cradle of Gandhian secularism, and the epicenter of the Khilafat Movement. But as this meticulously researched volume by Saeed Hameed reveals, the reality is far more complex—and at times, unsettling.
As someone deeply engaged in legal journalism and historical advocacy, I, Dr. Danish Lambe, approach this review not merely as a reader but as a custodian of truth. This book is not just a chronicle—it is a challenge to the sanitized narratives that have long dominated public memory.
🔍 Historical Dissection: The Movement vs. The Monument
The author draws a sharp distinction between the Khilafat Movement (1919–1922) and the Khilafat House, which only came into existence in 1925—after the movement had collapsed. This temporal gap is critical. It dismantles the myth that Khilafat House was a frontline witness to the movement’s fervor. Instead, it emerged in the aftermath, amid internal fractures, financial scandals, and shifting political allegiances.
Key revelations include:
- The Khilafat Movement was short-lived, collapsing after Gandhi’s abrupt withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- The Khilafat House did not exist during the movement’s peak years.
- The Ali Brothers, often credited with initiating the Eid-e-Milad procession from Khilafat House, were either imprisoned or absent during the claimed years of origin.
💰 The Forgotten Scandal: Khilafat Fund Fraud
One of the book’s most explosive chapters details the massive misappropriation of Khilafat funds—estimated at over ₹16 lakhs in the 1920s (equivalent to thousands of crores today). The Chhotani family, entrusted with managing these funds, diverted them into private business ventures. The fallout was severe, leading to resignations, asset seizures, and a humiliating attempt to compensate the Turkish Red Crescent with sawmill machinery instead of cash.
This episode is not just a financial scandal—it is a moral indictment of leadership that failed its followers.
🚩 The Politics of Processions: Eid-e-Milad and Manufactured Legacy
The book rigorously debunks the claim that the Khilafat House initiated the Eid-e-Milad procession in 1919 or 1920. Archival police reports and newspaper records point to 1930 as the actual year of the first public celebration—originating not from Khilafat House, but from Jumma Masjid. The author exposes how political actors retrofitted history to serve contemporary agendas, turning a religious observance into a tool of communal mobilization.
🧭 Khilafat House: From Nationalism to Separatism
Perhaps the most sobering insight is the ideological shift that occurred post-1930. The Khilafat House, once aligned with Congress and Gandhian ideals, became a stronghold of Muslim League politics and separatist rhetoric. Maulana Shaukat Ali’s alliance with Jinnah marked a decisive turn, transforming the building into a symbol of communal alienation rather than unity.
📜 Conclusion: A Call for Historical Honesty
This book is not an attack—it is an audit. It demands that we confront uncomfortable truths and revise our collective memory with integrity. As a legal journalist and advocate for procedural fairness, I find this work invaluable. It is a reminder that history must be evidence-based, not emotion-driven.
Khilafat House may still stand tall, but its foundations—both literal and metaphorical—are built on contested ground. Let this review be a call to scholars, activists, and citizens alike: revisit, reassess, and reclaim the truth.