Home History The British savagery against Hur Community in Sindh – Part- VI

The British savagery against Hur Community in Sindh – Part- VI

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The British savagery against Hur Community in Sindh – Part- VI
Illustration Courtesy: Japan Times

After the suspension of ‘privileges’ the majority of unmarried Hurs and ten of married Hurs went on strike and refused to work and became unruly for two months.

After the escape of five Hurs of Visapur Concentration Camp, the unrest had escalated in the meantime, as majority of unmarried Hurs supported by some married Hurs went on strike in June 1922 in protest against tough measures by the authorities. The strike continued for two months. During the strike, the Hurs refused to work. The detailed account of situation, developed due to strike of Hurs, was given in a report to Home Department, Bombay Government by Lt. Col. R. M. Dalziel, Acting Inspector General of Prisons Bombay on August 06, 1922.

There were 96 male Hurs, 30 of whom married, 32 women including 2 unmarried, and 37 children were languishing at Visapur Concentration Camp in 1922

Dalziel, who visited the Visapur camp on August 01 to 04, 1922, writes in his report: “There are 96 male Hurs, 30 of whom are married. Of the 32 women, 30 are wives of Hurs and remaining two are unmarried – one of them being a widow and one a maid servant. The number of children is 37. After the suspension of ‘privileges’ the majority of unmarried Hurs and ten of married Hurs went on strike and refused to work and became unruly and up-to-date have refused to work i.e. for two months. On July 28, 1922, five Hurs were prosecuted for refusing to obey orders and three of them were sentenced to 15 days rigorous imprisonment and two to 30 days rigorous imprisonment on July 29, 1922.”

B. S. Sethna, the Settlement Inspector, was violently assaulted by one of the Hurs, thrown to the ground, and severely bruised in several places.

He stated that B. S. Sethna, the Settlement Inspector, was violently assaulted by one of the Hurs, thrown to the ground, and severely bruised in several places. The assailant is to be prosecuted, he told adding that on July 31, 1922, the situation became serious and the Hurs showed symptoms of becoming entirely out of hand and assumed to say the least of it, a very threatening attitude and appeared to be certainly going to break away and escape. Settlement Officer Mr. Brierley promptly asked the help from Ahmed Nagar police to control the situation, he told.

As regards earning of Muccadums and the inmates of concentration camp, the acting-IG Prisons said that the Muccadums get 9 annas per day as pay and the others, when they work, or on piece work and may earn as much as 34 or as little as Rs.8 per month, according to their zeal. Their work is to dig and load earth. If an unmarried Hur earns more than Rs.15 per month and if a married Hur earns more than Rs.19, any excess over the above amount is not given to them but banked in their names. They are however allowed to withdraw money from their banking account if they desire so. “The strikers have now for two months been living on their savings, and it will therefore be easy to understand that their banking accounts are near the vanishing point. They however refuse to work and demand that government must ration them,” he said.

“These men are not yet in distress and they possess a large flock of goats. It’s possible that there is ‘propaganda’ behind the action of these men and wicked insinuations have already appeared in the press concerning the alleged unhappy plight of these misguided men,” he remarked suggesting that in case the government decides to give them ration, it should be only Rs.3 per month to each of striker and Rs.2 to each dependent of a striker.

Commenting on the demands of striking Hurs, Dalziel said: “They have suddenly discovered that the earthwork is distasteful to them. No credence needs to be given to this. They really object to work of any kind. They also demand that a definite period should be stated, at the end of which they should be released. They say that until the escape of five Hurs, they had hope of release but now they have no hope as the disciplinary action indicates that the heart of government has hardened and that they are made to suffer for the sins of others, and that they will die at the Settlement and never see Sindh again.”

Acting IG Prisons recommended that 55 striking Hurs should be scattered and sent to the various other settlements in Bombay Presidency.

Neglecting the grievances of striking Hurs, the acting IG Prisons reported that he has ordered that even if these strikers now consent to work, they should not be allowed to go out to work until the government has passed the orders on the subject. “If these men consent to go out to work, it is probable that it will only be a first step in an arranged escape,” he apprehended and recommended that 55 striking Hurs should be scattered and sent to the various other settlements in this Presidency, as it is inexpedient to keep these ‘truculent’ men in one camp. “After, but not before, this has been done, I recommend that the 41 men who did not strike, should be transferred to one of the settlements in Sindh, as an indication that government will show consideration to well-behaved men,” he stated.

One of seven Muccadums, who was sentenced to 30 days rigorous imprisonment, has died as the direct result of having been unmercifully hammered in Deccan Extra Mural Prison.

According to him the non-striker 41 Hurs included 26 men who were still working on earthwork. They include two of three Muccadums, who were broken and still meekly going to work. Eight men are those who work on fixed wages inside the camp i.e. two sweepers, two on sick list, one schoolmaster, one sick attendant, one lamp lighter and one infirm man besides seven Muccadums.

“Unfortunately, one of seven Muccadums, who was sentenced to 30 days rigorous imprisonment, has died as the direct result of having been unmercifully hammered in Deccan Extra Mural Prison,” he disclosed in the report informing that for this crime one Sepoy and two convict officers will be prosecuted.

In his adverse remarks, Dalziel said: ”Although these Hurs are not convicted criminals, they are abandoned ruffians whose hands are dripping with blood.”

He also questioned the selection of site of Visapur Settlement, as it’s just at the dam where 1200 convicts had been working. “It is presumed that the Deccan Convict Gang will be removed from Visapur in 1925, so that the Hurs Settlement could not remain there after 1925,” he concluded.

Hur Fakir Muhammad Siddique Bihan son of Karim Bux, resident of village Phhotto Khan Bhnbhro, interviewed in November 1994, told that they shifted from Gurang bungalow locality to Jhol town to cultivate lands but were arrested by the military. They were first taken to Sinjhoro, then Nawabshah and later to Hyderabad. A magistrate Raghumal was posted there to sentence the Hurs. When the Hyderabad jail overcrowded, the Hurs were deported to Visapur, Essapur and other concentration camps of India. It was 1943 when 200 Hurs were deported to Indian territories. Siddique Bihan, Bolu Chang, Khuda Bux Chang and Abdullah Mughrepoto were among a group of 42 Hurs who was first transported to Mirpur Khas and then by train to Ahmedabad, India to lodge them at Visapur concentration camp. For some days, they were kept in chains. “There were several other Hurs languishing since 1918 including Manthar Hingoro, Ali Muhammad Wasan,” he told.

The Hurs were shifted to Sholapur hedged camp when the India faced shortage of grain due to famine. Later, they were shifted to Bejapur camp.

Siddique Bihan and other new comers observed hunger strike for two days at the concentration camp when they were served meals by a Bhangi (sanitation worker). “We told the camp officials that we are prepared to be shot dead but will not eat the food cooked and served by the Bhangi,” he told adding: “We didn’t end hunger strike till the IG Jails came and accepted our demand providing the ration and allowing us to cook on our own.”

The Hurs were shifted to Sholapur hedged camp when the India faced shortage of grain due to famine. Later, they were shifted to Bejapur camp and allowed to work and earn livelihood on their own. “When we completed three-year sentence, 120 Hurs were repatriated to Hyderabad camp where seven to eight thousand Hurs were already lodged,” he told.

(Continues)   

Click here for Part-I, Part-II, Part-III, Part-IV, Part-V

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Excerpts from the prize-winning research-based book ‘Hur – The Freedom Fighter’ authored by Nasir Aijaz (Published by Sindh Culture Department in August 2015)