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Mian Fazal Hussain was born in Punjab on july14, 1877. He belongs to Rajput family. His father was District Judge. Fazal Hussain had received his early education from Government College Lahore. Where, Allama Iqball was his class fellow. Fazal Hussain went to England and secured a degree in Bar at law. He had started his career as a lawyer. Later, he was shifted to Lahore and from there he had started his political career. He had served Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam and Islamia College Lahore initially.
His most fascinating contributions were: he had served as a member of viceroy executive council, as an Education Minister, worked for reservation of quota seats for Muslims, raising of literacy rate, great advocate of separate electorate, believer of Muslims-other community unity, and above all the formation of Punjab unionist party.
Early life:
Mian Fazal Hussain was born on July 14, 1877. He belongs to Rajput family. His father name was Khan Bahadur Hussain Bakhsh. His father reached to the rank of district judge. Initially, his father had started his career from a low calibre job.
Education:
Mian Fazal Hussain received his early education from Government College Lahore. Allama Iqball was his class fellow as well as his best friend. After completion of his early education, he then went to England and took a degree of bar at law. In 1901 he had started his career as a lawyer in Sialkot. Due to some certain reasons he then shifted to Lahore in 1905.
Political career:
After shifting to Lahore, Fazal Hussain had taken much interest in the affairs of Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam. Resultantly, in 1905, he became the member of managing committee and in the same year he was raised to the post of the Secretary of the college committee. He also rendered great services from the platform of Islamia College Lahore.
In 1917, he was assigned the office of general secretary of the new Punjab Muslim League. He had retained the position till 1920. Before, he was member of Congress but when Congress adopted non cooperation and the boycott of Councils, he had resigned from its membership.
In 1916, he was nominated for Punjab legislative council. He had delivered great services for the safeguard of rights of people under this banner.
In 1921, he had assigned the portfolio of education minister.
Services:
Mian Fazal Hussain had rendered great services for Indians and Especially for Muslims throughout his life. From the year 1905, he had served Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam and Islamia College Lahore in order to renaissance Muslims through modern education. He had raised literacy rate from 2.42% to 6.71% after becoming Education Minister. He also managed to reserve maximum seats for Muslims in Government College Lahore and king Edward medical college Lahore. He also demanded for the allocation of seats for Muslims in provincial civil services. He was a great advocate of Separate Electorate. For which he had started a campaign.
When the Muslims were greatly engulfed in Khilafat Movement, he was the person who at that crucial time revived the Punjab Provincial League for the safeguard of interest of Muslims. He had arranged All India Muslim League session at Lahore on 25-26 may, 1926. Quaid had presided the session. In this session Quaid had stated that “no majority shall be reduced to a minority or even equality.” This session was actually held for the safeguard of the Muslim majority provinces. The demands of this session were later included in Jinnah’s fourteen points.
Fazal Hussain was great advocate of communal harmony. For this purpose he had formed the Punjab National Unionist Party, generally known as Unionist Party in 1926. This party was a blend of Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. Its membership was open for every person irrespective of cast and creed. However, it was reported that this party was turned into an absolute Muslim landlord’s party under the leadership of Sir Fazal Hussain.
In 1930, he was elected for Viceroy Executive Council. Fazal Hussain had played vital role for the attainment of rights of Indians especially in the affairs of Muslims interest.
According to Coatman, Director of Information, ‘Fazal Hussain is a man of determination and courage. To attain his goals he can sacrifice everything that he possess’.
He was undoubtedly the first person who had successfully defended the false propagation of Indian press. He also successfully countered English bureaucrats and forced them to kneel down upon their knees.
Iqball distinct him as a great loyalist of Punjab. On the other hand, Quaid had also great respect for him. Quaid wrote about him that “we want a man of your calibre and experience.”
Fazal Hussain’s politics was free from favouritism and all other ills. He was the person who embodied Muslims with great courage and confidence. Ultimately, his unending services paved the way for the establishment of an independent state for Muslims of sub-continent.
Achievements:
Sir Fazal Hussain was the main architect behind the scheme of establishing employment quota for Muslims in Indian Civil Service.
He was the founding father of Punjab Unionist Party. He was in opposition to the idea of establishing Pakistan. He was great advocate of communal unity. He had appointed a Hindu as the head of unionist party when he was nominated for Viceroy Executive Council.
He became the member of legislative assembly of Punjab prior to Montague-Chemsford reforms. In the year 1930, he was nominated as a member of Viceroy Council for India.
Demise:
Mian Fazal Hussain was unquestionably the most brilliant muslim, who had strived with great courage and determination for securing the rights of Indians. But due to fading health he had died on July 09, 1936.