Tanvir Zia, now in her 80s, is the eldest daughter of late Dr. Mahmud Hussain. She spoke extensively about her father and his brothers life.
Dr. Mahmud Hussain was a well-renowned academic, once a Vice Chancellor of Karachi University and founder of JamiaMiliaMalir. He played an active part in the All India Muslim League in Bengal, having migrated there from his hometown in Qaimjang. When Pakistan was created, it was an easy choice for Dr. Mahmud Hussain as he was already residing in Dhaka. However, the rest of his family was in India.
Dr. Mahmud Hussain was the youngest of seven brothers and had lost both his parents in infancy. He was under the care of his paternal aunt in Qaimganj when his eldest brother, Dr.ZakirHussain took him and raised him thereafter.
Qaimganj lacked educational facilities that ZakirHussain was seeking for his brother, so he took him to Delhi.
“My uncle, Dr.ZakirHussain, got concerned; he himself was young, around 12 or 13 years of age, but very mature. He took (my father) and kept him at the hostel. (My father) studied at JamiaMilia Delhi, he passed his matriculation examination with first class honours and, went on to pursue a Bachelors of Arts. Then (my uncle) sent (my father) to Heidelberg, Germany, to complete a PhD in 1929. He returned to India in 1933. My father got married in October 1933.”
Naturally, the two brothers were very close to each other. In Tanvir Zia’s words,
“…according to (my father), he (ZakirHussain) was his mother and father.”
Partition bore the fruits of labour for the Muslim League. A member, Dr. Mahmud Hussain, was soon elected to the first cabinet from East Pakistan.
However, the loss of Partition for the two brothers was immense. Dr.ZakirHussain was a Congress member who went on to become the President of India. Hence, the brothers lived apart for the rest of their lives.
They met only once after Partition, when Dr.ZakirHussain and other siblings based in India travelled to Karachi for Tanvir Zia’s wedding. During that trip, the all brothers spent two days together.
Tanvir Zia said, “(My father) became of Pakistan and (my uncle) of Hindustan. They could neither meet, nor exchange letters. Pakistan’s relations with India have always been tense, so it was never easy for the brothers to meet. When one of my uncles settled in India passed away, my father was filled with sorrow and he could not help but approach the Embassy for permission to cross the border. He visited India to lay soil over my uncle’s grave.
“As soon as he had put soil over the grave, my father had a heart attack. Upon returning from India after burying his brother, my father was not the same person. He passed away only a few years later.”
Published in Daily Times, July 4th , 2017.
