Reflections on Hyderabad’s 1948 Legacy: Past and Present
A recently held seminar in Hyderabad discussed at length how the region's turbulent past, especially the 1948 Hyderabad Police Action, continues to influence its present socio-political landscape
Hyderabad: A recently held seminar in Hyderabad discussed at length how the region's turbulent past, especially the 1948 Hyderabad Police Action, continues to influence its present socio-political landscape.
“The painful events of 1948 police action in Hyderabad tried to break the economic and political backbone of the Muslims and pushed them back," said Abdul Hafeez, State President of SIO Telangana.
Speaking at a seminar titled ‘Hyderabad State After 1948: The Pause, Reflection, and Continuities’, Hafeez said, "In his letter, Maulana Maududi advised the leaders of Hyderabad in an insightful way to make agreements for the cultural self-determination of Muslims, and not to try to fight and resist with sentimentality and empty slogans."
The seminar, organised by the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Telangana on Sunday, brought together experts to discuss the long-term effects of the 1948 annexation of Hyderabad, known as Operation Polo.
The seminar attracted an audience of 130 people, who gathered to reflect on the historical events that have shaped modern Telangana.
The discussions highlighted how critical it is to understand the past, from Operation Polo to the creation of Telangana, to grasp its impact on today's issues, particularly concerning the Muslim community.
The first session featured Mir Ayoob Ali Khan, Consultant Editor Siasat dot com. His talk, titled "Reimagining Public Spheres in Neo-Liberal Hyderabad," provided a detailed exploration of the region's historical timeline, focusing on public responses to various events over the years.
Veteran journalist and former MLC Syed Amin-ul-Hasan Jafri followed with an analysis of Hyderabad's political history, offering insights into how the region's political landscape has evolved.
In the afternoon session, a panel of speakers from various parts of the former Hyderabad State shared their perspectives.
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Pramod Mandade, a PhD scholar from IIT Bombay, spoke about Marathwada, filmmaker and journalist Danish Majeed discussed Hyderabad, and linguistics scholar Khurram Muraad shared insights on the Kalyani region.
Each panelist recounted the experiences of survivors, touching on themes such as trauma, memory, and the ongoing struggle to navigate life today.
Their stories highlighted the lasting impact of past violence on these communities and explored how memory, language, and socio-political spaces have been shaped by these events.
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The seminar concluded with remarks from Dr. Faheemuddin Ahmed, Assistant Professor of Translation Studies and Editor Dawat Weekly (dawatnews dot net).
Ahmed congratulated the organizers for facilitating such an important discussion and praised the participants for their engagement.
The event underscored the enduring influence of Hyderabad’s history on its present and the necessity of continuous reflection and dialogue to build a more just and inclusive future for all.
[The writer, Nabila Mulla, is a student of Journalism currently pursuing post- graduation (PG).]
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