How Hyderabadis protested French occupation and bombardment of Syria in 1945-OxBig News Network

Nearly 80 years ago, in a largely forgotten chapter of Hyderabad’s history, organisations raised their collective voice against the French occupation and bombing of Syria, a country now facing a socio-political upheaval and bombardment by Israel.

The aim of the protest of 1945 was to send a clear message to the British, expressing the dissatisfaction of Indian and Hyderabad Muslims with developments then unfolding in Syria.

In a secret note circulated within the bureaucracy of the Nizam’s government, officials noted that there was discontent among the “educated Muslims” in Hyderabad, and that a permission was sought to organise a public meeting as a mark of protest against France’s handling of Syria.

The document records that two Muslim organisations from Hyderabad—the Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Deccan (a body of Muslim religious leaders) and a previous manifestation of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen—passed resolutions condemning French actions in Syria. They criticised France for bombing its civilian population.

The issue gained traction, and Muslim organisations sought, and were accorded, permission by the Hyderabad government to organise a public meeting to express their opinion of the Syrian situation. The meeting was organised at the office of the daily Sahifa.

“The aims and objects of the meeting are stated to be to invite the attention of the Government of India and Great Britain through the Political Dept (sic). For the protection of the freedom and semi-independent government of Lebanon, Syria and Tripoli, and to ventilate the feelings of the Muslims of Hyderabad State (sic),” a confidential file reads.

It turned out that this sentiment was not limited to the Hyderabad State alone. The judicial, police and general secretariat quoted a report, dated June 1, 1945, carried in The Hindu. It said that several Muslims in Calcutta (now Kolkata), led by the Muslim League, had condemned the French action in Syria and expressed their solidarity with the Arab peoples.

One of the resolutions called upon the British government to intervene. “Important resolutions on the French action in Syria and the Lebanon were passed at a public meeting held here last night when an appeal was made to prevent a wide-spread conflagration between the Muslims and their French aggressors,” the report reads. “Such meetings are often being held in British India,” a confidential file corroborates.

The 1945 bombing of Damascus and other Syrian cities was on account of France refusing to hand over control of armed forces to the Syrian government. French forces bombed cities in that region previously in 1925 as well during the anti-colonial Great Syrian Revolt.