SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This paper discusses the efforts of two Indian Muslim journalists, Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) and Aziz Burney (1952–), to use and overcome the constraints of direct and indirect censorship in order to address a community (qaum) conceived in their own image. It deals with these attempts through their responses to a series of national- and international-level crises, and to political groups that attempted to unite Hindus and Muslims. These include the nascent Khilafat movement, which was key to their coming together in the independence struggle and the Congress Party, and Congress’ ambiguous relationship with Muslims in the post-Independence period.