Letter from Mumtaz Kitchlew to Abnashi Ram
DESCRIPTION
Letter from Mumtaz Kitchlew to unknown recipients, wherein Kitchlew relays the news of their mutual friend Dr. Syud Hossain’s passing. Kitchlew describes Hossain (the Indian ambassador to Egypt at the time of his death) as a great and well-respected Indian patriot and follower of Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence, as well as an effective counterpropagandist against the British and a unifying figure between Hindus and Muslims. He also laments that his most recent letter to Hossain never reached him in time, and mentions Abnashi Ram’s thoughts on Hossain’s passing.
ADDITIONAL METADATA
Type: Correspondence
Creator: Mumtaz Kitchlew
TRANSCRIPTION
Yesterday afternoon our good friend Dr. Sunder Joshi of the University of Chicago called me up and gave me the heart-breaking sad news about the sudden death in Cairo of our very dear friend Dr. Syud Hossain. At first I did not believe a word of what Joshi told me. I thought either it was just a rumor or some gag. Later to verify this report, I called up Dr. Backman of the Redpath Lecture Bureau who used to manage Dr. Hossains’s lectures through lectures through the Mid-Western territory. He read to me a part of the story about Dr. Hossain’s death from the newspaper clipping which his New York agent had mailed to him. According to that newspaper report Dr. Hossain died suddenly after a heart attack with which he was stricken in the Sheppard Hotel on February 25. He was rushed to a hospital but he never recovered. His time was up and there was no escape for him from his marching on to eternity.
This grievous news was a severe blow to me. I am stunned and deeply saddened. I had known Syud Sahib so well since his arrival in California in the year 1922. He was a great source of inspiration to me as he was to many other admirers of him. His intense devotion to the cause of India, his deep rooted patriotism, his intellectual brilliance, his masterful, overpowering, and effective eloquence and diction both in English and Hindustanee on the public platform, his firm faith in Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, his magnanimous religious tolerance and open-mindedness which he preached religiously and steadfastly in strict accordance with the fundamental principle of TRUE Islam that of “oneness of God and oneness of mankind,” his kind and generous nature, his keen sense of wit and humor, and his charming personality sparkling with warm fellowship had profoundly impressed me as well as many other friends of his. Unquestionably he was a great Indian patriot who was respected, esteemed, and admired by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and by his American friends who knew him intimately.
In America he was the pioneer standard-bearer of India’a demand for liberation from the clutches of the mighty British raj. His voice reached the nook and corner of America. He left no stone unturned in counteracting the vicious, poisonous, and damaging British propaganda against the struggling people of India which was fed to the gullible Americans by the clever British imperialists, in his forceful, eloquent, and effective way. He broke the back of the arrogant and mischievous British propagandists who toured America with much fanfare during the twenties and the thirties. He was a master in the art of blasting their pack of lies.
Upon his return to India nearly three years ago, he fearlessly launched a crusade for unity, harmony, and solidarity among the Muslims and the Hindu and he warned the Indian people about the dangers inherent in political dichotomy and economic division. At the Amritsar Railway Station he nearly lost his life but his powerful presence of mind, his self confidence, and his quick thinking to cope with that dangerous situation saved him from the violent MUSLIM mob.
In Cairo, Egypt, as the accredited Ambassador of India, he was doing a magnificent job and we were mighty proud of his good work as a diplomat. There was a great future ahead for him in the diplomatic field. But, alas, he was recalled by Allah who giveth life and taketh it away.
His sudden passing away is a great loss to his numerous friends in America and India. More than that, it is a tremendous loss to the entire Indian nation at this critical time when India is in need of wise, capable, loyal, trustworthy, experienced, and farseeing national builders and directors of its manifold political, administrative, social, sndcational, and economic affairs. And how many men of his caliber, integrity, dignity, and intelligence are there in India at this time?
It is true he had some personal weakness for which he was mercilessly criticised and castigated by his adversaries. But he was as human as any one else. It cannot be denied that there is no such thing as a perfectly faultless human being. Everyone in this world has some sort of weakness. Great men of History have had wekkness of one sort or another.
Even though he has departed from this world and he is no more amidst us, wel of his friends shall always remember him. His brilliant conversation, his philosophical comments, his impromptu remarks chock full of wisdom, his clever jokes, and his hearty laughter at private parties will always ring in our ears. I cannot find words to pay a proper tribute to him.
On New Year’s Eve Mrs. Mumtaz received a cable message from him extending to us his good wishes. About two weeks later, Dr. P. S. Hill,who had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Hossain in Cairo, mailed to me from New York a copy of Dr. Hossain’s letter to me. I received the original letter from Dr. Hossain on January 22. He explained to me in that letter as to why he was unable to write to me or to his other friends in America since his departure from here. He said in his letter: “ The two years or so that I spent in India were a sort of a sort of a nightmare which made the pursuit of normal personal interests all but impossible. At least it was so in my case. One lived from day to day — and sufficient unto the day was the evil thereof.”
In that letter he paid a great tribute to my uncle Dr. Kitchlew whom he say many a time during his stay in New Delhi. He invited us both to visit him in Cairo. He said in his letter: “It would be a great pleasure to see you both again.” He also instructed me to forward to him his two suitcases and a briefcase which he had stored in the Palmer House. We had his baggage released from the Palmer House about two years ago and then we stored it in our factory.
Somehow I did not acknowledge receipt of his cable message and his letter in my usual prompt way. At that time I was very busy with inventory, accounting etc. Then there was no girl in the store. So I did not have much spare time to answer his letter. Furthermore, I wanted to write him an interesting news letter in my own style.
On February 23, I spent six hours in typing him a four and a half page letter which I airmailed to him the same day. But, alas, he never received it. I feel terrible about it. I will never forgive myself for not writing him a week sooner. But I guess it was not in the cards that he should hear from me. Now I don’t know what to do about his suitcases. Before leaving Chicago, when he entrusted me with the storage checks, he told me that he had some valuable papers and literature in the suitcases. I suppose I will have to inform the Embassy of India in regard to this matter.
Last night we called up Abnashi Ram and we talked with him for about twenty minutes. He is also deeply grieved and heart broken at the loss of Dr. Hossain. Ram admired and respected Dr. Hossain greatly. He is feeling terrible about it. But he is taking it philosophically He opined we all have to go sooner or later and it was better that Dr. Hossain passed on with, so to speak, > boots on as an Ambassador of India in Egypt rather than he breathed his last in some “hole” in California. Well, he has something there in that thought.
I am feeling pretty lonely in Chicago now. Outside of the monotonous shopkeeping there is’nt much activity for me here in Chicago. For manypast winters Dr. Hossain had made Chicago his center from where he used to direct all his lecture business. And it was always a great pleasure for both of us to greet him in Chicago, But that is all over now.
I hope both go you are enjoying the best of health. The Mrs. and I extend to you both our very best wishes. Kindest regards to you both.
Sincerely yours
M. I . Mumtaz Kitchlew
This grievous news was a severe blow to me. I am stunned and deeply saddened. I had known Syud Sahib so well since his arrival in California in the year 1922. He was a great source of inspiration to me as he was to many other admirers of him. His intense devotion to the cause of India, his deep rooted patriotism, his intellectual brilliance, his masterful, overpowering, and effective eloquence and diction both in English and Hindustanee on the public platform, his firm faith in Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, his magnanimous religious tolerance and open-mindedness which he preached religiously and steadfastly in strict accordance with the fundamental principle of TRUE Islam that of “oneness of God and oneness of mankind,” his kind and generous nature, his keen sense of wit and humor, and his charming personality sparkling with warm fellowship had profoundly impressed me as well as many other friends of his. Unquestionably he was a great Indian patriot who was respected, esteemed, and admired by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and by his American friends who knew him intimately.
In America he was the pioneer standard-bearer of India’a demand for liberation from the clutches of the mighty British raj. His voice reached the nook and corner of America. He left no stone unturned in counteracting the vicious, poisonous, and damaging British propaganda against the struggling people of India which was fed to the gullible Americans by the clever British imperialists, in his forceful, eloquent, and effective way. He broke the back of the arrogant and mischievous British propagandists who toured America with much fanfare during the twenties and the thirties. He was a master in the art of blasting their pack of lies.
Upon his return to India nearly three years ago, he fearlessly launched a crusade for unity, harmony, and solidarity among the Muslims and the Hindu and he warned the Indian people about the dangers inherent in political dichotomy and economic division. At the Amritsar Railway Station he nearly lost his life but his powerful presence of mind, his self confidence, and his quick thinking to cope with that dangerous situation saved him from the violent MUSLIM mob.
In Cairo, Egypt, as the accredited Ambassador of India, he was doing a magnificent job and we were mighty proud of his good work as a diplomat. There was a great future ahead for him in the diplomatic field. But, alas, he was recalled by Allah who giveth life and taketh it away.
His sudden passing away is a great loss to his numerous friends in America and India. More than that, it is a tremendous loss to the entire Indian nation at this critical time when India is in need of wise, capable, loyal, trustworthy, experienced, and farseeing national builders and directors of its manifold political, administrative, social, sndcational, and economic affairs. And how many men of his caliber, integrity, dignity, and intelligence are there in India at this time?
It is true he had some personal weakness for which he was mercilessly criticised and castigated by his adversaries. But he was as human as any one else. It cannot be denied that there is no such thing as a perfectly faultless human being. Everyone in this world has some sort of weakness. Great men of History have had wekkness of one sort or another.
Even though he has departed from this world and he is no more amidst us, wel of his friends shall always remember him. His brilliant conversation, his philosophical comments, his impromptu remarks chock full of wisdom, his clever jokes, and his hearty laughter at private parties will always ring in our ears. I cannot find words to pay a proper tribute to him.
On New Year’s Eve Mrs. Mumtaz received a cable message from him extending to us his good wishes. About two weeks later, Dr. P. S. Hill,who had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Hossain in Cairo, mailed to me from New York a copy of Dr. Hossain’s letter to me. I received the original letter from Dr. Hossain on January 22. He explained to me in that letter as to why he was unable to write to me or to his other friends in America since his departure from here. He said in his letter: “ The two years or so that I spent in India were a sort of a sort of a nightmare which made the pursuit of normal personal interests all but impossible. At least it was so in my case. One lived from day to day — and sufficient unto the day was the evil thereof.”
In that letter he paid a great tribute to my uncle Dr. Kitchlew whom he say many a time during his stay in New Delhi. He invited us both to visit him in Cairo. He said in his letter: “It would be a great pleasure to see you both again.” He also instructed me to forward to him his two suitcases and a briefcase which he had stored in the Palmer House. We had his baggage released from the Palmer House about two years ago and then we stored it in our factory.
Somehow I did not acknowledge receipt of his cable message and his letter in my usual prompt way. At that time I was very busy with inventory, accounting etc. Then there was no girl in the store. So I did not have much spare time to answer his letter. Furthermore, I wanted to write him an interesting news letter in my own style.
On February 23, I spent six hours in typing him a four and a half page letter which I airmailed to him the same day. But, alas, he never received it. I feel terrible about it. I will never forgive myself for not writing him a week sooner. But I guess it was not in the cards that he should hear from me. Now I don’t know what to do about his suitcases. Before leaving Chicago, when he entrusted me with the storage checks, he told me that he had some valuable papers and literature in the suitcases. I suppose I will have to inform the Embassy of India in regard to this matter.
Last night we called up Abnashi Ram and we talked with him for about twenty minutes. He is also deeply grieved and heart broken at the loss of Dr. Hossain. Ram admired and respected Dr. Hossain greatly. He is feeling terrible about it. But he is taking it philosophically He opined we all have to go sooner or later and it was better that Dr. Hossain passed on with, so to speak, > boots on as an Ambassador of India in Egypt rather than he breathed his last in some “hole” in California. Well, he has something there in that thought.
I am feeling pretty lonely in Chicago now. Outside of the monotonous shopkeeping there is’nt much activity for me here in Chicago. For manypast winters Dr. Hossain had made Chicago his center from where he used to direct all his lecture business. And it was always a great pleasure for both of us to greet him in Chicago, But that is all over now.
I hope both go you are enjoying the best of health. The Mrs. and I extend to you both our very best wishes. Kindest regards to you both.
Sincerely yours
M. I . Mumtaz Kitchlew
PROVENANCE
Collection: Abnashi Ram Materials
Donor: Roshan and Raj Sharma
Item History: 2015-07-14 (created); 2023-01-02 (modified)
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