Azad Hind Fauj Veteran Fauzi Sheikh Ramzan Qureshi passed away in Odisha on April 3 late night. He fought beside Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Burma and Japan and was also taken prisoner. He could come out because of Subhash Bose’s interventions.
He lived in a village in Mandosil, Paikmal Block of Bargargh district in Odisha and was aged more than 90 years
He was felicitated this year on Jan 18, 2018 at Bhubaneshwar on the occasion of Netaji Jayanti.
While the political leaders today want to claim the legacy of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj, Sheikh Ramzan lived in a constant state of penury and did not even receive the pension for freedom fighters.
Even at the age of 92, Sheikh Ramzan worked repairing umbrellas and taking care of his two children Halima (22) and Alim Mohammad (21) with whatever little he earned.
Sheikh Rahman never hoped for recognition. Sheikh was highly motivated by Netaji’s slogan of, “Give me blood and I will give your freedom”, this slogan attracted him towards the Fauj. After independence he even tried to join the army but couldn’t do so.
His silent and invisible death is telling of how we treated people who actually fought for our independence while today, hyper-nationalist forces are trying to claim our history. It is also important to remember how Muslims and Hindus fought side by side in the battle for independence while today they are almost portrayed as the ‘enemies of the state’.