MAULANA  SHAUKAT  ALI  KHAN

Born : 10th March 1873 - Rampur State, British India

Died: 26th November 1938 - Delhi, India. ( 65 y.o.)

Married : ? ( English lady )

Parents : Abdul Ali Khan ( father ) & Abadi Bano Begum ( mother ) aka Halima 11

Siblings : Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Zulfigar Ali Khan & Gauhar Ali Khan

Educated : Aligarh University, British India.

CIVIL SERVANT

POLITICIAN - MUSLIM

CRICKET PLAYER at University

Jailed many times by the British

1920 - Elected as the last President of the Khilafat Conference

1931 - Attended the Round Conference in London, England.

&  World Muslim Conference in Jerusalem

1936 - Member of the All India Muslim League

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaukat_Ali_(politician)

http://pakistanweb.com/html/shaukat.htm

The following text on this page is from Lord Meher On-Line.

9th September, 1931

S.S. Rajuputana - sailing from Bombay to Marseilles, France, the ship was sailing past Messina, Italy.

In the afternoon, while the ship was passing Messina ( Italy ), many passengers gathered on the upper deck, including Mahatma Gandhi and the men of his party, and Baba, with Aga Ali, Chanji and Rustom. The Indian politician Shaukat Ali ( see above ), who had boarded the ship at Aden, saluted Baba reverently and later spoke with him for half an hour.

Note : Shaukat and Gandhi were both travelling to London for the Round Table Conference on the possible exit of the British from India, which eventually did happen in the mid-1940s after WW2.

On 4 September 1931, Baba remarked, "If Gandhi comes to meet me, it would be very good for him and good for all concerned."

About the Round Table Conference, Baba explained to Chanji and Rustom:

Even Gandhi will have no influence there, in spite of his presence. He should have gone at first with other representatives who, in a wavering mood, left for Multan; but at that time, Gandhi hesitated on account of certain grievances. Then he suddenly agreed to participate in the conference, though most of their grievances were not redressed.

The point is that once Gandhi refused to join in the conference on certain grounds, he ought to have refused to the end. He should not have suddenly consented to take part in it unless and until all his grievances were redressed and removed, and he should have stayed in India. But being inconsistent, he consented to attend the conference at the eleventh hour. He has lost his prestige and now he won't succeed there. At the Round Table Conference, differences of opinion will prevail among the parties and no one will agree, and Gandhi's influence will not make a difference. His influence will be ineffectual.

"Why?" asked Chanji.

In reply, Baba spelled out:

Gandhi's influence has already waned. He wants to keep every party pleased and there[in] lies his weakness. How could he keep everybody pleased when they all are opposed to one another and have conflicting views, extremely opposite to each other?

In India, the many political parties and creeds all have one common aim: to attain independence. But there is not a single party among them who can come to terms with another party about details. Even the [Indian National] Congress, the party considered strongest, is affected by the foul odor of religious differences.

Its influence on others is gradually failing. With the weakening of its influence, the influence of Gandhi is also waning. Not only are the two greatest and largest parties and communities, the Muslims and the Untouchables, out of the influence of the Congress, but they also oppose and fight tooth and nail against Gandhi and the Congress.

Even among his own followers, or those who at least agree with him on the question of independence, their objectives differ. Observe how Sarojini Naidu and Pandit Malaviya act.  Gandhi preaches the use of khadi [handspun cotton cloth] to all and sundry, yet Mrs. Naidu wears silks, though she is a colleague in his fight for independence. Gandhi preaches and advocates the abolition of caste and religion, particularly in abolishing Untouchability, and his lieutenant in the Congress Party, Malaviya, does not adhere to it. Malaviya takes his cook to England with him, thinking that eating meals prepared by foreigners is irreligious. There are thousands in the Congress who do not accept this dictum of Gandhi's at all, and that is why the party is not strong; the result of which will bode ill for the future.

Gandhi also advocates celibacy, though he himself is married and has children, and recently he arranged his son's marriage. There are so many things like these which he recommends, but does not put into practice himself. Why preach such things which he himself can't or won't do?

It is this trait in his character, combined with two other great defects — vanity and inconsistency — which causes Gandhi to lose his influence gradually, and leads those who once admired him to oppose him today. Shaukat Ali was once Gandhi's closest companion and he is now his staunchest opponent. Why? Because of that great dividing factor: the religious animosity and enmity between the Hindus and Muslims. The religious fanatics on both sides have nurtured and fostered this hatred to the extent that even in Congress there are the orthodox who color every political activity and action with their religious bigotry, and it is all authorized, approved and practiced by and with Gandhi. This leads to great antagonism which is now weakening the Congress party.

What can I say about [Gandhi's] vanity? Too much of a thing always spoils a man. To raise one to the seventh heaven and to cry out "Mahatma Gandhi ki jai" has made him vain and brought him down.

Shaukat Ali has caustically remarked, "These things have gone to his head and made him [Gandhi] mad!"

Besides, his immediate attendants put up a great show and fuss in every activity, which shows that Gandhi has a taste for it. But it is the natural outcome of too much praise and adulation. This daily exhibition in all functions, public and private, has reached the limit. It is too prominent to conceal from a shrewd observer or a sincere soul, who never likes or desires such a show. Hence, there is the dislike of him by many who, in spite of their admiration for him at one point, have left and are leaving him in [droves].

The Perfect Master of Spirituality can do anything and everything. He can preach about things which he himself does not practice, and for his spiritual purposes he can do things according to the prevailing conditions and circumstances, because he is eternally free of all things and can undo their effects. This is something an imperfect person can never do, much less one who has no "wind" [breeze] even of spirituality [such as a political leader, like Gandhi].

The reactionary effects of all these preachings, fuss, sham, show and vanity are disastrous, causing a gradual erosion of any influence Gandhi has among his admirers and followers, however great. If Gandhi's influence goes, the rise of youth will take place, which in its activity will resemble Russian communalism. The signs are already there, as we find them assassinating people in high places and assaulting them in broad daylight.

Although Jawaharlal [Nehru] sides with Gandhi in his objective for independence, his views, creed and activities are quite different from Gandhi's.

In 1955 Meher Baba recalled the event of meeting Shaukat Ali.

Baba in the next recounted his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi on board the steamship SS Rajputana, when Baba was on his way to England in 1931.

On the fourth day, [Gandhi's close associate] Shaukat Ali came. He was also on the same boat. He told Chanji he wanted to pay his respects to me. I permitted him to be shown into the cabin. After kissing my hand, he sat down on a chair near me. But, because he was hefty, the chair broke, and Rustom, Chanji and myself had to help him to his feet.

Whenever there is anything comical, I enjoy it most. I like amusing stories more than serious talks. Everyone should have a cheerful face, loving and bright, although inwardly one may be suffering.

At another time in 1955, Baba recalled the same event :

During the same trip, Shaukat Ali passed my cabin, and after Gandhi left, he came in. He told Rustom he wanted to kiss my hand. He kissed it and tried to sit on a small chair which, due to his weight, broke and he fell on the floor. It was a strange sight, and afterwards, we had a good laugh about it. Myself, Rustom and Chanji were all trying to help him to his feet.

Click on the images to see their names and to enlarge them.

Saturday, 13 November 1948,

Baba departed Delhi for Ajmer and began his mast contacts there the next day. Five miles from Nasirabad, Baba worked with Shaukat Ali Maulana Mastan in Bitiani village. Two days later, on the 15th, he again contacted Chacha, the God-conscious majzoob.