Ghulam Muhammad Khan Bhurgri

Raees Ghulam Muhammad Bhurgri was born on July 15, 1878 in the village of Dengan Bhurgri, Kot Ghulam Muhammad, District Tharparkar (now Mirpurkhas) in Sindh. He was the second son of Wali Muhammad Khan Bhurgri, a well-known, prosperous landlord (zamindar) of Sindh.

He received his elementary education at home. Later, he joined Mission School, Hyderabad (Sindh) N.H. Academy, Hyderabad and Sindh Madrassah-tul-Is!am, Karachi. In 1890 he went to Aligarh and passed his matriculation examination from Muslim High School Aligarh. He stayed in England for three years and was called to the bar from Lincoln's Inn.

His son Raees Ghulam Mustafa Khan Bhurgri, who was a member of the Sindh Assembly, was the greatest opponent of One Unit and voted against the bill during the Sindh assembly session in 1957 at Hyderabad, on September 17, 1957, a resolution was moved against unification of West Pakistan was by Ghulam Mustafa Bhurgri.

After his return, he started a practice in Hyderabad (Sindh).

He was the first Sindhi Muslim barrister, who rose to the highest status of politician in the subcontinent as a Sindhi.

Ghulam Mohammad Bhurgri was among the foremost Muslim leaders of Sindh whose activities had a significant impact on mainstream Indian politics. He was active at one time or another in several major political organisations.

He was the first to clamor for compulsory free education and in this connection moved the 'Muslim Education Cess Bill' (to recover just one 'pie' per rupee for this purpose) in the then Bombay Legislative Assembly. This move was strenuously opposed and defeated by the Zamindars and other vested interests who feared the possible dangers of spreading education, especially amongst the Haris and landless -labourers.

His relentless efforts brought in more grants to the local boards, besides more facilities to the cultivators and drastic improvements in the conditions of irrigation canals and roads. He also clamored for many other welfare causes and liberally helped the needy, especially poor litigants and students.

He was elected as a member of the Bombay Legislative Council in 1909; he was re-elected in 1913 and again in 1916. He was a member of the Indian National Congress in 1917.

In February 1920 he became President of the All India Khilafat Conference (1919–29).

On July 10, 1919, G M Bhurgri accompanied the Jinnah leader of deputation for Khilafat to London.

Muslim League

He remained a dedicated member of the All India Muslim League all through his life and attended all its annual sessions. He was a member of the Reforms Committee (8th session, Bombay, December 1915-January 1916), a member of the Committee to Discuss Congress-League Scheme (10th session - Calcutta, December, 1917- January 1918) and a member of the Committee of Moplah Trouble (14th session, Ahmedabad, December, 1921).

He was elected President of the All India Muslim League (15th session) at Lucknow in March–April, 1923. In his presidential address Bhurgri touched upon, among other things, the Turkish and Khilafat question and the possibility of a league of Oriental Nations. Bhurgri was a Muslim League delegate, under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam, to give evidence before the Selbourne Committee of British Parliament on India Bill.

Role for Sindh

He championed the cause of separation of Sindh from Bombay Presidency with a view to safeguarding the interests of Sindhi Muslims. He with his friends came to the conclusion that the issue must be brought to all India political forums. All India National Congress had been made aware of the issue since 1913, and now All India Muslim League must also be asked to play its part. In December 1925, in its seventeenth session, the Muslim League passed the resolution that Sindh should be separated from Bombay and constituted into a separate province.

Bhurgri continuously lobbied for a separate province, proposing resolutions at all-India moots, from 1925 onwards. He repeatedly urged the Aga Khan who led the Muslim delegation to the Round Table Conferences (1930–32) and Jinnah to get the Sindh separation issue settled favourably during the London confabulations.

Sindh Provincial Political Conference (1920-30s)

Azad Sindh Conference (1930)

He started the Sindhi weekly Al-Amin from Hyderabad which was edited by Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi.

Bhurgri was an accomplished lawyer and defended Sheikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi against Government prosecution under press laws.

As President of Muhammedan Educational Conference, Poona, he tried to expand educational facilities in rural areas

He died on March 10, 1924 and was buried in his ancestral graveyard.

In recognition of his services, the Sindh Government changed the name of the town and Taluka of Jamesabad to Kot Ghulam Muhammad Bhurgri.

His photo was featured on commemorative postage stamps of Pakistan on 14 August 1993.

• Barrister Raees Ghulam Muhammad Khan Bhurgri Life and Works by former bureaucrat Mohammad Hashim Leghari