A bit of Hyderabadi history

Razzakar (Volunteer; Marathi, 2015)
Director: Raj Durge

This part of Indian history is unfamiliar to most, especially those outside India. India had between 550 and 700 princely states, each under its monarchs, chieftains, or feudal lords. At the time of India's independence, at least two states wanted to stand alone and not join India or Pakistan. There was Kashmir, which had a Hindu Maharajah Hari Singh ruling over a Muslim majority. The other was Hyderabad, ruled by a Muslim Nizam over a predominantly Hindu population.

Kashmir, as we know, went into chaos when Pakistani soldiers disguised as tribesmen created mayhem. Hari Singh went into exile, and the State eventually broke up. Its problems persist to date.

Down in Hyderabad, the wealthy Nizam was not ready to part from his wealth and power. It was believed that his subjects mostly wanted to be with India. During Indian independence, the Nizam had to quell a Marxist people's rebellion. The Nizam's army, aided by Qasim Rizvi, the leader of a firebrand Islamic political party, went on a killing spree. They killed many feudal lords and even peasants who were Hindus. The vigilante group that claims to be championing the Nizam's cause and the path of Islam, as they eventually aim to join Pakistan, called themselves 'Razakkar' (the Volunteers).

Hyderabad was in a disadvantaged position. They were a landlocked state, and the fact that the Hindus were tortured gave India a legitimate reason for India to station its soldiers at its borders. The duel stood a standstill as the peasant fought back tooth and nail against the Razakkars. Indians moved in through 'police actions'. Hyderabad was annexed to India.

This 2015 Marathi film showcases an account of what some Hindu peasants in the State's periphery would have experienced under the tyranny of the Razakars. I am waiting for another version of the Razakkar's tale in the 2024 version.

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