Lokman Khan Sherwani: A co-fighter of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

He was tall, handsome, and robust with a full-face flowing beard. He would love to remain draped in a single piece shroud woven of Khaddar/Khadi (coarse cotton fabrics) --- a symbol of Shawraj (self-rule) calling for anti-British movement in 1920s­, 1930sand 1940s. Born on October 23, 1908, to Umar Khan in a family who were descendants of Pathan Clan in Pathantooly, Chittagong, whose ancestors came from Sherwan ---- a small feudal estate in India - Afghan border, his presence in the neighborhood was conspicuous. He used to call me Nathi (grandson) in my early boyhood days in the mid-1950s with gushinga thunderbolt sound from his mouth accompanied by affectionate roaring laughter.

Yes, I am speaking of a man who is none other than Lokman Khan Sherwani, a diehard revolutionary, a Forward Block and Indian National Congress party activist who was a valiant co-fighter under the banner of Forward Block in the late 1930s and 1940s in undivided India under the tutelage of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

His anti-British activism was primarily inspired by the iconic revolutionary Masterda Surjo Sen ever since the days when as a pupil of Masterda he studied in Harish Dutta High School in Chittagong. Soon he became second-in-command of Azad Hind Fouz's Calcutta unit and led few armed attacks against the British forces stationed in Imphal and elsewhere in undivided India. His place in Azad Hind Fouz's Calcutta unit was next to Shahnawaz Khan --- another iconic valiant co-fighter, organizer, and revolutionary under Netaji Subhash Bose.

After the defeat of Germany and Japan in World War-2, the British gave freedom to India in 1947 recognizing Indian National Congress and Muslim League to take the helm of India and newly created Pakistan respectively. At the crux of the situation when Azad Hind Fouz and Forward Block lost importance with Netaji Subhash Bose's death/disappearance on 18th August 1945, being an armed activist of Azad Hind Fouz and Forward block who were hunted down by the British forces for their role in anti-British armed struggle, Lokman Khan Sherwani did not feel safe in Calcutta anymore and came back to his homestead at Pathantooly, Chittagong for living there for the rest of his life.

In his checkered revolutionary and political career, he joined the Indian and Bengal Provincial Congress, Socialist Party, Kishan League, etc in the 1920s to 1940s. In 1927, Bengal Provincial Congress was formed with Netaji Subhash Bose as the President. In the same year, Lokman Khan Sherwani became Deputy President of All India Youth League with Netaji Subhash Bose as its president. Soon he became commander of Eastern Command of the Indian National League. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1936. In 1937, he was elected president of the Chittagong City Congress.

With the banning of Forward Block in 1942, by the British, Lokman Khan Sherwani was arrested in 1943 and remained behind the bar until World War 2 was over in 1945. Lokman Khan Sherwani took an active role in dismantling the infamous Hall-Well monument, abhorrently created to malign and paint smear on the good image of last Nawab of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha Nawab Sirajuddowla from Calcutta's Albert Hall premise under the leadership of Netaji Subhas Bose.

In the early-mid-1960s, I saw him equally in robust health with full face flowing beards then turned, mixed grey with aging, walking in the streets of Pathantooly with enviable grace and flamboyance of leadership, garbed in his brand of sartorial of a single piece Khadi Shroud. His thunderbolt and stentorian vocal baritone reverberating in the air with calling me nathi (grandson) still pleasantly resonates in my ears. Legend has it, as a body-builder and wrestler in robust health, he once held by the strength of his hand a running motor car to a screeching halt.

His gracious lady wife, our Nani (grandmother) Shishir Kona Guha who later become Shabnam Khanam Sherwani by conversion to Islamic faith out of conviction was a kind lady who came to Lokman Khan Sherwani's life and dedicated her life for her husband Lokman Khan Sherwani for the rest of her life.

Shishir Kona's paternal root was in Bikrampur, Dhaka but her father Ranjit Kanti Guhawas based in Chittagong and served as Chief Account, Assam Bengal Railway in Chittagong while her maternal family line rooted in Chittagong's aristocratic family of Bishawmbar Mohajon of Goshaildanga. Lokman Khan Sherwani came in contact with Shishir Kona when both of them were co-workers of Netaji's Azad Hind Fouz and Forward Block.

A sense of deep love for each other brewed in the core of their hearts that led them to seat ultimately at the altar of marriage when both of them were engaged at their revolutionary work in those tumultuous days. With her, all arts and cultural accomplishments in Calcutta Shishir Kona was a regular singer in Calcutta radio. She was equally an acclaimed poet and writer.

After she came back with her husband Sherwani Shaheb, she dedicated herself as a school teacher in Pathantooly Khan Shahib Girls High School and continued her services therewith, side by side, imparting cultural motivation to her students. She was equally a soft-spoken kind and pious lady, with her unflinching faith in religion, never forgetting to offer five-time prayers at home and workplace. She equally called us Nathi (grandson) with unalloyed love and affection.

Being a diehard revolutionary aiming to drive out British Raj from Indian soil, Lokman Khan Sherwani, with his in-born apathy in mundane gain, could not engage himself in the good earning bout and as such financial hardship became part of his life. Nevertheless, his lady-wife, our Shishir Kona Shabnam Nani (grandmother) rose to the occasion and worked hard with her teaching profession for earning toward raising the family in pride and dignity.

She died in 1981 leaving behind her a legacy of being a gracious lady for all time and an avid admirer of Lokman Khan Sherwani's poetic and literary talent. She was a source of Sherwani's inspiration for literary works. She published with adequate love and care Sherwani's collection of poems 'Shabnam' and other prose's and essays for the readers to re-discover the literary talent of Lokman Khan Sherwani apart from being a revolutionary leader by his rights.

After a prolonged illness caused by a fatal road accident that he met, Lokman Khan Sherwani died in 1969 with Shabnam Khanam Sherwani in his death bed standing as 'lady with the lamp' when another revolution was erupting from the soil of then East Pakistan (Bangladesh) leading to the emergence of independent Bangladesh after a War of Liberation in 1971.

It is long since Lokman Khan Sherwani died in independent Bangladesh, it is hardly observed that he is duly remembered in independent Bangladesh as a diehard revolutionary leader and a co-fighter of Netaji Subhash Bose under whose command Lokman Khan Sherwani, as stated, acted as second-in-command in Calcutta unit of Azad Hind Fouz and Forward Block next to revolutionary Shahnawaz Khan ---- the second man in line after Netaji Subhash Bose; toward compelling British, Raj to pack up their baggage from the undivided Indian soil in 1947.

No remarkable work is seen or done so far in his memory except a publication, initiated by his illustrious youngest son Dr. Badrul Huda Khan, titled 'Lokman Khan Sherwani Jeebon Kotha' compiled and edited by Mr. Shamsul Hussain and Dr. Mahbubul Haq highlighting and focusing on his anti-British revolutionary activities, an Indian congress leader, a Forward Block leader, a revolutionary journalist and poet and contribution of his life-partner Shishir Kona Shabnam Khanam Sherwani, to some extent, unfolded the many untold tales carefully extracted from the vast canvas of his life for the readers before the memory of his resplendent revolutionary work of pre-partition days is unduly melted in the midst of time. May Allah rest the departed souls of Lokman Khan Sherwani and Shabnam Khanam Sherwani in eternal peace.
Source: Lokman Khan Sherwani Jeeban Kotha.


The writer is a former civil servant.