Envisioning the Indian Nation: A Close Reading of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's India Wins Freedom (1959)

This study examines the struggle for freedom and the building of a unified Indian nation that originated while encountering colonial rule during the first five decades of the twentieth century. In this regard, it is observed that Maulana Azad plays a significant role in inclusive nationalism, nation freedom, and the building of a single Indian nation. He brought Muslims out of their pro-British sentiment and motivated them to join anti-colonial movements fought from 1920 to 1947. He secretly propagated anti-British inclusive nationalistic ideas among different communities in north India and tried to strengthen the freedom movements. Besides, he tried to nullify the two-nation theory and criticized the Muslim League to safeguard India from partition. India Wins Freedom (1959) delves into personal experiences of inclusive nationalism and anti-colonial movements for building a unified Indian nation. This study seeks to examine how this autobiography responds to the existing historical and multidisciplinary discourses regarding inclusive nationalism, the freedom movement and the partition of the nation. It also gives insight into the colonial framework and its repercussions in India.