Abid Hasan
Encyclopedia
Abid Hasan Safrani, born Zain-al-Abdin Hasan, was an officer of the Indian National Army
and later, after 1947, an India
n diplomat
.
Born to an anti-colonialist family in Hyderbad, Abid Hasan was brought-up in India and later went to Germany to train as an Engineer. It was while he was a student in Germany
during World War II
that Abid Hasan met Subhas Chandra Bose and decided to join the Indische Legion. Hasan would later serve as Bose's personal secretary and interpreter while Bose was in Germany. Hasan also sailed with Bose in the German U-Boat
U-180 in 1943 in Bose's voyage to South East Asia. Over the course of the reformation of the INA and its campaigns in the south east Asian theatre, Hasan rose to be a Major
in the Azad Hind Fauj. It was also during this that he adopted "Safrani", after the holy Hindu colour of Saffron
, to his name as a mark of communal harmony.
After repatriation to India at the end of the war, Abid Hasan was released following the end of the INA trials
in 1946 and joined the Indian National Congress
briefly. After partition, Hasan chose to settle in Hyderabad and joined the nascent Indian Foreign Service
. Over a long diplomatic career, Hasan served as the Indian Ambassador
to a number of countries including Egypt
and Denmark
before retiring in 1969 and settling in Hyderabad.
Abid Hasan Saffrani died in 1984. According to Leonard Gordon the author of Brothers Against the Raj, Abid Hasan Safrani coined the salutation "Jai Hind" (Hail India). It was the shortened form of "Jai Hindustan Ki". The term was made famous by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's INA and its subsequent use as a national patriotic salutation in independent India. Netaji Bose's nephew Aurobindo Bose later married Safrani's niece.
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
and later, after 1947, an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
Born to an anti-colonialist family in Hyderbad, Abid Hasan was brought-up in India and later went to Germany to train as an Engineer. It was while he was a student in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that Abid Hasan met Subhas Chandra Bose and decided to join the Indische Legion. Hasan would later serve as Bose's personal secretary and interpreter while Bose was in Germany. Hasan also sailed with Bose in the German U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-180 in 1943 in Bose's voyage to South East Asia. Over the course of the reformation of the INA and its campaigns in the south east Asian theatre, Hasan rose to be a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Azad Hind Fauj. It was also during this that he adopted "Safrani", after the holy Hindu colour of Saffron
Saffron (color)
Saffron is a color that is a tone of golden yellow resembling the color of the tip of the saffron crocus thread, from which the spice saffron is derived.The first recorded use of saffron as a color name in English was in 1200...
, to his name as a mark of communal harmony.
After repatriation to India at the end of the war, Abid Hasan was released following the end of the INA trials
INA trials
The INA trials or the Red Fort Trials refer to the courts martial of a number of officers of the Indian National Army between November 1945 and May 1946 variously for treason, torture, murder and abetment to murder....
in 1946 and joined the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
briefly. After partition, Hasan chose to settle in Hyderabad and joined the nascent Indian Foreign Service
Indian Foreign Service
The Indian Foreign Service is the foreign service of India. It is the body of career diplomats of India.The Indian Foreign Service is part of the Central Civil Services of the Government of India...
. Over a long diplomatic career, Hasan served as the Indian Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to a number of countries including Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
before retiring in 1969 and settling in Hyderabad.
Abid Hasan Saffrani died in 1984. According to Leonard Gordon the author of Brothers Against the Raj, Abid Hasan Safrani coined the salutation "Jai Hind" (Hail India). It was the shortened form of "Jai Hindustan Ki". The term was made famous by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's INA and its subsequent use as a national patriotic salutation in independent India. Netaji Bose's nephew Aurobindo Bose later married Safrani's niece.