Early life
Yusuf Meherally, born on 3 September 1903 in Bombay, came from a prosperous family with a history in textile mills. Influenced by revolutionary movements and the struggles of the working class in different nations and the role of youth in the same, he became a strong supporter of the freedom struggle, despite his pro-British family's disapproval. After finishing high school at Bharda High School he became an independence activist. After earning a degree in History and Economics fromPolitical career
In 1928, Meherally founded the Bombay Youth League and organized a protest against the Simon Commission, famously shouting "Simon Go Back" at the Bombay port. He and other young men were dressed as coolies to get access to the port. His courage gained widespread recognition, including from Mahatma Gandhi, leading the British to debar him from practicing law. In 1938, he led the Indian delegation to the World Youth Congress in New York and attended the World Cultural Conference in Mexico. Noticing a lack of literature on contemporary Indian issues, he wrote the "Leaders of India" series, translating them into Gujarati, Hindi, and Urdu. On 14 July 1942, he coined the slogan "Quit India," which was approved by Gandhi at Wardha. Yusuf Meherally mobilized his socialist colleagues, including Rammanohar Lohia, Aruna Asaf Ali, and Achyut Patwardhan, to continue the Quit India movement while underground after Congress leaders were arrested. He was arrested with Gandhi on August 9, 1942. Released in 1946, he became an MLA in Independent India and founded the Congress Socialist Party.Death
Meherally was admitted to the hospital for treatment of heart trouble, which he got after his detention during the Quit India movement in 1942. On 2 July 1950, Yusuf Meherally passed away at the age of 47 years. Bombay mourned his death with great emotions.List of works
# ''What to Read: A Study Syllabus'' (1937) # ''Leaders of India'' (1942) # ''A Trip to Pakistan'' (1944) # ''The Modern World: A Political Study Syllabus, Part 1'' (1945) # ''The Price of Liberty'' (1948) # ''Underground Movement''(1942)References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meherally, Yusuf 20th-century Indian Muslims 20th-century mayors of places in India Quit India Movement Indian socialists 1903 births 1950 deaths Mayors of Mumbai Maharashtra local politicians