Yusuf Meherally Merchant (23 September 1903 – 2 July 1950) was an Indian independence activist and socialist leader. He was elected Mayor of Bombay in 1942 to 1943 while he was imprisoned in Yerawada Central Prison. He was the founder of the National Militia, Bombay Youth League and the Congress Socialist Party and played a role in several peasant and trade union movements. He coined the term 'Simon Go Back'. He was a part of the Quit India Movement along with

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

for India's last nationwide campaign for independence from the British Empire. He was a participant of underground movement and was in forefront of Quit India Movement. He coined the term "Quit India" which found the approval of Mahatma Gandhi. In his book ''Gandhi and Bombay'', K. Gopalaswami describes how "Quit India" came to be adopted as the slogan amidst other contenders. Shantikumar Morarji noted that during a meeting in Bombay, Gandhi and his colleagues discussed slogans for independence. Suggestions like "Get out" and "Retreat" were rejected by Gandhi as they sounded impolite. Finally, Yusuf Meherali proposed "Quit India," for which Gandhi said in approval, "Amen."

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 from

Elphinstone College Elphinstone College is one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university. Established in 1856, it is one of the oldest colleges in Mumbai. It played a major role in shaping and developing the edu ...

, he was studying law at Government Law College in 1928 when the

Simon Commission The Indian Statutory Commission, also known as the Simon Commission, was a group of seven members of the British Parliament under the chairmanship of John Simon. The commission arrived in the Indian subcontinent in 1928 to study constitutional ...

, lacking any Indian members, arrived in Bombay, causing widespread discontent among Indians.

Political 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