Jawaharlal Nehru ended his historic Tryst with Destiny speech with the slogan “Jai Hind,” a phrase that not only resonated with millions in 1947 but continues to echo through India’s collective consciousness to this day.
The freedom struggle produced countless heroes, but only a few found a lasting place in the pages of history. Among the unsung is Abid Hasan, later known as “Safrani” — a name symbolising the saffron colour of sacrifice and asceticism. His story fills a glaring gap in our national memory.
Safrani hailed from a Hyderabad family deeply involved in the independence movement. His mother, Hajia Begum, played an active role, and the family openly demonstrated their patriotism by making a public bonfire of foreign-made goods in response to Mahatma Gandhi’s call for the Swadeshi movement.
Born on April 11, 1911, to Amir Hasan and Fakrul Hajia Begum, Hasan grew up in an atmosphere steeped in patriotism, integrity, and creativity. After completing his schooling at Grammar School, Hyderabad, he joined Nizam College but soon left for Bombay, where he became part of the Congress Volunteer Corps. He later moved to Ahmedabad and joined the Sabarmati Ashram. His stay there proved transformative, instilling in him humility and an unshakable commitment to the nation’s cause.
After leaving the Ashram, Hasan participated in an anti-liquor campaign and was arrested, receiving a six-month prison sentence. He was released early under the Gandhi–Irwin Pact of 1931, when he was barely twenty. Choosing Germany for higher studies — partly because his mother wanted nothing to do with British institutions — Hasan arrived in Berlin, where destiny intervened in the form of Subhas Chandra Bose.
Bose’s appeal to join the freedom struggle was so compelling that Hasan abandoned his academic plans to become Bose’s secretary and interpreter. Initially, he told Bose that his family had sent him to Germany despite great hardship, and he could not return without completing his course. Bose bristled: “The country needs you NOW, not after you qualify.” That night, Hasan could not sleep — by morning, he had resolved to give up his studies for the freedom struggle.
Safrani’s defining trait was his willingness to sacrifice self-interest. Bose confided his alternative approach to independence, raising an army abroad instead of relying solely on Gandhian methods. When Bose suggested that students should work in diplomatic and political divisions, Safrani disagreed, insisting they should serve in military units. Bose was convinced and inducted several students into the army. Hasan took military training so seriously that he earned the admiration of his instructors.
When the Germans handed over captured Indian soldiers from the British army, Bose formed the Free India Legion. Two issues were paramount: the design of the Indian flag and the adoption of a common salutation. Bose entrusted the latter to Safrani, who initially proposed “Hello” — quickly rejected. His second suggestion, “Jai Hindustan ki,” impressed Bose, who refined it to the now-immortal “Jai Hind.” This became the official greeting of the INA and was later adopted by the Indian government, with Nehru himself ending his first Independence Day address from the Red Fort with those words. To this day, “Jai Hind” remains the official salutation of the Indian armed forces and a rallying cry for patriotic citizens.
Hasan also accompanied Bose on his daring submarine journey from Germany to Japan during World War II. Upon reaching Singapore, Bose — with Hasan at his side — took command of the INA, which the Japanese had formed from captured Indian POWs. Hasan fought alongside the INA from Burma to Imphal and chronicled the fierce fighting in his article Our Men in Imphal.
As INA fortunes waned, Bose travelled to Tokyo with Hasan, but Safrani was captured en route by the British, imprisoned in Singapore, and later put on trial in Delhi along with other INA officers. Public outrage eventually led to their release, and Safrani returned to India just before Independence.
In free India, the government sought capable officers for the foreign service, giving preference to INA veterans. Hasan passed the written examination and was interviewed by Nehru, who was aware of his earlier writings critical of the Congress. Asked if he still stood by those views, Hasan replied firmly: “Given the same circumstances, I would write the same again.” His confidence, forthrightness, and fluency in German and Farsi impressed Nehru, and he joined the foreign service as First Secretary in various embassies, helping articulate and implement India’s foreign policy.
Post-retirement, Hasan settled in Hyderabad, spending his sunset years cultivating roses and vegetables on his 11-acre farm. His life, steeped in nationalism, sacrifice, and a deep belief in the value of freedom, was in perfect harmony with Bose’s ideals. They shaped each other’s journeys.
As historian E.H. Carr wrote, “The great man of the age is the one who can put into words the will of his age.” Abid Hasan Safrani undoubtedly fits that description. (The author is General Secretary, Telangana Council of Historical Research)
