| Kasim Razvi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1903 Latur, Hyderabad State |
| Died | 15 January 1970 Karachi, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Chief, Razakars |
Syed Kasim Razvi also Qasim Razvi was the Razakars chief of Hyderabad State, a local Muslim militia. They blocked accession into post-partition India of the predominantly Hindu region of Hyderabad. He fought against the Indian forces during Operation Polo, on behalf of the Nizam.[1]
Kasim Razvi was a high court advocate. He was appointed as Chief of Razakars by the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad State, Mir Laiq Ali. He was politically powerful and a close advisor of the Nizam, whom he encouraged to defy the Indian government, and block the accession of Hyderabad into India. At the height of the crisis, Razvi had placed his allies in influential posts, and was virtually dictating the Nizam's policy on the issue. Razvi even traveled to Delhi and had a stormy meeting with Indian leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He is quoted to have said "Death with the sword in hand, is always preferable to execution by a mere stroke of the pen, prompting the Indian government to call him the "Nizam's Frankenstein monster".[1]
After Operation Polo, Razvi was placed under house arrest and tried under Indian laws on seditious activities and inciting communal violence. He was jailed 1948-1957. He agreed to migrate to Pakistan as a condition of his release from prison.[2] His family had been residing there since 1949.