daily current Affairs : Who were Razakars ?

Razakars:

Why in News ? The term was recently was used in a election campaign by the Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

About the Razakars :

• The Razakars were a militia group associated with the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM) under the Nizam of Hyderabad, notably active in the period leading up to the annexation of Hyderabad by India in 1948.
  Led by Qasim Razvi, the Razakars aimed to prevent Hyderabad from joining India, using violence to intimidate and oppress those supporting unification.
• The group was notorious for its brutal actions against Hindu communities in the Hyderabad state, carrying out massacres, looting, and assaults to enforce the Nizam’s rule and maintain his allegiance to a separate Islamic state rather than merging with the Indian Union.
• The Nizam, initially resistant to joining India, relied heavily on the Razakars to suppress pro-India sentiments, leading to widespread atrocities across Telangana and other areas.
  This sparked a severe humanitarian crisis, prompting India to launch “Operation Polo” in September 1948. In a swift five-day campaign, the Indian Army intervened to restore order, disband the Razakars, and integrate Hyderabad into the Indian Union, ending the violent campaign that had marked the period of Razakar dominance in the state​