India Day
Dewan Chand, Suva
India celebrated its 72nd Independence Day on August 15, 2018 with great pomp and show.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a very moving speech from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi. He appealed to 1.25 billion Indians to rise and walk the talk in making the new India.
A flurry of activities took place throughout the country in marking this very important day in the annals of Indian history. However, by 5.05pm the Indian news channels broke the news of the death of Atal Bihari Bajpayee, the former Prime Minister of India.
The country plunged into shock and plans were changed to making arrangement for the funeral. Seven days national mourning has been declared and the
tiranga (National Flag) will fly at halfmast. An era has come to an end!
Britain ruled India for about two hundred years when it was at the peak of its world power. It was said that the sun never set on the Empire.
However, a series of events forced Britain to quit India by granting independence in 1947.
However, it was done only after splitting the country into two: India for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims: British policy of divide and rule at its best.
It is generally believed that the quit India movement and non-violence movement (Satyagrah) led by Mahatma Gandhi was responsible in forcing Britain to grant Independence to India.
Gandhi basically indulged in a non-violent approach through boycotting British made goods and launching the homemade khadi movement, salt march and constantly going to jail.
This infuriated Indians and Gandhi’s support base increased.
It is worth noting that all key national political players were British educated. Gandhi, Nehru and Jinna were British educated lawyers and Subhas Chandra Bose was a British educated civil servant. Subhas Chandra defeated Gandhi to become the President of the Indian National Congress.
At a rally in New Delhi he called on the Indians for a blood bath to drive the British out of India. For this he was sacked from the congress.
Subhas Chandra Bose did not give up. He formed a separate political party and went on a war footing by recruiting soldiers and forming the Indian National Army. He sought support from Japan and Germany and declared war on Britain.
It is believed that it was this threat that forced Britain to consider granting independence to India. Gandhi’s policy of turning the other cheek was an ineffective approach.
The Indian National Congress had elected Vallab Bhai Patel to be the Prime Minister of independent India. But the forces lurking behind the scenes manipulated to propose the name of Jawahar Lal Nehru. Nehru was seen as a British stooge. A new movement has been launched in India to bring fairer recognition to the contributions of Subhas Chjandra Bose and his Indian National Army in bringing Independence to India. Retired Major General GD Bakshi and Dr Subramaniam Swamy are spearheading this movement.
It is expected that thousands will march to New Delhi demanding the recognition of Subhas Chandra Bose’s contribution. Major-General Bakshi has written a book on this issue and this will be interesting reading indeed.