On the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day, the author explores the value and significance of independence in global context with particular reference to non violent and peaceful transition of power by British to Indian political leaders in 1947 as a corollary to the outcome of Second World War and establishment of United Nations in 1948.
By Mukesh Bhatnagar, Delhi, India. In my school days once a teacher told – “A nation is not known by its flora and fauna, its forest and mineral deposits, its coastal length and vast plateau, its heritage sites and monuments & super structures but by its people.” Fifty years later we heard our former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam saying – “A nation is known by the character of its people.” How true are these two versions that tells about the status and value of people in the context of a nation. By all standards it is the people who matters. Unfortunately wars have been fought to expand the political boundaries or to establish supremacy or to have control over the resources of another country to amass wealth and treasure. History is full of instances when kingdoms and countries have seen the up-rise of people, driven out of self respect and dignity. They have raised their voice and concern from time to time to protest, revolt and even willingly sacrificing their life for the ‘mother-land’. It was not out of fanaticism but out of patriotism and honour of the mother land.
India is going to celebrate its 75th Independence Day this year. Just like a child’s birth, Independence Day symbolizes the birth of a nation. But unlike the child birth from mother’s womb, the gestation period for a nation from the tyranny and control by an alien ruler may take years and centuries. The land where one is born, calls it his mother land, to live and die for it, just as he calls his bilogical mother akin to God.
Biological Mother & Mother Land
One is expected to respect his or her biological mother and therefore it is the bounden duty of all the citizens to honour their mother land. Political aspirations have been influenced by the political leaders of the countries from time to time. At some point of time in history there was autocratic style of governance based on racial discrimination, at some other point there were atrocities and misrule. There used to be discriminatory set of rules for different section of population since ages. Divide and rule was the principal ideology of political dispensation during the last few centuries till the middle of twentieth century.
World War II (1939-1945)
Europe has been the epicenter of two World Wars in the twentieth century itself. Large scale devastation took place throughout the world. Germany, Italy and Japan formed the Axis forces for their political aspirations and fought pitched battles in every nook and corner of the world, known as the Second World War (WWII). The Allied powers comprised of the Great Britain, France, United States of America, Soviet Union, China and countries under the domain of Great Britain. General Douglas MacArthur of the United States was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. WWII was stretched for six long years, from 1st September 1939 and coincidentally went up to 2nd September 1945 when Emperor Hirohito of Japan signed the ‘Instrument of Surrender’ on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, marking the end of WWII. The Instrument of Surrender on the other hand was signed by the representatives of the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Islands, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Provincial Government of French Republic, the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Dominion of New Zealand on behalf of the Allied Powers.
Politics of sovereignty and independence
I am mentioning the details of the forces at length just to bring home the futility of domination and value of Independence and utility of inter-dependence when it comes to larger global unity and political Independence.
WWII has been the most widespread war in human civilization which directly involved more than 100 million people from 30 countries. In a state of ‘total war’ the major participants lost their entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources, marked by the mass death of civilians including the holocaust, in which approximately 11 million people were killed. During the last stages of WWII all the powers were passively in a comprising mode. But Harry S. Truman, who was the then President of United States of America was thinking otherwise. He triggered the first ever use of nuclear weapon on Japan. No one was aware in their dreams of dream of its full impact and the scale of devastation.
On 6th of August 1945 American Bomber Enola Gay dropped five tonn bomb on Hiroshima, equivalent to the power of 15000 TNT, that reduced four square miles of the city to ruins, and instantly killed 80000 people, leaving 35000 thousand injured, and another 60000 died within a year due to radiation. There were 90000 buildings in Hiroshima only 28000 remained after the bombing. Ironically the bomb exploded over a hospital and of the 200 doctors in the city only 20 remained alive and out of 1780 nurses 150 were there to attend the wounded and remove the corpses. On 9th August another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing 40000 civilians. WWII thus proved to be deadliest conflict of human history with an estimated count of 85 million fatalities.
The surrender of Japan was announced by Imperial Japan on August 15, 1945 and formally signed on September 2, 1945 bringing the hostilities of WWII to close. What the world gained or learned out of this avoidable conflict, that erased one fifth of the world population and left indelible scar on human race. It taught many Kings and Kingdoms, Heads of States and the people who fought for them and the families of unknown people who died in war, the value of being human. It definitely laid a new world-order for peace, harmony and cooperation.
Birth of United Nations
WWII altered the political alignment and social structure of the world. The United Nations (UN) was established to foster international cooperation and to prevent future conflicts. Sovereignty of each nation and territory was acknowledged and recognised. The Allied front power viz the USA, Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom and France became the first permanent members of the UNO. It is irony that India was completely sidelined in the new dispensation of the world order, though 87000 Indian Soldiers died in WWII. Field Marshall Sir Claude Auchinleck ‘Commander in Chief’ of the Indian Army from 1942 asserted the British couldn’t have come through WWI and WWII if they hadn’t had the Indian Army.
Indians through Independence
It was the same period when India was craving for its own independence from British Rule, a struggle that was continuing since 1857, but heightened during WWII. Thousands of youth willingly sacrificed their lives to see their ‘mother land’ free from the shackles of British Empire. The first war of independence said to be triggered by Mangal Pandey on 29th March 1857, when he defied the directions on the use of cartridges and revolted against the British Commandent. He was overpowered while fighting Lt Baugh and executed on 8th April 1857, within nine days of incident.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghosh, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Gandhi and many known and unknown freedom fighters’ and patriots’ collective efforts hastened the independence of India to a great extent. According to historians around 200 freedom fighters were hastily executed by the then British authorities and almost all of them were below the age of thirty. It was Tilak who first advocated ‘Swarajya is my birth right and I shall have it.’ He wrote in Kesari – “The spirit is to make the country, your family, work together instead of working only for your own. The step beyond is to serve humanity and next step is to serve God.”
That was the political alignment taking shape in India at that time. Gandhi is said to be the discovery of Gopal Krishan Gokhale in national stream, though Gokhale was a radical and Gandhi was moderate. But later he reconciled with Gandhi’s ideology after his release from Mandalay Jail in Rangoon in 1914. It is of interest to our young generation at present to know, how the elders conducted themselves as a role model for them. All of them used to explore opportunities to get the nation out of British Raj. Senior leaders went round the jails while young ones willingly sacrificed their lives. They were guided by self respect and dignity of human life, challenged the might of British, and left a trail of path for others to follow.
India got Independence 1947
(A tryst with destiny)
Finally the day of reckoning came and India became a free country on 15th August 1947. Nehru as a leader of Indian National Congress addressed the Constituent Assembly on assuming the mettle first Prime Minister of independent India gave a historic speech that is considered to be the best in the world till date. His resounding words were the clarion call then and still make great sense. He said – “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes, when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of midnight hour when the world sleeps India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step from the old to new – when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation long supressed finds utterance. It is befitting at this solemn moment we take pledge of dedication to the service of India, and her people, and to the still larger cause of humanity. …”
Expectations and Duties
My endeavour in the foregoing narrative, is to bring home the relevance and significance of independence. It is principally addressed to the people who are at threshold of new millennium. The world got united to get rid off the tyranny of three small nations situated far apart, known to be the author of WWII, to give understanding and cooperation a chance for peace and harmony. It though came with a heavy price.
We expect the Government to provide us with jobs, subsidize petrol and gas, lower the tax structure, ensure quality living, develop on roads and infrastructure, but aren’t ready to work for all this. The ever increasing social inequality, derivation, extreme violation against women, farmers suicide ande other growing miseries calls for a radical change in India.
Today two third of our population comprises of the youth below the age of 35. As we celebrate 75th Independence Day how many of them will be aware of the sacrifices of our patriots and be willing to contribute towards nation building. They are fortunate because they are born in politically free and independent India. Their forefathers struggled for centuries to win independence and paid a heavy price for it – a sacrifice that we take for granted. Families lost sons and the nation sacrificed heroes. India also lost large part of its geographical territory on account of religious sentiments, as a bargain for early independence. We continue to hold a biased approach on religious beliefs. This need to be reviewd by the young generation for a better and happy life style.
Humanity part of Independence
Independence has greater relevance and meaning when there is love and forgiveness for each other. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and gave them independence in their own country in 1862, while exercising the powers of the President of United States. Nelson Mandela learned the hard lesson of independence, while remaining in jail for 27 years. Eventually he wrote his autobiography titled – ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’ and became President of South Africa . He struggled throughout his life for a greater cause to abolish apartheid policy. He went on to win Nobel Peace Prize and Bharat Ratna. Douglas MacArthur and his men played a primary role in exonerating Emperor Hirohito and all members of his family from criminal prosecution before a Tokyo Tribunal. This one gesture revived the morale of Japan and in establishing the value of independence.
Significance of Independence
What is the significance of Independence Day can well be understood from the political turmoil gone through by the 59 countries, to whom Great Britain granted independence. Today there is no country in the world that can be said to be in the dominion of other.
We expect the Government to provide us with jobs, subsidize petrol and gas, lower the tax structure, ensure quality living, develop on roads and infrastructure, but aren’t ready to work for all this. The ever increasing social inequality, derivation, extreme violation against women, farmers suicide ande other growing miseries calls for a radical change in India. Ours is the largest democratic set up in the world. A new breeze of change is in the offing. Youth is better equipped today to usher new dawn of hope and advancement than their counterparts 75 years ago.
Independence is a hard earned privilege and need be duly respected.
Independence entails discipline and certain duties to be performed. There is nothing like any absolute independence.
Independence reminds us that by working together we can conquer any hurdle.
Independence teaches us never to focus our hate to someone that is different from us. Whether it is their race, religious background or their disabilities. Never let this happen.
Independence enables how to embrace diversity. Children be educated of equality and fraternity.
Who we vote into power is very important as it can make a huge difference in people’s life. Securing independence and sustaining rest on this factor.
Independence Day should not be treated as a memorial day to hold flags and sing patriotic songs for one day.
Independence Day should be a day of reverence by all the citizens, in view of the heavy cost a nation has to bear.
Significance of the independence can be summed up from the lines of Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore :
” Where the mind is without fear;
And the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up
Into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where the words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason
Has not lost its way into dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever widening thought and action –
Into that heaven of freedom,
My Father, Let my country awake”
Mukesh Bhatnagar
