First and foremost, a very Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Indians sitting in all the corners of the world.
This day, every nationalist is swindled in the beauty of Tiranga, the melody in Jana Gana Mana is kind of different from every other day, the voice 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' is filled with more valour and energy. All these remind us of the sacrifices our forefathers made to hand us India free from the British Raj. And this independence was not just from 150-200 years of slavery from British, but also from the barbarian rule which in was faced by Indians for about 600 years since the arrival of Ghori. The whole of what we call as the freedom movement can never be put into words, but still I shall try to fill some gaps our eminent historians made.
When I referred a friend of mine to read about Veer Savarkar (Vinayak Damodar Savarkar), he asked me who he was. Had this ignorance been just from any random person who doesn't even understand the meaning of the term independence, it would have been fine. But as experiment, I referred his name to tens of people, but most of them really didn't know about him. Some had read his name somewhere but they still did not know about his contribution. Again since he is unknown to many, it is not their fault but the fault of historians and academicians.
Some of the files which have been declassified reveal that the Congress government had snooped Bose's family for 20 long years, for which Nehru was the Prime Minister for 16 years. (Means some of the other Congressis were involved)
Jawaharlal Nehru govt ordered IB to spy on kin of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose | Daily News & Analysis
Some controversies regarding his missing or death (assassination) will not be controversies anymore.
Bose not involved in air accident- The Hindu
This day, every nationalist is swindled in the beauty of Tiranga, the melody in Jana Gana Mana is kind of different from every other day, the voice 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' is filled with more valour and energy. All these remind us of the sacrifices our forefathers made to hand us India free from the British Raj. And this independence was not just from 150-200 years of slavery from British, but also from the barbarian rule which in was faced by Indians for about 600 years since the arrival of Ghori. The whole of what we call as the freedom movement can never be put into words, but still I shall try to fill some gaps our eminent historians made.
There are 2 reasons I am putting in effort to write this post. First, fost of the prominent freedom fighter, whom Britishers really feared are not even counted in the list of Freedom Fighters. The names of a lot of revolutionaries who made significant contribution aren't even scribed of their names in mainstream history books (NCERT). With the leftist influence on our academic institutions like JNU, one can never expect so in near future.They did not fight that to earn any title or in any expectation of any returns from us, but undermining their contribution to the movement is insult to them. Second, there are a lot of misconceptions spread by these academicians about the freedom movement, which not only glorifies the wrong ones but also put the right ones into wrong places.
So here are few instances where we all were blurred from the reality.
The forgotten ones-
1. Veer Savarkar
When I referred a friend of mine to read about Veer Savarkar (Vinayak Damodar Savarkar), he asked me who he was. Had this ignorance been just from any random person who doesn't even understand the meaning of the term independence, it would have been fine. But as experiment, I referred his name to tens of people, but most of them really didn't know about him. Some had read his name somewhere but they still did not know about his contribution. Again since he is unknown to many, it is not their fault but the fault of historians and academicians.
Well, he was the one who fought against British rule sitting in England. He became impeccable leader of India house, the society found by Shyamji Krishna Verma (I gave you another name to research) focused on imparting the values of nationalism in Indians across England.
Savarkar, for his pan India activities was then sentenced to 2 consecutive life imprisonments which no other revolutionary was ever sentenced to. That amounts to 50 years imprisonment. Savarkar faced a total of 27 years imprisonment (11 in kaala paani in Andaman, 3 years in Ratnagiri, 13 years under house imprisonment) against Gandhi's 6.4 years and Nehru's 10 years. And he was sentenced to most harsh prison 'Kaala Paani' whereas Gandhi and Nehru were sent to most lavish prisons.
(Gandhi's cell in Aga Khan Palace)
(Nehru's room in Ahmadnagar fort)
Both of these are equipped with facilities like bed, sofa table-chair, more like a hotel room, on the other hand Savarkar was not even allowed to keep books with him,
(Savarkar's cell in Andaman Jail from which he wasn't even freed for natural calls)
The strictness on the part of Britishers by sending him to unveils to isolated jail unveils how much they were scared of him. He was not even allowed leave alone visitors but books as well. I can't go into much detail, else Savarkar ji's legacy will itself cover the whole post.
2. Shahid Udham Singh-
The whole of India know about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in which General Dyer opened fire on Indians celebrating Baisakhi. The then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab Michael O'Dwyer endorsed the massacre. But very few of us know about the vengeance.
He Singh fired 5-6 shots at Michael O'Dwyer the Caxton Hall, London on 13 March 1940. O'Dwyer was expected to speak in the joint meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society. O'Dwyer died immediately.
During his trial he said-
I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him. For full 21 years, I have been trying to wreak vengeance. I am happy that I have done the job. I am not scared of death. I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under the British rule. I have protested against this, it was my duty. What a greater honour could be bestowed on me than death for the sake of my motherland?
(CRIM 1/1177, Public Record Office, London, p. 64)
He was convicted for murder and sentenced to death. He was hanged on 31 July 1940.
Nehru condemned Mr Singh's actions, regarding it as senseless. Gandhi called it action of insanity.
Not only these two, there are thousands of freedom fighters and leaders we don't know about and I salute them for their contributions
Not only these two, there are thousands of freedom fighters and leaders we don't know about and I salute them for their contributions
Some hidden facts-
1. The khilafat conspiracy-
Our History books taught us that Khilafat was a peaceful movement which was lead by Ali brothers and backed by Gandhi. But the truth goes just 180 degrees away from what is told. Khilafat was neither peaceful nor for independence from Britishers.
After the defeat of Axis powers to Allied ones in World Ear 1, the Ottoman Empire, ruled by a brutal caliphate was overthrown by Britishers for its support to Axis powers in 1918. The Ali brothers, with Muslim support could not tolerate the fact that the caliph was overthrown. They even went to England to demand the reestablishment of the caliph but remained empty handed. In the retaliation against Britishers because they insulted the caliph, there was a whole movement backed by Gandhi which sought to back Britishers off. Muslims in Malabar region in Kerala killed around 100,000 Hindus as retaliation.
What this movement did was the rise of religious sentiments in Indian Muslims which formed the base of partition purely on the basis of religion.
2. The act of mutiny by armed forces-
If we look at the incidents prior to the independence in 1947 that thousands of Indian soldiers returned to India after serving Britishers in world war. The retaliations by the Indian armed forces in Karachi, Jabalpur, Asansol etc and navy's revolt in 1946 against the British raj were probably the significant indicators which made the Britishers believe that they won't be able to sustain for long.
3. The Bose effect-
Clement Attlee, the former Prime Minister of United Kingdom came to India back in 1948, just after India's independence and met former Chief Justice of India. CJI asked him (not his exact words) "Why did you leave India? You had won the world war. Gandhi's movement like quit India failed back in 1942. Then what made you take a quick decision to leave India?"
To this question, Mr Attlee answered, "It was not because of Gandhi we left India, it was because of the spark that Bose created among the Armed forces of India. It was the rise of Indian nationalism that made us leave. We knew that we won't be able to sustain it for long. If we won't leave voluntarily, then we will have to quit with bloodshed."
(Reference: The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum)
So yes, the mutiny by the armed forces can be attributed to Mr Subhash Chandra Bose.
To this question, Mr Attlee answered, "It was not because of Gandhi we left India, it was because of the spark that Bose created among the Armed forces of India. It was the rise of Indian nationalism that made us leave. We knew that we won't be able to sustain it for long. If we won't leave voluntarily, then we will have to quit with bloodshed."
(Reference: The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum)
So yes, the mutiny by the armed forces can be attributed to Mr Subhash Chandra Bose.
And perhaps due to the popularity of Bose, Gandhi and Nehru had agreed to the Britishers that Bose will always be a war criminal even after the independence and will be handed to the Britishers.
Gandhi, others had agreed to hand over NetajiSome of the files which have been declassified reveal that the Congress government had snooped Bose's family for 20 long years, for which Nehru was the Prime Minister for 16 years. (Means some of the other Congressis were involved)
Jawaharlal Nehru govt ordered IB to spy on kin of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose | Daily News & Analysis
Some controversies regarding his missing or death (assassination) will not be controversies anymore.
Bose not involved in air accident- The Hindu
Due to the length and time constrains, I cannot put in much, but to sum it up, I can say It was not the was you were taught, it was the war they fought.
Also read this to know about Savarkae: Did Savarar really commit treachery?
