Tryst with Destiny

O Saint of Sabarmati! You have mystified and created a wonder by bringing freedom to the nation, without the use of swords and armaments.

These lines, though only two in number, suffice to narrate the saga of our struggle for independence. Ironic it was, that while the world was bathed in blood due to the fanatic genocide of the Third Reich, another man, similar in size and stature to Hitler, spearheaded the cry of freedom of millions. Blood did flow, lives were laid but not out of assault, but only on standing up to the wrath of the fury unleashed by the colonisers. Indeed, to the British Crown, India was the jewel and till then, they had never dreamt of the sun setting over the British empire. But, in their lust for power, they overlooked a simple fact of nature-every sun that hails a dawn has to retreat to a dusk.

Fluttering through the pages of our history, it is evident that India has been lusted often by power mongers, but this land, blessed with a people of eternal philosophy and pious lifestayle inundated one and all in its ever growing multitude. But the Europeans had different designs. They only wanted to exploit and extract, thereby remaining aliens even after 350 years.

India made her first significant attempt to overthrow imperialists, way back in 1857, but for a lack of coordination, the coup failed. To look at it from another angle, a land with such a rich heritage and a profound level of spiritual attainment may have adopted other measures than, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’! And, that was how it was destined to be.

Years later, in 1919, when Mahatma Gandhi has launched the Non-Cooperation movement, the roots of the empire were quite stirred, if not shaken. It was only a matter of time but people grew impatient, turned violent at Chauri Chaura breaking the principle of AHIMSA laid down by Bapu. It can be argued now that had Gandhiji not called off the already volatile movement, our independence would have been 25 years earlier than 1947. But to compromise on principle was not for Bapu, even though the issue at stake was his mother land. Strikingly, Nirad C Chandhari had said in an interview to, a Weekly, `After Hitler, Gandhiji can also be put in the list of great dictators of the century’. Blood seeking dictators are many who do it to quench their thirst for power, but for the noblest of noble causes only men like Mohandas Karamchand.

The month of August had a very strong bearing on the world politics in the 40′s. On the 9th of August, in 1942, Aruna Asaf Ali unfurled the flag at the Bolia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan) at Bombay to launch the quit India movement. And all, the Britishers included, could sense that the end was near. Exactly three years later, on the same date, USA dropped the nuclear bomb christ ened `Fat man’ over Nagasaki, to herald the beginning of the end of World War II, but also the beginning of a terrible era of nuclear weapons, which are now ruthlessly poised on a precipice to wipe humanity off the face of this planet. Amidst tolling bells and tumultuous celebrations, India made a tryst with destiny on the 15th August 1947. Alas! The Britishers did not let go of their dictum of `divide and rule’ till the very end. Partition resulted in the formation of Pakistan.

To say that the Father of the nation was the be all and end all of the struggle for Independence would be wholly incorrect. It was a whole nation at the move. Men who were legendary in their own right, for whom the mother land was nothing less than an obsession – mortal men, immortal memoirs.

Swaraj, liberty, democracy – all are but the same basic feeling voiced in different ways. Thoughts that dispel and defy the fear of Jean Jacques Rouseau who had said, `Every where, man is born free but lives in chains’. And in the process of independence and Swaraj, emboldened steps emanated. The princely states were merged into the Union of India. True, the process of acquiring independence and the framing of our constitution were epochal, but would have yielded little or no results had the free India been once again divided into small fragments. After all, it was the presence of so many small `Kingdoms’ that had made the task easier for the British. Out went the Princes and in caome the rule, `for the people, by the people, of the people’.

The saga of the past 40 years is a story of a nation picking it self up from the crumbles of colonisation, gathering momentum and striding ahead. 40 years are a negligible time in history. But for us, are a treasured memory of struggle to overcome the odds to surge ahead.

Be it a man or a nation, inspection-intro and retro gives a picture of the objectives set and the goals achieved. But to gauge a nation’s progress is an immense job. For to beginning what to choose as the yardstick? Economy, science and technology, modernisation political stability, development of culture welfare of the citizens and downtrodden, international diplomatic ties, stand on world issues, strengthening of the basic cherished dreams et at.

Research scholars could effortlessly spend their lives fathoming the progress (or recession, if any) on each of the issues in depth. Our purpose is not that, it is only to critically analyse the post independence era as an Indian and as one puts it, `to see whether we have justified the great sacrifices laid down by our forefathers lowering the Union jack and raising the tricolor on the ramparts of the Red Fort’.

Our economy, heavily dependent on agriculture and thus, on the whims of the Rain Gods alias monsoon. Drought and floods spread panic throughout the agrarian community, reflecting in toto on the national economy. But we have come a long way, the country is now, self sufficient in most of its grain requirement despite its burgeoning population.

The five year plans have been instrumental in bringing about a facelift, but what leaves a sour taste in the absence of a long term fiscal police due to the policies of the government changing colour as frequently as a chameleon. In a way conflicts between the capitalistic and socialistic outlook towards policies, backfire on the economy.

We often turn towards the west Instead of looking left, what we might to do is to look right to the group of 4 small islands in the Pacific Ocean. They too had begun contemporary to us, right from scratch. But their bottom line reads different. Japan, though microsized in comparison to us and absolutely barren in the natural resources of which, we have a bounty, is a saga to behold. Productivity and a goal-oriented, dedicated and persistent hard work, over looking political skirmishes’ and trifle differences in the simple key to the story. And what rich dividends! Todays, Japan is right on the top, neck to neck with the west on even issue, and way ahead in the field of automation and electronics.

Nevertheless, our scene too is not depressing, if not applaudable. But we can look at the future with full optimism because there is no dearth of talent in our land. Our progress in the field of nuclear research, space programme and yes, defence manufacturing and ancillary, alongwith the heavy engineering sector are glittering examples.

What is as uncertain as the rains is the political environment within the country. Owing to its very large physical parameters, and presence of every conceivable ideology in the world within its boundary, makes it the more complex and unpredictable. But there is a marked phenomenon over the past decade and a half. The two year syndrome or the mid-term elections phobia. Despite the fact that all parties voted to power, right from 1971, have entered parliament with a landslide mandate, the charisma seems to wear off very soon.

1971, Indira Gandhi thumped in, but met turbulent weather midway, so much so, that Emergency had to be enforced. 1977, the Janata party came in with a sign of relief but midway, were scattered everywhere. 1980, back to Mrs Gandhi but this time, not the people but assassins bullets move her out of power. 1985, in comes Rajiv Gandhi, the third in lineage of the ‘Anand Bhawan” clan with all hopes pinned for a ‘fresh, clean, honest government that works!

The showpiece of all the issues, let’s say. “La Crema DE La Creme” has been India’s international ties. For which, a major chunk of the credit goes to the Anand Bhawan clan of prime ministers. Jawaharlal Nehru, set off on a high note floating the idea of the non-aligned movement.

A quarter century later, his daughter and then, his grandson have made all endeavours in highlighting and nourishing the cause of the movement. For this, India has popularly emerged as a pseudo super power. Atleast, the Third World always looks up to India in hours of crisis and India truely plays the big brother, be it a stand against apartheid or nuclear armament, The piece de resistance came a few days ago in the form of a suitable birth anniversary present- the Sri Lanka accord.

How to sum it all?
Let’s take the help of the aptly named “Discover India” jungle (we modulate it).

She’s young, She’s old, She’s big, strange and beautiful. India.

It’s time we got to know her unveil her, redeem her, revive, relive her.