ndia is a vast country with many castes, cultures and life styles. Indian clothing styles vary with different geographical terrains throughout the country. Clothing in India emerges from a rich legacy of tradition and culture.
Indian clothing for men and women are depicted in many ways in terms of colour, style and texture due to the vast religious, cultural and regional diversity.
Clothing from India is mostly vibrant in terms of colour and ornamentation. Textile weaving in India is a highly developed art. The drapes and folds of Indian clothes have captured the glamorous platform of global fashion with its enchanting detailing and concepts in recent years.
In India, women’s clothing is an exclusive art. The traditional sari prevails over all other choices for Indian women’s clothing.
The sari is an unstitched drape of many meters, which can be worn in various styles according to the caste, culture, religion and social status of the wearer. It is worn over a tight fitting blouse called choli. Fashion designers create saris variety of textures, colours and ornamentations.
In Indian fashion, clothing for women also includes ‘salwar kameez’, which is popular attire. These are tailored trousers with long shirts in various styles.
Tribal women in India wear unique costumes, which are woven, styled and coloured in their own traditional style. ‘Lehenga choli’ with ‘odhnis’ are also clothing from India, which are commonly worn in villages by Indian women. These are long skirts with tight blouses draped with half saris. Modern Indian women in urban areas have started donning western attire now.
Indian wedding dresses are famous for their spectacular beauty and enchantment all over the world. The typical Indian bride emerges in a highly detailed and ornamental ‘Ghaghara’ skirt worn with a beautiful ‘choli’ and a long unstitched ‘odhni’ on her wedding day. This is usually accompanied with heavy gold jewelry studded with coloured stones. Indian Bridal attire also varies with caste and class in Indian society.
Some brides are required to wear and drape saris woven in their community traditions on their wedding. Men traditionally wear ‘sherwani’ and ‘chudidars’ with a scarf and a bright turban on their wedding day...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
indian families
In India, family forms the basic unit of society. An individual is ideally nurtured and taught within a typical Indian family, which often extends beyond the immediate to the joint family structure.
Globalization and western influence have failed to change the character of Indian family life even today.
Family life varies with regional diversity in India in terms of religion, culture, traditions, rituals and general life style. This is also dictated by caste and class in many cases.
Traditional roles in family structure are changing in urban areas but even modern and educated families imbibe the intrinsic values of family life in India.
Indians tend to give priority to the welfare of the family unit as whole. Individuals are brought up in a group situation and taught to remain united and support each other for progress.
Many Indians still live in the joint family system where elders are valued and protected and youngsters nurtured and cherished. Children are ensured family support and taught to honor their responsibility towards the whole family from the beginning.
Family ties are very important to Indians. Arranged marriages within the caste are still common all over the country. Men are required to support the family economically through out their life.
The traditional role of a woman is to look after the domestic chores like cooking, child-care and service to the elders. Working women in urban areas are also expected to fulfill their domestic responsibilities.
The joint family in its conventional form as a rigid institution has undergone many changes with rapid urbanization and growing forces of individualism in modern India.
Many families have started living differently in practice, while retaining the basic ideals of group caring and sharing. Actual living arrangements depend on socio-economic factors and personal circumstances, but strong family ties abide in the form of financial and social support.
Globalization and western influence have failed to change the character of Indian family life even today.
Family life varies with regional diversity in India in terms of religion, culture, traditions, rituals and general life style. This is also dictated by caste and class in many cases.
Traditional roles in family structure are changing in urban areas but even modern and educated families imbibe the intrinsic values of family life in India.
Indians tend to give priority to the welfare of the family unit as whole. Individuals are brought up in a group situation and taught to remain united and support each other for progress.
Many Indians still live in the joint family system where elders are valued and protected and youngsters nurtured and cherished. Children are ensured family support and taught to honor their responsibility towards the whole family from the beginning.
Family ties are very important to Indians. Arranged marriages within the caste are still common all over the country. Men are required to support the family economically through out their life.
The traditional role of a woman is to look after the domestic chores like cooking, child-care and service to the elders. Working women in urban areas are also expected to fulfill their domestic responsibilities.
The joint family in its conventional form as a rigid institution has undergone many changes with rapid urbanization and growing forces of individualism in modern India.
Many families have started living differently in practice, while retaining the basic ideals of group caring and sharing. Actual living arrangements depend on socio-economic factors and personal circumstances, but strong family ties abide in the form of financial and social support.
business in india
Indian economy has come into its own and gained impetus in recent years. Carrying out a business in India has become an attractive proposition, not only due to its 8% annual growth rate, but also as a result of a healthy capital market and the growing foreign exchange reserves in the country.
There is today no dearth of business opportunities in India with its economy soaring to the fourth largest position in the world in terms of purchasing power.
The Indian government has implemented a number of policies for the aid of entrepreneurs in starting a business in India. This together with the strong fundamentals of Indian economy earned the 43rd rank for India in the world economic forum’s GCI position for the years 2006 and 2007.
India has emerged as a highly appropriate destination for foreign enterprise. This is primarily due to its intellectual middle class which is emerging gradually, a low wages competitive labour force, rich natural resources, vast geographical terrain, higher disposable incomes and progressive as well as friendly business policies which are also investment friendly.
Business etiquette in India has undergone a big transformation with the advent of globalization. Industrial leaders of India are seen to be introducing vast changes in business policies and practices and their implementation to attract international business into India.
In a nutshell, India is making a progressive journey from privatization to liberalization where business is concerned.
Foreign trade policies in India are committed to attract FDI. The government is making every reasonable effort to sustain and improve the eight percent growth rate.
Indian policy makers and industrialists are employed in offering a healthy and robust economic environment for private and public enterprises in order to remain rooted and grow within the country.
There is today no dearth of business opportunities in India with its economy soaring to the fourth largest position in the world in terms of purchasing power.
The Indian government has implemented a number of policies for the aid of entrepreneurs in starting a business in India. This together with the strong fundamentals of Indian economy earned the 43rd rank for India in the world economic forum’s GCI position for the years 2006 and 2007.
India has emerged as a highly appropriate destination for foreign enterprise. This is primarily due to its intellectual middle class which is emerging gradually, a low wages competitive labour force, rich natural resources, vast geographical terrain, higher disposable incomes and progressive as well as friendly business policies which are also investment friendly.
Business etiquette in India has undergone a big transformation with the advent of globalization. Industrial leaders of India are seen to be introducing vast changes in business policies and practices and their implementation to attract international business into India.
In a nutshell, India is making a progressive journey from privatization to liberalization where business is concerned.
Foreign trade policies in India are committed to attract FDI. The government is making every reasonable effort to sustain and improve the eight percent growth rate.
Indian policy makers and industrialists are employed in offering a healthy and robust economic environment for private and public enterprises in order to remain rooted and grow within the country.
economy of india
According to a 2007 survey, there is in India, growing economy with a GDP of 930 billion U.S. dollars. When calculated from the view of purchasing power parity (PPP), the economy of India stands fourth in the world.
However, when measured in terms of U.S.D. exchange rate, India takes the back seat as the tenth largest country.
India has also been declared the second fastest growing economy in the whole world according to a recent survey. It enjoys a GDP growth rate of 9.2%.
The economy weakness of India is however quite clear. This is mainly because India has a very huge population. According to the World Bank criterion, India is considered a weak economy with a per capita income of 3400 $ at PPP.
Indian economy is diverse in nature. This is owing to its vast geographical territory and population. Agriculture gives rise to two-thirds of India’s work force. The service sector is now growing towards an important destination in the Indian economy.
Technology and globalization have revolutionized the Indian economy in recent years. Educated Indians who can speak English are getting absorbed in outsourcing operations for global companies. These companies are harnessing technical talent and customer service operators for their operations abroad.
Unemployment among the youth is now a thing of the past due to the advent of the digital age. This has also opened new avenues of growth for our country in fields like telecommunication, manufacturing, biotechnology, aviation, pharmaceutical and shipbuilding.
To sum up, India is a socialist democracy. The government exercises control over private enterprise while encouraging foreign trade. India is now deliberately marching towards an open economy by opening its doors to global markets. This is a dynamic attempt to grow economically and meet the challenges of a huge and growing population, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and social inequality.
However, when measured in terms of U.S.D. exchange rate, India takes the back seat as the tenth largest country.
India has also been declared the second fastest growing economy in the whole world according to a recent survey. It enjoys a GDP growth rate of 9.2%.
The economy weakness of India is however quite clear. This is mainly because India has a very huge population. According to the World Bank criterion, India is considered a weak economy with a per capita income of 3400 $ at PPP.
Indian economy is diverse in nature. This is owing to its vast geographical territory and population. Agriculture gives rise to two-thirds of India’s work force. The service sector is now growing towards an important destination in the Indian economy.
Technology and globalization have revolutionized the Indian economy in recent years. Educated Indians who can speak English are getting absorbed in outsourcing operations for global companies. These companies are harnessing technical talent and customer service operators for their operations abroad.
Unemployment among the youth is now a thing of the past due to the advent of the digital age. This has also opened new avenues of growth for our country in fields like telecommunication, manufacturing, biotechnology, aviation, pharmaceutical and shipbuilding.
To sum up, India is a socialist democracy. The government exercises control over private enterprise while encouraging foreign trade. India is now deliberately marching towards an open economy by opening its doors to global markets. This is a dynamic attempt to grow economically and meet the challenges of a huge and growing population, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and social inequality.
geography of india
In terms of geography India is a very diverse country. India geography comprises of a large number of landforms and regions such as mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, deserts, rainforests, etc and different water bodies like streams, rivers, lakes, seas, bays, etc.
Other than these India has a coastline, which extends up to 7000km and its peninsular region enters the Indian Ocean while it is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. The coastline also gives rise to gulfs such as the gulfs of Kutch and Cambay to the west.
The geography and climate of India are both related to each other in such as way that the climate influences the geography and vice versa. For example, snow capped mountain ranges are seen towards the north of India due to higher temperatures at that latitude and also as a result of the high altitudes of the young fold mountains in this region. Also, areas with higher rainfall tend to have more forest cover with tropical rainforests predominating and the vegetation cover in turn influences the evaporation and humidity, etc, hence affecting rainfall and climate.
The geography of ancient India served as a foundation stone for the present day geography, which it has evolved into. India geographically basically consists of a number of landforms and water bodies.
Among landforms, mountain ranges such as the Himalayas, Aravalli range, Western Ghats (Sahayadri) and Eastern Ghats, Patkai, Satpuras, Karakoram and Vindhya ranges are present. There are other highlands such as the Deccan plateau, Malwa plateau and Chhotta Nagpur plateau.
The major Indian plain is the Indo-Gangetic plain formed by the Ganga, Bhramaputra and Indus rivers and their branches. Other than these plains the Western coastal plains and Eastern coastal plains occupy relatively smaller areas.
The desert region of India is the Thar Desert (Great Indian Desert). Lakshwadeep and Andaman and Nicobar islands are the two main offshore islands that form a part of Indian territory. Diu, Majuli, Salcette island, Elephanta and Sriharikota are other important islands of India. The Sundarbans and the Rann of Kutch are the major marshy wetlands of India.
Water bodies include rivers such as Indus, Ravi, Jhelum, Chenab, Sutlej, Beas, Ganga, Chambal, Yamuna, Gomti, Bhramaputra, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari and Mahanadi, gulfs such as the gulfs of Kutch, Cambay and Mannar, straits such as Palk strait (distinguishing India from Sri Lanka) and the Ten Degree channel (distinguishing the Andaman and Nicobar islands), lakes such as Dal lake, Chilka lake, Kolleru lake, Sambhar lake and Loktak lake. Other than these India is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, Indian Ocean to the south and the Bay of Bengal to the east..
agriculture in india
India has an agriculture-based economy. 43% of India’s territory remains employed in agricultural activities. Globalization and agriculture in India are both intricately connected to each other as agriculture in India prevails over all other sectors because it plays a pivotal role in the socio-cultural life of its people.
Hence, it is agriculture that is the most influential field as compared to others in India. It is also most affected due to globalization in terms of the export and import of agricultural commodities - a major source of income in India.
Agriculture along with other related fields like forestry and logging provides employment to 60% of India’s population. Agriculture also accounts for 8.56% of the country’s total exports. According to a 2005 survey, agriculture accounts for 18.6% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
Most of the Indian population lives in its villages and thus the contribution of agriculture to Indian economy becomes very important.
Majority of Indians depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Sustainable agriculture in India is in the process of acquiring importance. Sustainable agriculture is defined by the presence of eco-friendly agricultural practices.
It pays attention to conservation of the environment as much as to crop yield. Hence equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, etc used are monitored.
One of the primary agriculture companies in India is Bhartiya Agro Industrial Foundation of Maharashtra. It was created by Manibhai Desai in 1967.
NABARD (National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development) is a bank, which is employed in encouraging agriculture based economic activities in rural India.
Besides this, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) was founded in 2003 in Mumbai for the upliftment of agricultural economy in the country.
Recently a great telecommunication giant - Bharti Enterprises has forged alliances with Field Fresh and Wal Mart, which are globally acclaimed companies..
Hence, it is agriculture that is the most influential field as compared to others in India. It is also most affected due to globalization in terms of the export and import of agricultural commodities - a major source of income in India.
Agriculture along with other related fields like forestry and logging provides employment to 60% of India’s population. Agriculture also accounts for 8.56% of the country’s total exports. According to a 2005 survey, agriculture accounts for 18.6% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
Most of the Indian population lives in its villages and thus the contribution of agriculture to Indian economy becomes very important.
Majority of Indians depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Sustainable agriculture in India is in the process of acquiring importance. Sustainable agriculture is defined by the presence of eco-friendly agricultural practices.
It pays attention to conservation of the environment as much as to crop yield. Hence equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, etc used are monitored.
One of the primary agriculture companies in India is Bhartiya Agro Industrial Foundation of Maharashtra. It was created by Manibhai Desai in 1967.
NABARD (National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development) is a bank, which is employed in encouraging agriculture based economic activities in rural India.
Besides this, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) was founded in 2003 in Mumbai for the upliftment of agricultural economy in the country.
Recently a great telecommunication giant - Bharti Enterprises has forged alliances with Field Fresh and Wal Mart, which are globally acclaimed companies..
freedom fighters of India
Today as we freely move around in our country without anyone questioning or imposing any kinds of restrictions on us we feel satisfied and contended. But this satisfaction is due to the efforts taken by our freedom fighters to free our country from the British rule. Its because of our freedom fighters that today we are enjoying are freedom. Their satyagrahas, sacrifices, and tortures have resulted in the freedom that we enjoy today in our motherland India. Jawaharlal Nehru is one of the most important people in the list of Indian freedom fighters. After independence, Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of free India. He was also the author of the famous book “panchsheela” Nehru was extremely fond of children. They simply loved and adored him. With his death, India lost a peerless leader of outstanding merits, rare gifts and great qualities of head and heart.
Mahatma Gandhi – the leader of all Indian leaders was born at porbander in Gujarat on 2nd October. He gave the people the weapon of non-violent struggle to fight injustice. He won freedom for India on 15th august 1947. He died on 30th January 1948. He is rightly known as the father of the nation. His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. His father was a dewan of a princely state and his mother, a god fearing pious lady. Gandhiji is respected all over the world today. He shall never be forgotten.
Another famous Indian freedom fighter is Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Lokmanya Tilak) who was born in ratnagiri, a port in Maharashtra. His father was a teacher and a scholar. He was a brave boy and always fought for freedom, swarajya and self-rule. He also started two newspapers “Maratha” and “Kesari” due to which he was sent into prison. He wanted to spread the message of swarajya through his newspaper. He said, “swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it”. He died on 1st august. People loved him and accepted him as their leaders and so he was called Lokmanya Tilak.
Who could forget Acharya Vinoba Bhave when reminded of freedom fighters? He was born on 11th September 1895 in raigad district. His mothers name was rukmini and his fathers name was narhari bhave. He knew 22 languages. He died on 15th November at the age of 87 that was a great loss to the nation.
INDEPENDANCE OF INDIA
One of the most important days for each Indian citizen is 15th August. A day that is celebrated with pride and patriotism by each Indian national, no matter what the age. What is special about this day? It was on this date that India was declared a free and independent nation in 1947.
What preceded Indian Independence Day – 15th August 1947? The Indian independence movement… This movement was a diffusion of nationwide campaigns against British rule over India. There were innumerable freedom fighters - males, females; youth, middle age, senior citizens. They all worked and walked their way to freeing India from the British domination.
What preceded Indian Independence Day – 15th August 1947? The Indian independence movement… This movement was a diffusion of nationwide campaigns against British rule over India. There were innumerable freedom fighters - males, females; youth, middle age, senior citizens. They all worked and walked their way to freeing India from the British domination.
No matter how much violence the British soldiers inflicted on the Indian warriors, they relentlessly marched towards freeing their beloved motherland non-violently. They bore the brunt of whips and long tenures in jail. Finally, the British sovereign was left with no choice but to declare India a free nation.
And, as the clock struck 12 am, and a new day began – 15th August 1947 – India stepped into her independent status. This celebration was preceded by a speech made by the first Prime Minister of free India – Jawaharlal Nehru. Below is a famous extract from his speech titled ‘Tryst with Destiny’…
At the stroke of the 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 out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.
The Sword of Tippu Sultan
On the occasion of the bi-centenary of his death, we present a biography of Tippu Sultan. He was a controversial ruler due to some of the atrocities attributed to his army (especially on Konkani speaking Christians), but Dr. Kamat has tried to evaluate him historically and above controversies.
"The Sword of Tippu Sultan" is also the title of a book by Bhagwan Gidwani, and a controversial TV serial in India. -- Ed.
Tippu Sultan (1753-1799)
Childhood and Parentage
Tippu was born in Devanahalli (in Karnataka) on Friday, November 20th, 1753. At the age of fifteen he used to accompany his father Hyder Ali, Ruler of Mysore State, to different military campaigns. He was a devout Muslim. He had a very inquisitive mind and fascination for learning. His personal library was consisted of more than two thousand books in different languages. Tippu was a man of simple habits, eating common food and leading pious life. He had a very dignified personality and impressed the people who came in contact with him. He was an extremely active man and worked from dawn to midnight for the welfare of his subjects. He himself drafted all his correspondence. He took over the kingdom after his father's death in 1782 A.D.
Fighting the British
He could foresee the (British) East India Company's design to get entrenched on Indian soil, and took a vow to foil it. For this purpose he negotiated with the French and sheltered the Frenchmen who preached the French revolutionary doctrines to the public. A "Jacobean Club" was established in Tippu's capital Srirangapattana, and the French tricolor was hoisted. He also sought assistance from the Amir of Afghanistan and the Sultan of Turkey. He had already defeated the British at Wandiwash in 1783. The British were very scared of Tippu's growing strength, and they formed an alliance with the Nizam of Hyderabad State and Marathas of Maharashtra State. The French deserted Tippu after signing of the "Versailles Treaty" in Europe in 1783 when the American War of Independence ended.
As long as the British fought alone, Tippu always defeated them. But he was no match for their diplomacy, conspiracy and intrigue. Thus he was defeated in his Capital of Srirangapattana, and forced to sign a humiliating treaty on March 22nd, 1792. As a result he had to concede half of his kingdom and pay an indemnity of thirty three million Rupees to the English and their allies. Frequent wars had drained his treasury, and hence he had no hard cash to pay this huge amount. He was compelled to pledge two of his sons to the conquerors. Governor General Conrnwallis took away these two youngsters to his headquarters in Calcutta in Bengal. However, they could not suppress Tippu's spirits for long, and he rebuilt his war machine in shortest possible time. He built a fine army and modernized his administration on the European model. He was an able and fearless military strategist.
Tippu's Government
He built a chain of excellent roads, and constructed tanks and dams to promote agriculture. He introduced the new industries, promoted trades and commerce, established factories in Cutch, Masquat, and Jedda, and sent commercial missions to Oman, Persia and Turkey. He invited foreign know-how to build factories to produce glass, mirrors and ship-building. He aimed at making his kingdom the most prosperous state of India. Hence he was also interested in latest scientific research all over the world. He introduced sericulture on a large scale, and mulberry cultivation was started at twenty one centers. He encouraged the textile industry by banning the export of cotton. The weavers from Tamilnadu were invited and settled in his kingdom. Growing of sugarcane and producing of sugar and candy were encouraged in Channapatna, Devanhalli and Chikkaballapur. High quality tempered wire required for the string instruments was produced in Channapatna. The livestock development got special attention. Tippu prohibited the production and distribution of liquor and other intoxicants in his state of Mysore.
Tippu Sultan adopted the tiger as his emblem. His throne was shaped like a tiger, carrying the head of a life-size tiger in solid gold (see also the boxed toy above). He was an enlightened ruler who treated his non-Muslim subjects generously. He appointed them to different positions of authority, and gave them complete freedom of worship. He conferred liberal grants to Sringeri, Srirangapattana, and Mangalore temples. He gave funds for the consecration of idols and presented them with gold and silver articles. He also encouraged arts like music and dance and learning in general.
|
|
|
 Tippu's Toy The mechanical 'Tipoo's Tiger' was captured at Srirangapattana in 1799 and was exhibited at the East India Company's headquarters in Leadenhall Street. The tiger roars and the British officer screams. Picture Courtesy : |
Tippu, the Builder
The most famous and beautiful artifact from Tippu Sultan's period is his summer place, the Daria Daulat. It beautifully depicts some of the heroic wars Tippu fought and also many social themes of the period.
Painting from Daria Daulat Bagh
Tippu built the "Gumbaz" at Srinagapattana in 1784 which is a square shaped mausoleum with ivory-inlaid doors and black marble pillars. Tippu is buried here by the side of his father Hyder Ali and mother Fatima Begum. Outside the tomb are the graves of his relatives and commanders. Nearby the "Mashit-e-Aqsa" mosque, with a pair of small minarets is located. A solar clock could be found outside this building.
Tippu built and fortified numerous forts, but unfortunately most of them are either destroyed or are in ruins because of poor maintenance. The Bangalore fort, located in the heart of the city has a temple of Ganesh where devotees offer prayers regularly. Tippu also built many palaces which were demolished by the British after his death. However his Bangalore Summer Palace is a great tourists' attraction. It is completely made of wooden structures with five well decorated and painted arches.
Tippu's Legacy
"Sword of Tippu Sultan" is the name of a novel by Bhagwan Gidwani based on his life. Based on it, a serial was telecast by Doordarshan (the state run television in India) which became both popular and controversial. On the 4th of May, 1999 Tippu's death bicentenary will be celebrated in India on a large scale. Though the historians of India are of different views about his role to dislodge the British from Indian soil, the common people have great admiration for his heroic deeds. It is very interesting to note that seventh generation descendants of Tippu Sultan have arrived at Srirangapattana, all the way from Calcutta to claim their ancestral properties!
The Daria Daulat Bagh is a national monument and can be visited by tourists (1999).
Remembering Tilak Maharaj
Bal Gangadhar Tilak's contribution to modern India stands on par with that of Mahatma Gandhi's. Tilak was a great Sanskrit scholar and astronomer. He fixed the origin and date of Rigvedic Aryans, which was highly acclaimed and universally accepted by orientalists of his time. His role in Congress and advocating Home Rule for India were enormous. His newspaper (Kesari) founded in 1881 is going strong even today. Hundreds of schools in India were result of his vision. We owe the mass celebration of the Ganesh festival (see: Ganesh Chaturthi) only to Tilak. He was Guru to Savarkar (biography) and hundreds of nationalists and thousands of Indians. Actually he set up the platform for Gandhiji's leadership. Although Gandhi accepted Gokhale as his mentor, in practice, he adopted all of Tilak's ideas of Swadeshi and of social reform. In 1920, when Tilak passed away, 200,000 mourners assembled on Chowpati beach of Bombay, without a single untoward incident. It is very hard to condense the great man's contribution to our country, but I have made an attempt below.
-- Jyotsna Kamat
August 15, 1998
India's Independence Day
"Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!" were the fiery words of Tilak which roused a sleeping nation to action, making Indian people aware of their political plight under a foreign rule. Tilak did not question the British Sovereignty nor his demands rebellious or revolutionary. All he was asking was favorable conditions in India, to enable people to learn to govern themselves. May be all over the world, the separatist forces should follow his vision and define freedom as ability to govern one's land. But the handful rulers who ruled India's millions thought otherwise. They thought that Tilak was whipping a rebellion and he was imprisoned twice; two years for the first and six during the second. They said, he had committed treason.
|
|
Born in Ratnagiri, a small coastal town in 1856 in a middle class family, Tilak had to fend himself for college education. At an early age he was convinced that the educational system the British provided for the Indians was not at all adequate. After graduation and a law degree, he helped found a school which laid emphasis on nationalism. He started a news paper 'Kesari' which tried to teach Indians of their glorious past and reminded them to be self reliant (Swadeshi).
The British used all the native raw materials to run their factories in England and sold the finished products to India, keeping the India an ever dependant country. In the process, all the self-employing industries of India like spinning, weaving, glass making, sugar ,dyeing, paper making were destroyed. People became destitute for no fault of theirs to help an empire become richer and stronger.
Tilak tried to breathe life into the moribund nation through four mantras. (1). Boycott of foreign goods (2) National Education (3) Self Government (4) Swadeshi or self reliance. He realized that mere protest against British rule was not going to help and insisted on native production and reliance. "We have no arms, but there is no necessity. But our strong political weapon is boycott (of foreign goods) Organize your powers and then go to work so that they cannot refuse you what you demand" - he told the masses.
It is strange that the British read treason in these words. He founded Deccan Education Society to give better education as per the country's needs. He wrote scathing articles over inhuman punishment meted out to the nationalist youth who protested the division of Bengal (VangaBhanga). Indian newspapers were not to criticize the British policy in those days and two articles titled "Has the Government lost its head ?" and "To Rule is not to wreak vengeance" appearing in Kesari landed him in jail, after a namesake trial. For the first time in British history, intellectuals in England (including the great orientalist, Max Muller) were able to convince the Government that the trial was unfair. But the second time (1908) was no different. Tilak advocated his own case and when the judgment of six years of black-waters (kalapani) imprisonment was pronounced, he gave the famous statement :
" All I wish to say is that in spite of the verdict of the jury, I maintain my innocence. There are higher powers that rule the destiny of men and nations. It may be the will of Providence that the cause I represent may prosper by suffering than by remaining free"
Lokamanya Balgangadhar Tilak
(1856-1920)
Tilak was immensely popular through writing and through social work. His idea of national festivals took shape in Shivaji Utsav and Ganesh Utsav which were instrumental in bringing people together culturally - irrespective of their caste and creed. His trial and punishment led to national upheaval. But the British were careful enough to arrange everything in secret and the judgment was delivered at midnight and Tilak was taken under military vigil to be deported to Burma (present Myanmar, which was also under British control)
At 52, a diabetic and ailing Tilak wrote his famous commentary on Bhagavad-Gita, the sacred book of Hindus. He stressed that Gita taught action (karma), nothing but action. Religion or spiritual message were secondary and the need of the hour was to arise and fight. This was Lord Krishna's message to Arjuna. Tilak's wife, his companion of 45 years died at Pune and the news reached him in Madalay prison Burma only after a week. He had sacrificed his personal life, his profession, name and fame for the sake of the country.
By the time Tilak completed his six year prison term, he was the unquestioned leader of the Indians - the uncrowned king. He was known as the Tilak Maharaj.
It is strange co-incidence that the last Burmese king Theba had to spend his last days in solitary confinement in Ratnagiri and this 'uncrowned king' from Ratnagiri had to spend prison days in Burma!
There was unprecedented jubilation in India after Tilak was free and was back in India. Civil resistance, the concept of Swaraj, and nationalism had taken deep roots. Tilak's suffering did not go in vain. A band of leaders, full of zeal for nationalism and self-sacrifice had come up in India. National schools were coming up in all corners of India. He paved the way for Khadi (hand woven cloth), picketing against foreign goods and alcoholism. His death in 1920 brought Mahatma Gandhi on the scene and Gandhiji gave a concrete shape to Tilak's ideas of Swadeshi.
The court which convicted Tilak bears a plaque that says, " The actions of Tilak has been justified as the right of every individual to fight for his country. Those two convictions have gone into oblivion -- oblivion reserved by history for all unworthy deeds"Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
India's National Movement for freedom was accompanied by a large wave of social, educational and economic awareness throughout the nation. Tagore, one of the foremost thinkers in the country at the time spent time in building educational infrastructure. A man of true talent, his contribution to the freedom movement is significant. Gandhi has called him Gurudev (The Supreme Teacher).
Tagore who gave us our national anthem wrote -- " I have loved India and sought to serve her not because of her geographical magnitude, not because of her great past, but because of my faith in her today and my belief that she will stand for truth and freedom and the higher things of life".
See Also: Tagore's Poem for India - We think the "Tryst with Destiny" Nehru referred to in his inaugural speech is personified in this verse.
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-66)
Now mostly forgotten, Lal Bahadur Shastri was a man of vision and of supreme patriotism. A generous man, he gave away all of his wealth and became advocate of land reform through land donations (Bhudaan). A devout Gandhian, he advocated social reform as a means to achieve self-reliance.
Lal Bahadur Shatri went on to become the second Prime-minister of India after the death of Jawaralal Nehru. He died under mysterious circumstances on a peace mission to Soviet Union. He was a popular leader of the Indian National Congress and gave the country the slogan "Jai Jawan- Jai Kisan" (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer)
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri (born 1904) succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister of India in 1964. Though eclipsed by such stalwarts of the Congress party as Kamaraj (the Kingmaker) and Morarji Desai, Finance Minister in Nehru's government, Shastri emerged as the consensus candidate in the midst of party warfare. He had not been in power long before he had to attend to the difficult matter of Pakistani aggression, as represented by India, along the Rann of Kutch; and though a cease-fire under the auspices of the United Nations put a temporary halt to the fighting, the scene of conflict soon shifted to the more troubled spot of Kashmir. While Pakistan claimed that a spontaneous uprising against the Indian occupation of Kashmir had taken place, India charged Pakistan with fomenting sedition inside its territory and sending armed raiders into Jammu and Kashmir from Azad Kashmir. Shastri promised to meet force with force, and by early September the second Indo-Pakistan war had commenced.
Though the Indian army reached the outskirts of Lahore, Shastri agreed to withdraw Indian forces. He had always been identified with the interests of the working class and peasants since the days of his involvement with the freedom struggle, and now his popularity agree. But his triumph was short-lived: invited in January 1966 by the Russian Premier, Aleksei Kosygin, to Tashkent for a summit with General Muhammad Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan and commander of the nation's armed forces, Shastri suffered a fatal heart attack hours after signing a treaty where India and Pakistan agreed to not meddle in each other's internal affairs and "not to have recourse to force and to settle their disputes through peaceful means. Shastri's body was brought back to India, and a memorial, not far from the national memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, was built to honor him. It says, in fitting testimony to Shastri, "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" ("Honor the Soldier, Honor the Farmer"). He is, however, a largely forgotten figure, another victim of the engineering of India's social memory by Indira Gandhi and her clan.
Martyrdom of Sardar Bhagat Singh
Sardar Bhagat Singh (1907 - 1931)
Family of Patriots
Bhagat Singh was born in a Sikh family of farmers in the village of Banga of Layalpur district of Punjab (now in Pakistan) on September 27th of 1907. His family stood for patriotism, reform, and freedom of the country. His grandfather Arjun Singh was drawn to Arya Samaj, a reformist movement of Hinduism, and took keen interest in proceedings of the Indian National Congress. Bhagat Singh's father Kishen Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were members of Ghadr Party founded in the U.S. in early years of this century to route British rule in India. Both were jailed for alleged anti-British activities. Ajit Singh had 22 cases against him and was forced to flee to Iran. Thereafter he went to Turkey, Austria, Germany and finally to Brazil to escape Black Water (Kalapani) punishment for his revolutionary activities in India.
The Jalianwala Bagh Massacre
Young Bhagat Singh was brought up in a politically charged state of Punjab which was left with a seething memory of the Jalianwala massacre of more than 400 innocent lives and thousands injured (1919). As a lad of fourteen he went to this spot to collect soil from the park of Jalianwala (bagh) in his lunch box, sanctified by the blood of the innocent and kept it as a memento for life.
Bhagat Singh was studying at the National College founded by Lala Lajpatrai, a great revolutionary leader and reformist. To avoid early marriage, he ran away from home and, became a member of the youth organization Noujawan Bharat Sabha which had memberships of all sects and religions. He met Chandrashekhar Azad, B.K. Dutt and other revolutionaries. They used to print handouts and newspapers in secret and spread political awareness in India through Urdu, Punjabi and English. These were all banned activities in India at the time, punishable with imprisonment.
The Simon Commission, Murder of Lala Lajpatrai and the Revenge
Anti-British feelings were spreading; Indians wanted some proper representation in running the administration of their country to which British reciprocated only on paper. Noticing restlessness was spreading, the British Government appointed a commission under the leadership of Sir John Simon in 1928, to report on political happenings. There was no single Indian member in this commission, and all the political parties decided to boycott the commission when it planned to visit major cities of India.
In Lahore, Lala Lajpatrai (picture) and Pandit Madan Mohan Malavia decided to protest to the commission in open about their displeasure. It was a silent protest march, yet the police chief Scott had banned meetings or processions. Thousands joined, without giving room for any untoward incident. Even then, Scott beat Lala Lajpatrai severely with a lathi (bamboo stick) on the head several times. Finally the leader succumbed to the injuries.
Bhagat Singh who was an eye witness to the morbid scene vowed to take revenge and with the help of Azad, Rajguru and Sukhadev plotted to kill Scott. Unfortunately he killed Mr. Sanders, a junior officer, in a case of mistaken identity. He had to flee from Lahore to escape death punishment.
Bomb in the Assembly
Instead of finding the root cause for discontent of Indians, the British government took to more repressive measures. Under the Defense of India Act, it gave more power to the police to arrest persons to stop processions with suspicious movements and actions. The act brought in the council was defeated by one vote. Even then it was to be passed in the form of an ordinance in the "interest of the public." No doubt the British were keen to arrest all leaders who opposed its arbitrary actions, and Bhagat Singh who was in hiding all this while, volunteered to throw a bomb in the central assembly where the meeting to pass the ordinance was being held. It was a carefully laid out plot, not to cause death or injury but to draw the attention of the government, that the modes of its suppression could no more be tolerated. It was agreed that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt would court arrest after throwing the bomb.
It was a forgone conclusion in 1929 April 8th at Delhi Central Assembly. Singh and Dutt threw handouts, and bombed in the corridor not to cause injury and courted arrest after shouting slogans Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live, Revolution!)
Meanwhile the killers of Sanders were identified by the treachery of Bhagat Singh's friends who became "Approvers." Bhagat Singh thought the court would be a proper venue to get publicity for the cause of freedom, and did not want to disown the crime. But he gave a fiery statement giving reasons for killing which was symbolic of freedom struggle. He wanted to be shot like a soldier, and not die at the gallows. But, his plea was rejected, and he was hanged on the 23rd of March 1931. He was 24.
Bhagat Singh became a legendary hero for the masses. Innumerable songs were composed about him, and the youth throughout the country made him their ideal. He became a symbol of bravery and a goal to free India.
Remembering Veer Savarkar
In the history of struggle for Indian independence, V.D. Savarkar's place is unique. He had a firm belief that only a strong, armed revolt by Indians would liberate India from British. An extraordinary Hindu scholar (he is one who coined Indian words for telephone, photography, the parliament, among others), a recklessly brave revolutionary (tried to swim a sea and escape when captured by the enemy) and fiercely patriotic leader, he uncovered the truth about Sepoy Mutiny. His disagreements with Gandhi's non-violent methods and Pakistan pleasing efforts appealed to a large number of Hindus who were wronged by Pakistanis and led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse.
Vinayak D. Savarkar (1883-1966)
Scholar, Leader, Mahä-Patriot
Veer Savarkar, as he is known among his followers,
urged to build a militarily strong India.
Born Leader
Savarkar could be called a born rebel. He organized a gang of kids ,Vanarsena (Monkey Brigade) when he was just eleven. A fearless individual, he wanted everybody around him to become physically strong and able to face any disasters-- natural or man-made. He conducted long tours, hiking, swimming and mountaineering around Nasik, his birthplace in Maharashtra.
During his high school days, he used to organize Shivaji Utsav and Ganesh Utsav, started by Tilak (whom Savarkar considered as his Guru) and used these occasions to put up plays on nationalistic themes. He started writing poems, essays, plays, etc. to inspire people, which he had developed as a passion.
Later he went to Pune for college education and founded the "Abhinav Bharat Society". As a serious student of nationalism he found bigger venue now; with growing youngsters, he bloomed as a leader as well. All political activities were banned by the ruling British then and he had to undertake all transactions, communications in secret and was expelled from hostel and at one point from the college as well. But since he managed to get the prestigious Shivaji scholarship (named after Shivaji) to study law at London, the college authorities had to make way for his scholastic journey!
Magnum Opus
Savarkar greatly nurtured the idea of bringing out an authentic informative researched work on The Great Indian Revolt, which the British termed as "Sepoy Mutiny" of 1857. Since India Office Library was the only place which contained all records and documents, he was determined to undertake a detailed study, but was cautious enough not to make his intentions known. Hence after landing in London, he wrote a biography of Gieuseppe Mazzini, the great revolutionary and leader of modern Italy who inspired his countrymen to overthrow the Austrian Empire's yoke (Holy Roman Empire). Written in Marathi language, the manuscript was smuggled out with great care which was published by his brother Baba. The book created a wave. 2000 copies sold out secretly, read and reread. By British estimate, each copy was read by at least 30 people. Some could reproduce page after page in their voice! His brother however was imprisoned for printing the book.
At London, Savarkar undertook the task, his mission in life, to create awareness regarding the first Armed National Revolt in India in 1857. Through friends, he could get access to all much-needed first hand information regarding men, this earlier countrywide effort, was a sincere one on the part of the leaders, princes, soldiers and commoners to drive away the British, (though grossly misrepresented by British historians.) It was the first national effort towards getting political independence and rightly called his book "The Indian War of Independence 1857"
He wrote in Marathi and could not get it printed in Europe. Though the manuscript found its way to India, due to British vigilance, all printing presses were raided and in the nick of time, the manuscript had to be taken out due to a friendly police officer's information before seizure. It went back to Europe and got unfortunately got lost.
But the English version became a necessity. Savarkar was helped in this venture by the other revolutionaries who had come to study Law and Civil Service. But printing it in Britain was out of question, so also in France, as British and French spies were working together to face the imperial Germany which was becoming a great threat. Ultimately the book was published in Holland by Madam Cama without a cover or name. The cover pages of popular classics like "Don Quixote", "Oliver Twist", etc. were used for the book and successfully smuggled to India. One box with false bottom was used to take books at great risk by a Muslim friend who later became Chief Minister of Punjab! The book reached the right people through secret sympathizers in Ireland, France, Russia, U.S.A., Egypt, Germany and Brazil as well.
Fierce Nationalist
While in London, Savarkar organized festivals like Rakshabandhan and Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti and tried to create awareness among Indian students that it was banned. The slogan Savarkar coined for Indian festivals became a unifying factor.
"One Country. One God
One Caste, One Mind
Brothers all of us
Without Difference
Without Doubt"
It was during this period that Savarkar helped design the first Indian National Flag, which Madam Bhikaji Cama unfurled at the World Socialist Conference at Stuttgart, Germany.
The Scotland Yard Police noose was tightening on Savarkar. Revolutionary activities in London, Mumbai, Pune, Nasik were traced to his guidance! His speeches, articles, smelt sedition, his friends were traced as those learning the preparation of bombs and transporting arms (pistols) illegally. Finally he was arrested and ordered to be sent back to India. In India, punishments were very harsh, tortuous and the greatest crime of the land was that of sedition which could easily send one to the gallows. He was sent on a ship "Morena" which was to halt briefly at Marseilles. (1910)
Swimming the Ocean
Savarkar and his friends then attempted a brave escape which has since become legendary. Savarakar was to jump from a sailing ship, swim the sea waters and his friends were supposed to pick him there and lead to freedom. Savarkar was under a strict watch. There was no way out. With constable waiting outside, he entered the toilet, broke the window, wriggled out somehow, and jumped into the ocean to swim his way to Marseilles port. Alas! The rescue party was late by a few minutes and the French Police on guard returned the prisoner to British cops, now chained and stricter watch.
After a formal trial, Savarkar was charged with serious offences of illegal transportation of weapons, provocative speeches and sedition and was sentenced to 50 years' of jail and deported to the Blackwaters (kalapani) at Andaman cellular jail.
Conditions in jail were inhuman: back-breaking job of stone breaking, rope making, and milling. For the last prisoners had to grind the copra in the mill, tied like oxen. Each had to take out 30 pounds of oil everyday. Some died of sheer exhaustion and inhuman treatment of beating and whipping. Bad food, unsanitary conditions, stone bed and cold weather in winter used to take their toll.
Talented Mr. Savarkar
Since political prisoners were treated like hardened criminals, they had no access to "luxury" like pen and paper. The poet in Savarkar was restless and uneasy. Finally he found a nail and wrote (itched) his epic "Kamala" consisting thousands of lines on the plastered mud wall of his cell in the darkness. A Hindi journalist friend who was taught Marathi by Savarkar came to his cell when Savarkar was removed all of a sudden to another remote cell. The friend learnt the entire poem by heart and later when he was released, put it on paper and sent it to Savarkar's relatives.
After spending 16 years in Andamans, Savarkar was transferred to the Ratnagiri jail and then kept under a house arrest. He was reunited with his wife. (He had married before leaving for England and it was a long separation). A daughter and later a son were born.
Books, poems, and articles came out. But now he was known for his book on 1857 (War of Independence) throughout the world. Two generations of Indians were influenced by his magnum opus. The second edition was printed in the U.S.A. by Savarkar's revolutionary friends. Third edition was brought out by Bhagat Singh and its Punjabi and Urdu translations followed and were widely read in India and far east. Even in the Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra Bose, Tamil translation of this work was read out like a Bible by the South Indian soldiers in Singapore, though nobody knows till the day, who translated it in Tamil.
Savarkar stood by what he wrote till the last and never compromised with "adjustments," "reforms" and peaceful solution which according to him meant nothing! As a great scholar full of originality and independent standing, he coined several new technical terms of parliamentary usage and of Indian parlance such as chhayachitra (photography), Sansad (Senate), Vyangyachitra (Cartoons) etc.
He earnestly believed that Indian Independence was a reality not because of a few individuals, leaders or sections of society. It was possible because of the participation of a commoner who prayed to his family deity everyday. But the youngsters who went to gallows to see their motherland free, were the greatest ("Veeradhiveers") he said.
Legacy
Savarkar passed away in 1966, after coming under controversy of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. The Hindu Mahasabha, an institution Savarkar had helped grow, had opposed creation of Pakistan, and took exception to Gandhi's continued Muslim appeasement stances. Nathuram Godse, a volunteer of the Hindu Mahasabha, assassinated Gandhi in 1948 and upheld his actions till his hanging.
Savarkar is revered in India today as the "Brave Savarkar" (Veer Savarkar) , and on the same level as Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Tilak. The intellectuals as well as commoners in India continue to debate what would have happened if ideas of Savarkar were endorsed by the nation, especially after freedom in 1947. A famous general is said to have quoted Savarkar after the Indians conceded land to the Chinese in a military conflict in 1962.... Savarkar had advocated a militarily strong India.
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)
Although more famous for his monumental work for India after her independence, Jawaharlal's contribution to the freedom movement is enormous. Born to Motilal Nehru, an early congressman and once a president of the Indian National Congress, Nehru was destined to lead India. His education, charm, scholarship, and vision is rarely equaled in modern political history of the world.
He served as president of Indian National Congress for several years and was among the moderates in the party. While Gandhi spent much of his efforts in spiritual discovery, Nehru and Patel shared the burden of building the nation.
Madana Mohan Malaviya
Madana Mohan Malaviya (1861-1946)
An eminent Congressman, Malaviya was the president of the Indian National Congress during 1909 and in 1918. He represented the whole of India with Mahatma Gandhi in the First Round Table Conference in 1931.
Malaviya popularized the famous slogan "Satyameva Jayathe" (Truth alone will win). Malavia founded The Banaras Hindu Univeristy, which remains as a premier institution of learning in India today.
Mahatma Gandhi Album
Early Years
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Porbandar in the present day state of Gujarat in India on October 2, 1869. He was raised in a very conservative family that had affiliations with the ruling family of Kathiawad. He was educated in law at University College, London. In 1891, after having been admitted to the British bar, Gandhi returned to India and attempted to establish a law practice in Bombay, without much success. Two years later an Indian firm with interests in South Africa retained him as legal adviser in its office in Durban. Arriving in Durban, Gandhi found himself treated as a member of an inferior race. He was appalled at the widespread denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants to South Africa. He threw himself into the struggle for elementary rights for Indians.
See Also: Parentage and Childhood from Gandhi's autobiography
Resistance to Injustice
Gandhi remained in South Africa for twenty years, suffering imprisonment many times. In 1896, after being attacked and humilated by white South Africans, Gandhi began to teach a policy of passive resistance to, and non-cooperation with, the South African authorities. Part of the inspiration for this policy came from the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, whose influence on Gandhi was profound. Gandhi also acknowledged his debt to the teachings of Christ and to the 19th-century American writer Henry David Thoreau, especially to Thoreau's famous essay "Civil Disobedience." Gandhi considered the terms passive resistance and civil disobedience inadequate for his purposes, however, and coined another term, Satyagraha (from Sanskrit, "truth and firmness"). During the Boer War, Gandhi organized an ambulance corps for the British army and commanded a Red Cross unit. After the war he returned to his campaign for Indian rights. In 1910, he founded Tolstoy Farm, near Durban, a cooperative colony for Indians. In 1914 the government of the Union of South Africa made important concessions to Gandhi's demands, including recognition of Indian marriages and abolition of the poll tax for them. His work in South Africa complete, he returned to India.
Campaign for Home Rule
Economic independence for India, involving the complete boycott of British goods, was made a corollary of Gandhi's Swaraj (from Sanskrit, "self-governing") movement. The economic aspects of the movement were significant, for the exploitation of Indian villagers by British industrialists had resulted in extreme poverty in the country and the virtual destruction of Indian home industries. As a remedy for such poverty, Gandhi advocated revival of cottage industries; he began to use a spinning wheel as a token of the return to the simple village life he preached, and of the renewal of native Indian industries.
Gandhi became the international symbol of a free India. He lived a spiritual and ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and meditation. His union with his wife became, as he himself stated, that of a brother and sister. Refusing earthly possessions, he wore the loincloth and shawl of the lowliest Indian and subsisted on vegetables, fruit juices, and goat's milk. Indians revered him as a saint and began to call him Mahatma (great-souled), a title reserved for the greatest sages. Gandhi's advocacy of nonviolence, known as ahimsa (non-violence), was the expression of a way of life implicit in the Hindu religion. By the Indian practice of nonviolence, Gandhi held, Great Britain too would eventually consider violence useless and would leave India.
The Mahatma's political and spiritual hold on India was so great that the British authorities dared not interfere with him. In 1921 the Indian National Congress, the group that spearheaded the movement for nationhood, gave Gandhi complete executive authority, with the right of naming his own successor. The Indian population, however, could not fully comprehend the unworldly ahimsa. A series of armed revolts against the British broke out, culminating in such violence that Gandhi confessed the failure of the civil-disobedience campaign he had called, and ended it. The British government again seized and imprisoned him in 1922.
After his release from prison in 1924, Gandhi withdrew from active politics and devoted himself to propagating communal unity. Unavoidably, however, he was again drawn into the vortex of the struggle for independence. In 1930 the Mahatma proclaimed a new campaign of civil disobedience, calling upon the Indian population to refuse to pay taxes, particularly the tax on salt. The campaign was a march to the sea, in which thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmedabad to the Arabian Sea, where they made salt by evaporating sea water. Once more the Indian leader was arrested, but he was released in 1931, halting the campaign after the British made concessions to his demands. In the same year Gandhi represented the Indian National Congress at a conference in London.
V.N. O'key/Kamat's Potpourri
Smiling Gandhi
Photograph by V.N. O'key, circa 1945
Gandhi takes on Domestic Problems
In 1932, Gandhi began new civil-disobedience campaigns against the British. Arrested twice, the Mahatma fasted for long periods several times; these fasts were effective measures against the British, because revolution might well have broken out in India if he had died. In September 1932, while in jail, Gandhi undertook a "fast unto death" to improve the status of the Hindu Untouchables. The British, by permitting the Untouchables to be considered as a separate part of the Indian electorate, were, according to Gandhi, countenancing an injustice. Although he was himself a member of an upper caste, Gandhi was the great leader of the movement in India dedicated to eradicating the unjust social and economic aspects of the caste system.
In 1934 Gandhi formally resigned from politics, being replaced as leader of the Congress party by Jawaharlal Nehru. Gandhi traveled through India, teaching ahimsa and demanding eradication of "untouchability." The esteem in which he was held was the measure of his political power. So great was this power that the limited home rule granted by the British in 1935 could not be implemented until Gandhi approved it. A few years later, in 1939, he again returned to active political life because of the pending federation of Indian principalities with the rest of India. His first act was a fast, designed to force the ruler of the state of Rajkot to modify his autocratic rule. Public unrest caused by the fast was so great that the colonial government intervened; the demands were granted. The Mahatma again became the most important political figure in India.
© K. L. Kamat
Man of Firm Step
Independence for India
When World War II broke out, the Congress party and Gandhi demanded a declaration of war aims and their application to India. As a reaction to the unsatisfactory response from the British, the party decided not to support Britain in the war unless the country were granted complete and immediate independence. The British refused, offering compromises that were rejected. When Japan entered the war, Gandhi still refused to agree to Indian participation. He was interned in 1942 but was released two years later because of failing health.Times of India/Kamat's Potpourri
Men Carrying Gandhi, Noakhali
By 1944 the Indian struggle for independence was in its final stages, the British government having agreed to independence on condition that the two contending nationalist groups, the Muslim League and the Congress party, should resolve their differences. Gandhi stood steadfastly against the partition of India but ultimately had to agree, in the hope that internal peace would be achieved after the Muslim demand for separation had been satisfied. India and Pakistan became separate states when the British granted India its independence in 1947 (see: Tryst with Destiny -- the story of India's independence). During the riots that followed the partition of India, Gandhi pleaded with Hindus and Muslims to live together peacefully. Riots engulfed Calcutta, one of the largest cities in India, and the Mahatma fasted until disturbances ceased. On January 13, 1948, he undertook another successful fast in New Delhi to bring about peace, but on January 30, 12 days after the termination of that fast, as he was on his way to his evening prayer meeting, he was assassinated by a fanatic Hindu.
Gandhi's death was regarded as an international catastrophe. His place in humanity was measured not in terms of the 20th century, but in terms of history. A period of mourning was set aside in the United Nations General Assembly, and condolences to India were expressed by all countries. Religious violence soon waned in India and Pakistan, and the teachings of Gandhi came to inspire nonviolent movements elsewhere, notably in the U.S.A. under the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and in South Africa under Nelson Mandela.
Bhikaji Cama: A Biography
"This flag is of Indian Independence! Behold, it is born! It has been made sacred by the blood of young Indians who sacrificed their lives. I call upon you, gentlemen to rise and salute this flag of Indian Independence. In the name of this flag, I appeal to lovers of freedom all over the world to support this flag." -- B. Cama , Stuttgart, Germany, 1907
Madame Bhikaji Cama (1861-1936)
These were the emotional words of a frail Indian lady, with fire inside and indomitable confidence and patriotic feeling for motherland, India. The year was 1907 and the time, 3rd week of August. The Indian independence was 40 years away, and the world was not fully aware of the burning patriotism of hundreds and thousands of young Indians who were ready to lay down their lives for the sake of freedom for their country. The British were trying their best to put down the revolutionaries by bringing in ordinances, bans and arrests for life on the basis of treason. Treason was the greatest "crime" of the Indian which ensured a minimum of six years of black waters (kalapani) or deportation to Andaman and harsh punishment.
It was hence, no mean achievement of Madam Cama, when she unfurled the first National Flag at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart (Germany) in 1907. A thousand representatives from several countries were attending. An Indian lady in a colorful sari was a rare phenomena in those days and her majestic appearance and brave and clear words made everybody think that she was a Maharani or at least a princess from a native state.
She excelled many Maharanis (queens) of her time in her poise and demeanor. She fought for freedom till the last in her own way, and helped innumerable revolutionaries with money and materials across the sea as she has settled down in London/Paris at the beginning of this century. Her life and mission make a fascinating reading, showing the important role she played in the early years of freedom struggle.
Madam Cama was born on 24th September, 1861 of rich Parsi parents. Her father was Sorabji Framji Patel, a famous merchant and man of means, had a large family. Parsis by then were in the forefront of business, education, and industry (when permitted by British) and no less in philanthropy. Young Bhikaji received good English education, but from the beginning she was a rebel, and a nationalist. She had good flair to learn languages and became proficient in arguing her country's cause in different circles at a young age.
She was married to Rustom K. R. Cama, a rich handsome social worker and lawyer. But ideologically they were poles apart. Mr. Cama adored British, loved their culture and thought they had done a lot of good to India. Madame Bhikaji, now a full fledged nationalist, always believed that British had fleeced India, and practiced worst form of imperialism. She had thousand and one reasons to present how India was kept in abject poverty by the British to help themselves to become the most powerful country in the world of that period.
Their marriage proved to incompatible. Madam Cama meanwhile plunged in several social activities. Plague broke out in Bombay Presidency at that time and she was in the forefront of voluntary team which strive to save plague victims. in the end she herself caught the deadly disease, but was save miraculously. She was left very weak and was advised to go to Europe for rest and recuperation. She left in 1902 for London which was to become her home for the rest of life.
She served as private secretary to Dadabhai Navaroji, a great Indian leader in the forefront of national movement. she came in contact with several patriots students and European Intellectuals who were sympathetic to Indian cause during this brief period. Later she herself played a dominant part in promoting freedom struggle.
| Where is the Flag Now? The flag was smuggled into India by Indulal Yagnik, the socialist leader of Gujarat. It is now on public display at the Maratha and Kesari Library in Pune. |
After returning to London she started publishing booklets on patriotic literature. Though believer in nonviolence she urged to resist unjustified violence. Tyrannical foreign rule was unjustified and she stood for Swaraj or self-rule. "March forward! We are for India. India is for Indians!" She declared. She fought for unity of Hindus and Muslims. She continued financing revolutionaries in and out of India. British were not happy with her activities and there was a plot to finish her off. Getting the wind she sailed for France.
Her Paris-home became a shelter for world revolutionaries. Even Lenin, the father of Russian revolution visited her house and exchanged views. Savarkar got all encouragement in writing the history of 1st Indian War of Independence from Cama. She helped its printing in Holland as no English publisher came forward to publish it. It was banned book but found its was to India. Smuggled ingeniously with "Don Quixote" covers! She became publisher of "Vande Mataram" a revolutionary magazine and was a distributor as well, an extremely difficult task in the days of British Espionage. Another magazine "Madan's Talwar" was also started in memory of Madanlal Dhingra who had laid down his life for the country. Both the magazines were outlawed in India and England. Madam Cama somehow found ways to send them to Indian revolution going and for self-defense.
Madam Cama also fought for the cause of women. Speaking at National Conference at Cairo, Egypt in 1910, she asked, "Where is the other half of Egypt? I see only men who represent half the country!" She stressed the role of women in building a nation.
Her attempts to save Savarkar who jumped into the ocean from the ship "Morena" near Marseilles are well known. A few minutes delay saw the famous revolutionary back into chains, a fact which Madam Cama, came to regret for life.
When First World War broke out in 1914, Madam Cama took anti-British stand and tried her best to bring in awareness among Indians about the harm brought in by fighting imperialist forces.
The British had banned her entry in India being afraid of her revolutionary past and confirmed nationalistic outlook. But the lioness was getting old and 35 years fighting on foreign land and taken its toll. She decided to return to motherland but was very ill. After reaching Bombay, she was hospitalized and died on the 13th of August 1936. A fearless woman, she brought in awareness of Indian struggle for independence in Europe and America and was instrumental in helping several revolutionaries, with finances and publishing.
Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil
Arya Samaj Activist and Revolutionary
Ram Prasad Bismil answered Lala Lajpat Rai's call to the nations youth to join the freedom struggle against the British. When Lalaji was beaten to death during a protest march, Bismil's friends Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev avenged the anger by shooting a British officer. Bismil with associates Chandrashekar Sharma Azad, Bhagawati Charan, Rajguru and others organized many a brave events. They printed literature, provided shelter to revolutionaries, made hand bombs and were a constant source of headache to the British Government. Most famous of them are the dare devil train robbery at Kakori and the bombing of the Punjab assembly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
