Background : My parents and uncles were Nationalists though not actively
involved with the Freedom Movement. I was born towards to end of 1934 and
hence was at an impressionable age during the very momentous period of
modern Indian history. My parents were in Alandur, near Madras (current
Chennai) in the late 30s and early 40s. At the time of Independence we were
in Trivellore (Chengalpat Dist. of Tamil Nadu). I had siblings and we all
had some idea of what was going on in the political scene around us.
Pre-Independence: I heard about the Quit India Movement of 1942 and Dandi
Yaatra from my father. It was the height of
harbour was bombed by a German submarine named Emden. The general population
of Madras was evacuated due to the distinct possibility of war breaking out
right there. I also saw a military aircraft being towed on the Mount Road
(present Anna Salai) in madras. That was the first time I saw a plane (at
the age of 7)
I had even played football (soccer) with some of the army personnel
stationed at the cantonment nearby. There was also a scare of a huge lake
(Sembarambakkam lake) bursting and flooding the city. We were excited about
the exploits of Subash Chandra Bose escaping to Singapore and later to
Japan. The leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and the popular appeal of Pandit
Nehru and his dynamic mannerisms were great inspirations for us. We used to
shout on the streets ‘Vande maataram’.
Later when we moved to Trivellore (now properly called Tiruvallur) the tempo
was increasing on the national scene. The arrest and imprisonment of the top
leaders aroused our anger and we protests on the streets. We had a great
poet Subramanya Bharatiyar to inspire us with aptriotic songs in Tamil.
Leaders like Satyamurti and Rajagopalachari (popularly called Rajaji) to
keep reminding us about the impending Independence. The British Mission was
visiting India to study the situation and their decision to partition the
country aroused lot of public anger and protests, even though we were
thousand miles away from New Delhi where action was taking place. We were
aware of and discussed at home about the satyaagraha and swadeshi movement.
We read in the newspapers about ‘burning foreign clothes and items’. My
father brought a charkaa home one day and all of us had fun spinning it. It
also made us aware about the need to support home-made and local products.
The slogan – Bal, Lal, Pal representing the three stalwarts of Freedom
Movement – Bala Gangadhara Tilak from Maharashtra, Lala Lajpat Rai from
Punjab and Bipin Chandra Pal from Bengal echoed all over the media and
streets of India.
We, youngsters my siblings along with soem friends with support from our
family started a Manuscript Magazine to write about political and social
issue. WE had a vision and so called this magazine ‘Risin Sun’ (Udaya
Suriyan in Tamil). Every weekend we used to sit on the front porch of our
house and write with hand a few copies of the magazine, which we brought out
every month for a period of two years.My father and another friend who were
good artists drew pictures of national leaders for the cover. All of worte
different categories of stories, skits, poems – including my mother and
aunt. Many of our rleatives were at different locaitons in Tamil Nadu.WE
used to circulate this magazine amongst a number of families. This was also
the time that many regional language magazines with a patriotic fervor cam
into existence – like Ananda Vikatan, Kalki, etc. The main newspaper of
Madras ‘The Hindu’ was a truly Narionalist Newspaper, started by the Kasturi
family. Today, its face has changed so much that sometimes one wonders
whether it is an Indian Newspaper (I am talking only about the news
section – It still carries lot of cultural and literary information of
value). We were also very familiar with the social novels of Sarat Chandra
Bose, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and social reformers like Raja RamMohan Roy
and others. Our inspiration was Swami Vivekananda who was both a spiritual
leader as well as a Nationalist.
Independence Day and the night before: Finally it became clear that India is
going to be partitioned to accommodate
separate homeland for the Muslims. No one foresaw what was to happen by
dividing Punjab and Bengal between India and the new nation Pakistan. Indian
leaders were keen to get Independence and they were fed up with the
machinations of Jinnah and the British and just agreed to somehow get the
partition over with. Midnight of August 14th was decoded to be the
Independence Day for India and Paksitan decided to celebrate its own on 14th
August. I can still vividly recall the events as they unfolded from 14th
onwards. On the one hand everyone in India was so excited at the prospect of
Independence, at long last, but the leaders in New Delhi had a heavy burden
on their shoulders. We went around the town the eholw of 14th chanting the
popular Vande Mataram as well as the patriotic songs of Bharatiyar like
‘vidudhalai, vidudhalai –‘ , ‘ thaayin manikodi paareer –‘ etc. We all
assembled at the town square for flag hoisitng and to listen to Pandit nehru’s
address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi.
The Flag hoisting went well except for the fact that when it was hoisted by
the municipal Commissioner, it flew upside down! We all started booing and
shortly after it was corrected. We sang the natioanl anthem and a few other
patriotic songs – Jana Gana Mana — and Janda OOnche —.Then the public
address system came alive with the vibrant, resounding but at the same time
a emotional voice of Jawaharlal Nehru. The historic address ‘ At the stroke
of midnight, India awakes to Freedom when the rest of the world is asleep to
fulfill its Tryst with Destiny —‘ Our body hair stood on its ends hearing
this prophetic statement. For us, the youth, it was a clarion call to prove
ourselves and do our best for the country. This emotion kept us alive and
kicking for the next couple of decades. Even today, those of us in our
mid-70s brim with patriotism and are eager to do our bit for the country.
The light that was lit on that day in our hearts and minds is still burning
bright.
At home, my mother had put Rangoli in front of our house and my father with
us helping, set up a flag post on the Rangoli. We tied an Indian National
Flag at the end of a rope and kept it ready for hoisting. My mother was
preparing a festive dinner with typical Indian sweets/desserts like
Mysorepak, Laddu etc. As the clock struck 12 midnight, all of us gathered
around the flag post and to our shouts of Vande Mataram and Jai Hind, my
father hosited the flag. We all saluted the flag and sang Jana Gana
Mana —-, and Jandaa Oonche —- to our heart’s content. Along with our
family, some of our friends had also gathered for the function.
Even before we settled down after the festivities, the news of horrible
killings from across the border in West Pakistan started flooding the media.
On top of this, the terrible news of Pakistan army invading Kashmir came in.
The Hindus in Pakistan were being butchered in thousands and many started
fleeing their homes ancdcame to the border towns in India. On seeing their
fate, the Hindus in India got into an act of revenge killings of Muslims .
The Indian government had to tackle the huge refugee problem unfolding and
also deal with the incursions into Kashmir as the ruler of kashmir asked for
help from India. The background to this conflict was the ‘dubious’
arrangement don by the british as a part of partition – that the independent
states of the sub-continent, numbering in hundreds, big and small, were
given option to join either India or Pakistan. Pakistan wanted to grab
Kashmir in the night when India was celebrating its Independence. Since
India had retained Mountbatten as the first Governur-General of India,
Pandit Nehru, the prime minister had to go through him for any military
action in Kashmir and that complicated matters. Anyway, the indian army was
sent within a day or two and they were able to halt the advance of the
Pakistan army, but instead of driving back to their home front, India halted
the offensive and took the matter to United Nations. The rest is history.
Meanwhile, Mahatam Gandhi seeing the massacre going on both sides of the
border , appealed to Indian people to desist from the killings and started a
‘hunger-strike’. Those who lived in that era, names like Noakali in Bengal
would still echo in their hearts. Indian people were urged by Pandit Nehru
also to stop the killings and they heeded. But, from acorss the border the
news was still bad. More than a few million people perished in this horrible
senseless killings, initiated and provoked by the Muslims in Pakistan with
active help from their new government. With persuasion from all Indian
leaders, the violence in India subsided soon and Gandhiji broke his fast.
But no one could even imagine the greatest tragedy yet to come. One Jan.
30th, 1948, a Friday soon after the evening prayer meeting as Gandhiji stood
up and greeted the gatheirng, a gun shot rang and Gandhiji who was being led
by his two grand-daughters slumped to the ground with a faint ‘Hey Ram!’ on
his lips. In spite of emergency medical help being rushed to him, he
succumbed to the gunshot wound shortly. He had been shot by Nathuram Godse
who felt that Gandhiji had let Hindus down in his attempts to appease the
Muslims.
I could not forget that evening even today. We were sitting in a doctor’s
office (who also happened to be a family friend) and the news cam on the
radio about this tragedy. Within a few moments, Nehruji was on the radio
addressing the nation. He began ‘the light is gone —-‘ and literally
started sobbing on the microphone. Anyway, he recovered and tried to
console the people at large, who were still finding it hard to believe what
had happened. So, within a matter of few months of Independence, India had
to face – mass massacre across the border and then a massive exodus of
refugees; an invasion in Kshmir which had to be defended; assassination of
Gandhiji; all in the midst of trying to govern a country which was still
split into hundreds of princely states and various regional issue cropping
up. The financial situation of the Government was also is bad shape. For the
youngsters, in the midst of great hopes for the future in an independent
India, the present problems were glaring in the face.
POST-INDEPENDENCE: In the midst of all the turmoil, the provisional
government of India set up a Constituent Assembly with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as
the Chairman to draft a Constitution for India . This body of eminent
jurists drew up a Federal Constitution with India being a ‘soverign
democratic Republic’. with equal rights for all citizens irrespective of
religion, caste, creed, gender, region etc. This was adopted by the Indian
Parliament and January 26, 1950 was selected as the day when the Indian
Republic will bbe officially inaugurated. This was another day of great
significance for all of us and was celebrated with all the pomp and fervour.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the first President of the
Indian Republic. He was widely acclaimed as the ‘Philosopher Statesman’ like
the ancient ‘Rajarishi’. El;ections were held soon after and Nehruji became
the first Prime Minister of the Republic, which role he kept until his death
in 1964 winning elections every five years.
However, before this majot landmark in Indian history happened, a number of
other important events took place. Sardar Vallabhai Patel who was the first
Home Minister of Independent India, was insttrumental in negotiating with
the princely states to get them integrated into Indian Union. There were
large states like Mysore snf Trivandrum and many other states which readily
agreed to the terms set down for merging their states with the indian Union.
However, the Hyderabad state which was being ruled by the Nizam had a
different idea – of independence or even joining with Pakistan! Pakistan as
is to be expected, encouraged this move and the Nizam raised a Razaakar army
and tried to seal off the border with India. Sardar Patel, without much ado
sent in the Indain polics and captured the Nizam and freed
came to be known as the ‘famous Police Action’ and Sardar Patel was hailed
as the Hero of the operation. Later terms were negotiated with Nizam for an
orderly transfer of power from
was instrumental in taking Goa as part of India from the Portuguese, who
refused to follow the gracious example of France of cedeing the territories
they held in India like Pondicheri and Mahe. Sardar Patel passed away soon
after all this service to Independent India.
Pandit Nehru started the Non-Aligned Movement and Panch Sheel to bring
together all the newly emerging Independent nations around the world into a
common fold and thus provide a balancing third front in the bitter cold war
era. Of course, US and UK did not appreciate these moves and they started
being the favourites of Pakistan, which was willing to do anything to
develop an anti_india front. The Kashmir issue dragged on with US and UK not
supporting the legitimate issues raised by India and being aprtial to
Pakistan. Meanwhile, China took full advantage of India’s help to project it
in the International scene and at a later time back-stabbed India. Nehruji
realizing that with the void in the economic and market sector in India soon
after Independence and fearing the intrusion of the US and western
corporations in a big way into India, started on his Socialistic pattern of
development with some state control and a role for the governmetn sector in
the market place. Given the complete lack of any big business, except the
Tata Group, he started a large number of public Enterprises owned by the
State. He also launched a vigorous campaign of setting up scientific
laboratories, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Defence
science laboratories, etc. He also envisaged a big role for higher education
and set up the University grants Commission and Central Universities and
Indian Institutes of
backdrop can relate to the present progress in India, the base for which was
laid at that time by Nehruji along with illustrious people like Dr. Homi
Bhabha.
This was also the period during which, thanks to Potti Sriramulu of Andhra
pradesh, linguistic reorganization of the country started. I can still
recall the turmoil in Madras and Hyderabad and alter in Maharashtra for the
separation of Gujarat. This was also the time when the regional disputes
like river water sharing, north-south confrontation on Hindi as National
language, etc came ot the fore. Fortunately, given the pragmatic leadership
in New Delhi under Nehruji, many of these problems were amicably resolved
and the unity of the country preserved. It is also to the credit of Nehruji
that Democracy survived in India in the midst of all the troubles around our
neighbourhood and in many of the newly independent nations around the
world – many of which fell under military and/or dictatorial rule.
CONCLUSION’ It has been a privilege for me as for many of my generation to
have been winess to such epochal changes in our country. We are proud at the
progress India has made in the last few decades and or its position in the
world comity of nations. It also pains us to see some of the social ills
that still persist and the divisions that are growing in the country. The
rampant corruption amongst politicians and others hurts the spirit of those
who brought Independence to the country at great personal sacrifice. One
only hopes that the youth of today will take up the leadership and correct
some of these social faults.
As a last remembrance, I still can vividly recall the ‘paada yaatra my
father undertook with Vinoba Bhave during his campaign in Tamil Nadu for
Bhoodaan. Vinoba Bhave was in Gandhiji’s Ashram and is the one who exposed
Gandhiji to Bhagawad-Geetaa. In fact, even now I have the copy of his Tamil
translation called ‘Geetai Peruraigal’ , autographed by Vinobaji. Another
one deeply etched in my memory is when I visited Andaman islands a few
decades back, looking at the ‘cell’ where Veer Savarkar had been imprisoned
by the british. My heart literally cried to see the tiny cell with iron
chains as a part of a prison complex on a steep hillock overlooking the sea
below.
Jai Hind!
Vande Mataram!
Vijendran Rao
Holmdel NJ, USA.