Recently, the Modi government decided to merge Amar Jawan Jyoti with the National War Memorial. They also unveiled a hologram statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate.
The BJP supporters and many military veterans applauded these decisions, even claiming however late, but history has been corrected. While on the other side, the Congress Party and TMC have been vociferously opposing the two decisions taken by the government.
)
I am supporting the Modi government’s decisions. Because it is a bitter truth that our history books have undermined the contribution of Netaji as compared to other freedom fighters. This was apparently because of the strong emphasis of the Congress Party led by Gandhiji and Nehru on non-violence and the satyagraha method to attain freedom.
This was against Netaji’s belief in armed rebellion by raising our army and fighting against the British. Our history proudly claims that we have won our independence using non-violence. But as per historical facts, it is far from the truth.
Because if World War 2 (WW2) had not happened, it would be hard to believe that the British would have left India peacefully. The Nazis destroyed England on the Atlantic front and the Japanese on the Pacific front.
Britain lost millions of its men, wealth and later colonies to the invading Nazis and Japanese. Such was a shortage of men and food that India supplied a large chunk of its young men and resources for Britain to win the war.
This led to the Great Famine of Bengal in 1942-43 due to arrogant Churchill’s disastrous policy to transport rice away from Bengal to Britain, thereby starving millions of innocent men, women and children in Bengal.
Hence, it was evident that after WW2 ended, Britain was in no position to rule over India, even though it wanted to. This was also because of the change in Britain’s prime minister, Clement Attlee, who was sympathetic towards Indian independence, unlike Churchill.
Besides, Britain had been indebted to America for taking loans and military aid to fight WW2. America, in return, demanded from Britain to grant freedom to all its colonies, which also indirectly played a significant role in accelerating the withdrawal of the British from India.
But equally important was the role of the Indian National Army led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The INA won over Burma, Kohima and Imphal, which frightened the British leadership in India. Moreover, they feared that the victorious INA would inspire the other Indian soldiers serving under the British command to mutiny and thus weaken the British hold over India.
Unlike the Congressmen’s passive resistance, including Gandhi and Nehru, Netaji had been offensive and fearless to fight against the British in an armed rebellion. The British hadn’t seen such a rebellion after the 1857 mutiny. Hence, this was another reason why Netaji played such a crucial role in Indian independence.
This does not undermine the Satyagraha movement of Gandhiji. On the contrary, Netaji respected Gandhiji immensely, and so did Gandhiji liked the heroic patriotism of Netaji. But their methods were different, and hence they parted their ways.
Gandhi’s methods of non-violence and Satyagraha may not have frightened or compelled the British to leave India, but it brought in one crucial change: It united India.
Yes, Satyagraha and non-violence led to the unity of common masses, separated by provinces, languages, caste barriers etc. But with, the non-cooperation movement, Dandi March and the final 1942 Quit India Movement made all Indians come together to fight against the British.
Gandhiji knew that it would be impossible to fight against the British by armed rebellion due to the lack of weapons and unity amongst Indians. Moreover, the British had cunningly divided India into caste and religion. Hence, Gandhiji preferred the ‘Ahimsa’, which would also mean to purify one’s soul to get rid of all the ignorance and barriers which had penetrated the minds and hearts of Indians after centuries of slavery and invasion by foreigners.
This purification was necessary to make them aware of the tyranny of the British and thereby motivate the common masses to fight unitedly. The non-violence method was also inspired by the fact that all the princely state rulers had subjugated to the British and did not support the Congress freedom movement. Hence, Gandhiji and Nehru were acutely aware that it would be a people’s struggle against the British.
Hence, the Satyagraha movement united Indians, but our history books have solely taught us that we received our freedom by non-violence, which the historical facts do not support. That’s why our freedom history needs revision.
We have to honour all our freedom fighters, be it the ‘Ahimsa’ believers of the Congress Party or those who fought against the British with armed rebellion like Netaji, INA soldiers, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdeo, Savarkar, Chaphekar brothers and many more. It would be disgraceful to forget their sacrifice just because some of them did not believe in Gandhi’s methods.
Finally, it’s ironic, but Nehru started the National Defence Academy and made sure the Indian Army became a robust military force even after spending his life as a Gandhian congressman.
This shows that however ideal the principle of ‘Ahimsa’ sounds when it comes to a country’s security and freedom, the weapon’s guard the country. Hence, its time that the song ‘दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड़ग बिना ढाल’ de di hame aazadi bina khadag bina dhal ( you have given us freedom without using scimitars or shields) be corrected with all respect to our beloved Father of Nation because without the sickle and shield, India would not have been a free country!
कदम-कदम बढ़ाये जा, खुशी के गीत गाये जा Kadam kadam badhaye ja, Khushi ke geet gaye ja (March, March on forward, Singing songs of happiness as you go)
ये ज़िन्दगी है क़ौम की, तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा Ye zindgi hain kaum ki, Tu kaum pe lutaye ja (This life belongs to our motherland, Lay it down for the motherland)
Jai Hind!