By Aswin Nandakumar,
After going through hundreds of letters exchanged between some of the leading freedom fighters of India, it's enlightening to see glimpses of the kind of people they were, the challenges they faced and the grit with which they moved ahead to free the nation from the clutches of British colonial rule. These letters display multiple hues of their personality and the hardships and trials they faced in their endeavour. It was not just freedom these men and women were aspiring for. It was also to create a consensus of building a nation that these leaders had in mind. A countless number of men and women broke the comforts of their glory, honour and money for the sake of an idea of a Nation called: India. This country even today stands as the oldest surviving nation on the planet with all its multi-ethnicity and culture. History shows a distinct indication of the existence of this nation for thousands of years and it has always kept this federal-unity factor alive.
According to Greek records, Alexander invaded Indica ( 326 BC) and so has Seleucus ( 305BC), Demetrius (180 BC), Menander (103BC). Chinese historical records talk about visit by Xuanzang visit to India (603AD). The Arab traders came in search of India in the early 1000 AD and In the 15th century, Columbus discovered America and thought he reached India and this is the exact reason why native Americans were called Red Indians. Vasco Da Gama came in search of this very country. Finally the British too named their company as East India company. These historical facts give a very clear narrative that India has always survived as a nation and there was always a sense of nationhood prevailing in spite of the existence of over 500+monarchies.
The earliest freedom fighters too were staunch believers of the existence of this nation and were ready to keep this nation alive.
Our History books mention 1857 as the first mutiny against the British Raj yet it forgot to include and mention and glorify some of the valiant struggles that have happened across the country against it. It has ignored the greatest fight in Bengal called as Fakir- Sanyasi rebellion which rose against East India Company way back in 1771. Not many of us know that Warren Hastings contained the raids by fakirs and sannyasins and his direct action resulted in the massacre of 150 unarmed Muslim ascetics and Hindu sanyasis in 1771. This rebellion swept Bengal and the British completely were able to douse it only in the 1840s.
1n 1857, brave women also took part in our uprising. History records mention hanging of 50 women mutineers of Western Uttar Pradesh in 1857. It was not just a Jhansi Rani that took leadership in the fight against the British. Women like Begum Hazrat Mahal, Jhalkari Bai, Uda Devi, Azizun Bai, Asha Devi, Bakhtavari,Shobha Devi, , Bhagwati Devi Tyagi, Indra Kaur, Jamila Khan, Man Kaur, Rahimi, Raj Kaur, Habiba and Umda, many of them in their 20’s were hung by the British for their uprising against the Raj. Peasants too collectively fought against British and same is the case with reformers and fighters in the Southern belt of India. Every village in India had heroes coming out of it for the nation.
Whats enchanting about it is that all of the greatest of our freedom fighters were actually ordinary people with an extraordinary resolve – They all had in them a single idea. It was serving the nation. They fought this monstrously large-mostly-non-violent battle in spite of grave challenges.
Their actions made them immortal. Young Bhagat Singh became Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Savarkar became Veer Savarkar. Gandhiji became Mahatma Gandhi. Vallabhai Patel became Iron Man. Subash Chandra Bose became Netaji. Sarojini Naidu became Nightingale of India. Lala Lajpat Rai became Punjab Kesari. Jawaharlal Nehru became Panditji and Rabindranath Tagore was addressed by everyone including Gandhi as Gurudev.
There were times, even Mahatma Gandhiji have had difficult times and often got carried away in many issues in the matter of going together as an organised unit against the British. History is replete with instances where the friction between Subash Chandra Bose and Gandhi was kept on a side burner for the sake of the nation. The ego-hassles that emerged between leaders were diluted immediately for the sake of the motherland.
After seven decades of gaining Independence, India’s freedom fighters, who gave us this opportunity to feel patriotic in the first place, if they could see us now, would obviously know this generation has drifted from their ways in building a nation.
It would probably abhor them with the kind of responsibility our generation is taking toward by our ideas of patriotism which is limited to emotional upheavals and gestures on certain days like Republic day, Independence day and most likely in a cricket match!
Today every action done for instilling a sense of patriotism is a result of compulsory and coercive diktats, back in those days these actions were voluntary. Today we see all actions with a polarised mindset. Back then we had men resolving issues amicably without breaking the thread of unity. Today we see a society where young minds give up their life for things as silly as a relationship break up. Back then young men and women in our country were ready to give up their life only to the unity of the country. Today we have youngsters who are constantly looking forward to comfort, joy and on a constant run in fulfilling their personal needs and not worried about larger welfare. Back then men from affluent families, with a sense of dispassion came out of their comfort zone to contribute to the nation.
They nurtured a broad vision. Their responsibilities were high and needs were low. Earlier challenges were faced proactively and today we have challenges being faced in a reactive manner. Today we are left with a binary narrative of nationalism and back then all narratives were allowed to co-exist because seeking a new path was always encouraged and Nationalism had a liberating aspect. Back then nationhood was the largest piece of humanity that the ordinary men would put their heart and soul to. Today our commitment has shrunk and confined to families. Back then people considered villages as the strength of our country. Today, we see a despicable rise of disparity between rural and urban India.
How can we build a nation on these lines? The generation of today has a pivotal role in shaping the idea of India as a nation and understanding the history of our civilisation is an inevitable step towards that direction. Nationhood is certainly not just a sudden ruption of passion. It is neither a composition of the paraphernalia of activities like taking a selfie with a friend with a topi on one side and rosary on the other.
Perhaps, it needs to to be evoked by a constant understanding of our roots and the struggles this nation faced and by seeking what kept this gigantic multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-sectarian community together for over 10000 years. In the current scenario of immigration, migration and globalisation it is relevant to find coherence and meaning as one nation.
The speech by Rabindra Nath Tagore in the year 1921 perhaps summarises how a nation should be.
“The idea of freedom to which India aspired was based upon a realisation of spiritual unity. It is India’s duty to be loyal to this great truth and never allow it to be extinguished by the storm of passion sweeping over the present day world. That is why we must be careful today to try to find out the principle, by means of which India will be able for certain to realise herself. That principle is neither commercialism nor nationalism. It is not merely self-determination, but self-conquest and self-dedication. The voice of this truth was heard in India’s forests of old above the din of race conflicts; it was declared in the Upaniṣads and expounded in the Gītā; Lord Buddha renounced the world that he might make this truth a household word for all mankind; Kabīr, Nānak and other great spirits of India continued to proclaim its message. India’s grand achievement, which is still stored deep within her heart, is waiting, to unite within itself Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian, not by force, not by the apathy of resignation, but in the harmony of active co-operation.”
Let's keep the high ideal of Nationhood alive!
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This was the editorial piece in the special supplement
Published along with all editions of The New Indian Express in the special supplement My Dear Indira' on November 14, 2017
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