Seven Decades, Five I Haven't Seen

 [ It's a conversation between the father & a son. Father being a enthusiast of Economic & Political History, son a curious listener. It's a typical conversation, where, sometime, father would go on without pause. And son wouldn't ask for a break. It's a story of seven Decades of India, where son is witness to only two.]

PART 1

He tries to recall, it's hard for him to recall everything vividly of that day. It was black & white, he says, and over the years, now, it is just shade of grey. We knew very little of the announcement, we had no source for news, radio, we couldn't afford, newspaper somewhere, largely, it was just word of mouth. 

News of Britain willing to grant full self government to British India at the least by 30 June, 1948 was never heard, if we knew it was the case than believe me our joy would have had no bound, a spark in his eyes says it all. However, Mountbatten said to have advanced the date to 15 August 1947, reason being, he feared interim government wouldn't stand a chance with growing discontent between Indian National Congress and Muslim league over the question of creating two dominion states. Also, 15 August 1947 was second anniversary of surrender of Japan, although officially, it was ratified on 2nd September. Whatever it was, 15 August carried something special in history, 15 August sounded auspicious, it sounded victory, freedom, and life. The news of 15 August, the day india was to be handed over to indians was spread like wild fire. Imagine how it would've felt to those who had never seen freedom, who didn't know how and what it meant to be free, who were scared of demanding freedom and now suddenly would become free from 15 August! Can you feel it, son? It was as if suddenly, the sky turned blue for the first time, it was as if roses looked red again, it was as if belief in God rose for the first time, it was as if hope had meaning, it was simply rebirth. The joy your generation and subsequent one would never experience, in a stroke, he denounced our meaning of freedom completely.

It was time for lunch, he is punctual, and food was there to be eaten, but he insisted to go on.

Son, it was 14 August, he said, and we as a nation were on the cusp of history, we were about to announce to the whole world that we are free again, free from the clutches of British imperialism. We were once free, you know!, 

He went silent for few seconds, may be he wasn't agreeing to the term freedom in its fullness, may be he wanted his son to know something else, may be he wanted to tell what freedom in actual sense means, but at last nodding his head he said, son, perhaps you don't understand......!

Son wasn't completely satisfied by what transpired there for a moment, father, said son, what do you mean by freedom? Why were you not at utter confidence in describing what freedom meant to you?

Freedom encompasses a lot, it is choice, dignity, speech, education, values, culture, religion, and life itself. Freedom is aspiring, it is dream, it is everything! It is everything! , He thundered! Do you sincerely believe our nation celebrates freedom? Son couldn't say anything in return, for he was dumb struck by the belief his father cultivated, he felt apologetic for what we have become.

This was tense moment, father seemed caught up with something that was eating him. He wasn't at ease at all. To break the mood, son shouted, perhaps lunch! Some sweet & we will welcome independence with joy, like you did.

There were rumours, early hours of 14 August morning, rumours about Nehru addressing the nation albeit, constituent assembly, later tonight. But then how would we to hear or see? We wouldn't miss a chance to hear him, and that too on such a special occasion. By late evening, found a radio, we knew we will hear Nehru speak, and we found a place to go to listen. Little before midnight, Nehru on radio, gave his famous speech, " Tryst with destiny".

Let me tell you something, son, what a speech it was, it had vision & aspirations of young India. I've no doubt this speech was widely reported across the globe. We learnt later in years, that how some newspapers reported on indian independence, for example Times, ran headline as 'Birth of India's Freedom ', Express had ' India celebrates Freedom '. And there were many more. 

Collecting thoughts, son, said father, there was wild celebration as you would expect,everywhere, there was patriotic haze, we all were buried in it. It felt refreshing to breath in fresh air of freedom. Vande Mataram was on everybody's lips, there was feeling of fanatic fraternity among us, we were born again.

Freedom didn't just end up with British moving out. With freedom came, blood & death. Partition of India on religious line was conceived even before 15 August, 1947. It was unexpected of Jinnha, we never thought he would be so moving a force that one day he would orchestra this division. It's not him alone to be blamed, it was Congress & Dhaka nawab too. Also, it was Britishers who were cleverly strategising their future relationship. Although, situation was created to constitute Hindu majority & Muslim majority States. I should say, it was unusual for mother india to give birth to twins! Exactly Like Macaulay, would envisage a class of persons  ' indian in blood & colour, but English in taste, opinion, moral & intellect', creation of Pakistan ( east& west) enabled creation of class of persons indian in colour & blood, but Pakistan in taste, opinion, moral & intellect.

A call for tea, & father told, son, it's enough for today & we will discuss over dinner few more struggles......

[ It's part 1 of the series, Seven Decades, five I haven't seen]