15th August

15th August

( *Amitabh Moitro)

(Samir Kumar Das)

(Biman Kumar Pal)*

 

 

… At the stroke of the midnight hours, when the world sleeps, India will awake to freedom…
one still gets goosebumps while reading these lines.

 

Morphing of India’s territorial footprint: becoming of peninsular sub-continent to India

 

India’s present territorial footprint was shaped from British rule for 200 years. Before that, the vast Indian peninsular territory had multiple dynasties (Mughals, Marathas, Southern Kingdoms etc) who reigned concurrently within their own fragmented boundaries. There was no unified authority or statecraft over the entire landmass. Then British came and had lorded over this entire territory. Thus the concept of a unified country as India, encompassing the entire peninsular landmass has been crystallised.

It started from an isolated military win by a small British detachment, at Plassey (Bengal) in 1757, to protect the commercial interests of British traders in Bengal. Winning the battle had ended up in British getting a fortune overnight by looting the State coffer of the defeated King. They tasted looted wealth for the first time. Till then, they were a rather harassed lot of traders, trying to find some firm soil under their feet. But once tasted blood (wealth), they went on unabated. An endless series of adding territories under their belt triggered. They used force (military), money (hiring locals as military and bribing thr powerful) or deceit to meet their ends.

All such actions were focussed for the same purpose – loot the local wealth, fatten the purse of British people on Indian soil and ship the remaining booty to London.

And to make the looting a steady, continuous stream (not an one-time extravaganza), they had put in place many sham arrangements all over these acquired territories Such arrangements wete paraded as enlightened political governance, as an administration or better still, as a Statecraft. Raj had spread its tentacles. All territories are controlled from one central point, keeping colonial exploitation as the totem pole. People from as distant places as Travancore or Kashmir or NEFA (today’s North East) could easily be put to the same rigour to lubricate the gigantic wealth-sucking behemoth.We Indians became the shoulders to bear the burdain of Pax Britannica juggernaut. A fiefdom of exploitation had donned the garb of a State, (mis)governed by (mockery of) rules

As colonial exploits been set as the focal agenda from the very beginning, with passage of time, looting demons had sprouted their tentacles to extended footprints – from state coffers (by military force) to individual wealth of local rich (by intimidation) and to local populace as a whole (by taxation). Locals are heavily taxed, made to pay heavily for all things. They paid for maintenance of British Military ( used for keeping themselves subjugated), paid for the army of British official machinary, ICS and all (tools for subjugation), paid heavily for Railways (an infrastructure for British commercial interests) or any other infrastructure, paid excessively for any goods, coming from England, forced to get less for their own goods and products. They also paid for the war efforts of Britain elsewhere in the globe.

 

What we inherited at Independence

 

How was India in 1947 when British had left ? They left behind a mere pandemonium. Few cities were lined up with magnificent edifices which were tools for their colonial exploits. But 20 miles beyond such cities, the hinterlands presented a doomsday picture. A deliberate (mis)rule under guise of sham laws were deeply entrenched. Money flow to stale coffer was ruthlessly enforced. But money flow to welfare activities were thrown to winds. All these were paraded as development.

There were railways, postal system, telegraph, city based roads. There are few glitzy cities which wery necessary to cradle up their trade and governance. There was British capitalism and crony capitalism, cornering all wealth creations.

But nothing was built or made for the benefit of common Indian living in the hinterlands. There was no healthcare, no road network, no transport system, no schools for the common Indian No avenues for manufacturing, trade or commerce was created. Rural India was left as the supply base of food and consumption base for England-manufactured goods. It was darkness in cloak.

They have driven a wedge firmly to split our countrymen on religious lines, pushing them to competing lines.

 

( Part penned by : Amitabh Moitro)

 

Run up to achieving Independence : Pushing out the 200 years’ British Rule

 

The defeat of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah at Palassey in 1757 marks the beginning of British East India Company (EIC) rule in Bengal. Subsequently EIC established it’s control
all over India by 1858, except a few Princely States. During EIC rule rampant exploitation and torture wa prevalent. Going ahead, in 1858, the EIC rule was terminated
and power to rule was transferred it to the British Parliament by The Govt of India Act 1858. Surprisingly, in a height of dark mediaeval fallacy, British Parliament uses it’s power to take over the assets of a British company and the country of India and its people are taken as Assets of East India Company !

The enlightenment about colonial exploitations and misdeeds had it’s seeds sowed in England, sprouted in India and sporadic voices against colonial rule found utterances. These were sporadic outpourings, not in any organised and sustainable and result-seeking way. But such romantic, armchair outpourings got snowballing in different parts of the country during later part of 19 th century. And the idea started gathering momentum with more and more takers.

The first half of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of Gandhiji and non-violent movement, the first movement.with a nation-wide footprint.
During the onset of World War-II, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, with the support of Japan, created the Indian National Army, a regular armed force, to fight against the British. Though his armed struggle could not be sustained for long and no immediate repulsion of British rule in India happened, the unprecedented dare-devilry had sent shivers to the spine of British rule.
Finally the British left Indian shores and
India Independence Act 1947 was passed.

India became Independent Republic on 15th August, 1947 after carving out a separate country Pakistan, out of India’s total territory.

On 26th Jan, 1950, The Republic was proclaimed and the Constitution of India declared India to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic Republic and assures it’s Citizens Justice, Equality and Liberty.

 

Journey after Independence

 

The Planning Commission was established in 1950. India then had a negligible manufacturing capacity. Priority was set to make our own basic and heavy industries. Such industry needed huge capital. This had paved the way for many PSU to whom capital was provided from the state budget and PSUs in turn, developed their own capacities in heavy and basic industry.

Constitution declares India as a secular democracy, keeping religious oligarchies at bay.

Economic liberalisation started in 1991. As an effect of liberalisation in 1991, the poverty reduced from 36% in 94-94 to 26.1% in 1999-2000.

 

*Part penned by :
Samir Kumar Das
edited by : Amitabh Moitro*

 

Memories of Independence Day Celebrations :

 

Remembering the early school days – Pravat Feri with Maloybabu Sir in early morning of the Independence Day – Songs like : Amra Notun jouboner dut etc After that Flag hoisting at school ground – march past by NCC used to be the most important event. The Day was enjoyable with free food packets. Although significance of the day was not at all patriotic in nature at least to me.

Growing up informed me the cost of Independence – from the stories heard from Grandma , Dad and Mom. Our family were displaced just after Partition, lock stock and barrel from our ancestral house at Pabna ( East Pakistan) . We were lucky to have my maternal Grand Father settled this side (India) before Independence. My Father and Mother managed to engage themselves in Services, but at different places.

The horror stories heard from my elders somehow sown a different feeling in my heart regarding the Day synonymous to bad things of partition and sufferings of lacs of people. Our family was also divided due to different work places for our parents. As such in my childhood, I felt absence of my mother quite a bit. Life was Hostel centric mostly.

In the later years I think the love for the country and significance of Independence automatically grows in all boys and girls due to education process and family environment.

Like we feel proud when India wins a sports event or win a war.
As a matter of fact , I understood the importance and urge of independence in people, seeing and mixing with the freedom fighters of Bangladesh during 1971 who were frequenting Calcutta at that time. I came in contact with them and could feel their determination and fighting spirit.

 

( Penned by : Biman Kumar Paul)

 

About the authors :

Amitabh Moitro, age 67 years, had worked in a nationalised bank for long years. He has since retired and lives in Goa.

Samir Kumar Das, age 67 years, had worked in KViC for long years. He has since retired and now lives at Malda.

Biman Kumar Pal, age 67 years, is s Textile Engineer. He has his own export”import business. He now lives at Kolkata.