India is celebrating its 76th Independence Day today. India is an amazing country. It is multifaceted and includes many dimensions. It is the seventh largest region in the world in terms of land area (32.87 lakh sq km). Second in population (138 crores). It embraces a coastline of 7,516 km.
It is 3,214 km long from north to south tip and 2,933 km wide from east to west.
Seven countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) straddle the border lines in the directions of India. The total number of languages spoken here is 1,652. 22 of which are recognized by the government. There are many religions in India such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Parsi; There are more than a hundred castes.
There are all kinds of ideologues here: moderates, extremists, democrats, religious, secularists, priests, monks, communists, Gandhians.
High mountains, low valleys, deserts, perennial rivers, arid lands, fertile areas, forests are all types of terrain here.
India also has billionaires; There are also those who die due to hunger. There are also intellectual geniuses; There are people who have no sense of study. Here is heaven; There is also hell. India has everything; There is nothing that is not here. In fact, India is a small world that encompasses all dimensions of the world.
Can a nation with so many differences and differences be united? Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru answers the question “Can” in his book “I Saw India”. He also says, “Despite a thousand differences, India is bound together by the strong thread that I am an Indian. This has been proven geographically and historically.”
Many countries that became independent after India opted for military rule or personal dictatorships. But India also started to adopt democratic system, parliamentary democracy system. The question of democracy in India was raised early on.
Within six months of liberation, Gandhi was a victim of beatings and gunshots. The question then arose as to how those who could not ensure the safety of the father of the nation, were going to protect the nation. But Annal’s death had given rise to a sense of unity among Indians; After the death of the Mahatma, India did not succumb to religious strife, but rose again.
Gandhiji guided the nation during his lifetime; After death he gave every citizen of India a sense of unity.
Under the leadership of Nehruji, the nation stood upright. But in 1962, China launched an unexpected attack on India. Nehruji was disheartened by that; The nation is in a state of disarray. But India stood up again!
Nehruji also passed away in 1964. Democracy will disappear with him; Bharat will be torn apart by power struggles; There are those who predict that the military regime may rise. This nation belied their predictions. Nehru’s place was filled by Lal Bahadur Shastri, known for his simplicity and determination. Within two years he too was gone.
Senior leaders met and talked. Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi was appointed Prime Minister. He started a war with Pakistan and led to the creation of the nation of Bengal. She was dubbed the “Durga of India” but the Allahabad High Court ruled that her election was invalid.
An outraged Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in the country. Political leaders were imprisoned; Everyone protested because basic rights were being taken away. They said that this is the end of democracy in India. But Indira Gandhi suddenly lifted the Emergency. He announced the election. Again India started walking on the path of democracy.
Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984, Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991. After both of them became victims of terrorism, the question of how democracy will survive has arisen again.
Whenever the nation faces a test, people have faced it with vision and patriotism to solve the test. India has had 14 Prime Ministers so far. From the first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru to today’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone is different in every way.
Everyone may differ in ideology, thinking, action, attitude. But no one is different in adhering to constitutional norms.
Before the war with Pakistan in 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi went abroad for the liberation of Bangladesh. A Muslim named Bakruddin Ali Ahmed presided over the cabinet meeting. The commander of the air force during the Bangladesh War was a Muslim named Latif.
General Maneksha, who commanded the ground forces, was a Parsi.
Jagjit Singh Arora, a Sikh, led an army into Bangladesh and was successful. Behind the battle was a Christian named Jacob who went to negotiate. It is an example of the unity and secularism of the Indian nation.
It is a common belief that the nation is traveling on the path shown by Annal Gandhi. Yet Delhi journalist Seema Ishti asks Delhi journalist Seema Ishti, “In 2020, the year of the Corona pandemic, there have been 857 sectarian violence. This is 96% more than the previous year. Isn’t this worthy of concern and condemnation?” But two recent events give us hope.
The first is Talwama, a small village in Vadgam circle, Gujarat state. Most of the people living there are Muslims. There is a 1,200 year old “Veermagaraj Temple” near Avvur.
The Hindus living there brought the Muslim people of Dalwama village to pray during the Ramadan fasting period and made them break their Ramadan fast inside the Hindu temple. Hindus also participated in the fast.
Second, V. in Perambalur district in Tamil Nadu. Hindus and Muslims live in a village called Kalathur. But during Hindu festivals, Swami’s chariot procession is not allowed before Muslims pass through the street. Similarly, Hindus will not enter the mosque.
But recently Hindus have participated in the “Chandanak Gudu” festival celebrated by Muslims. After that, Muslims also went through their streets to participate in the Swami Ther procession of Hindus.
Religious harmony is flourishing even in Kalathur, the Kadakodi village of Tamil Nadu; Mahatma’s dream is coming true!
In a prayer meeting held in September 1947, Annal Gandhi said, “The Pandavas were safe even during the Mahabharata war. Likewise, it is not only my duty to lead the Muslims to live safely in the Indian nation, but it is the duty of every Hindu.”
A few days before his death, Annal Gandhi said in his prayer meeting, “Lord! When our hearts are dry, shower love and compassion as rain! When darkness surrounds us, come as a ray of light! Guide my people to live together! I want to die with the hope that You will bestow this boon.”
Annal’s faith was not false. In the way shown by him, the nation walked with a sense of unity for 75 years, traveled on the path of development and today is a country that guides the world.
Let us uphold truth, non-violence, equality, brotherhood and secularism. Let’s work tirelessly until everyone gets everything! Let us maintain that we have not forgotten Mahan Gandhi. Let’s continue on the path shown by the squirrel. Let’s take this as a vow on this holy day!
Columnist: Gandhian.