Politicalisation Of Freedom Fighters
This is an undisputed fact that in 1857 the first struggle of the Indian independence was launched as first struggle for freedom and fought jointly by the Hindus and Muslims under the leadership of King Bahadur Shah Zafar. Unfortunately, the British succeeded in crushing this revolt not because they were braver than Indians, but because they were more cunning and shrewder than Indians.
Mohandas Gandhi poses with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, in 1944, in what was then Bombay. The two countries have been rivals for decades, and students from the two countries have jointly published an online project comparing the different narratives.
After crushing the revolution, the English realized that they could not rule over India unless they create division between the Hindus and the Muslims, so they did their best to divide these major Indian communities by first ignoring the Muslim community. Consequently, the Muslim population became backward, economically and socially. Then they pitted the Hindus against the Muslims. Consequently, Mohammad Ali Jinnah raised the demand for creation of Pakistan. The British government succeeded in its effort and partitioned Hindustan into two countries namely Bharat and Pakistan before granting freedom.
During freedom struggle, there were two kinds of forces working for the freedom of the country. The first led by Mahatma Gandhi believed in non-violence and aimed to achieve freedom through Satyagarah and non violent freedom movement. The second force hand no faith in non violence. It desired to get independence through violent means. Unlike the indian national congress, it was not organized and had not a singleleader like the stature of mahatma Gandhi. Though, subhash Chandra bose was one of the most important leaders of revolutionaries, but he was trying hard for freedom from the foreign soil. In india, revolutionaries were disorganized. They were branded as terrorist by the british government and looked down upon by the votaries of non violence. Undoubtedly, the revolutionaries led by great young men like sardar bhagart singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfakullah khan, khudi ram bose and many othersmade supreme sacrifices at the altar of bharat mata. They underwent extreme misiries and sacrificed even their lives for the sakenof the freedom and service of their ountry. But when india achieved freedom and the congress came into power, they were ignored by the ruling party and the government. The survivors of revolutionaries got little help, honor or respect from the government.almost nomention was made of them when the history was written. Even the tag of terrorist was added to their names by the british government was not removed.
In 2014, when the BJP formed government under the leadership of Narendra modi, the government began to think afresh in this direction. It realized the injustice done to the revolutionary movement for freedom and its leaders. Now the government is preparing a register of freedom fighters. But it is repeating the same mistake. In including the leaders from the congress, it is adopting the policy of pick and choose. Only the leaders who suit to its ideology have been selected. Others have been ignored. Thus, the leaders who belong to Nehru clan have been excluded from the list prepared by the BJP government. When the BJP leaders mention the names of freedom fighters, they avoid the names of Pandit Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mrs.Vijay Lakshmi Pandit and Mrs.Indira Gandhi as if they have nothing for the freedom movement and for the progress and prosperity of India after freedom. They go on crowing about the mistakes committed by Pandit Nehru. They never tell that it was Pandit Nehru who made sacrifices for freedom and laid the foundation of modern India. Describing the role of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, they always talk about emergency, not about her role in Bangladesh freedom or her contribution to make india a nuclear power. They also ignore populist leaders like Acharya Narendra Dev or Manmath Nath Gupta.
This partisan view adopted by the BJP leaders and the BJP Government is absolutely unjust and wrong. The government should adopt impartial and balanced view and rise above party consideration. Only then, the register prepared about freedom fighters will be authentic and will be accepted by the citizens of the country.
