1948- In the history of India


The newly born Republic of India was months old when it entered 1948, a rather eventful year in the history of India. After 200 years of slavery, India was sovereign and ready to proclaim its existence in the globe.  In was in this momentous year when India confronted the aggressors from Pakistan in the first Kashmir War. The princely states of Junagadh and Hyderabad joined the Dominion of India which earlier insisted on being independent or joined the dominion of Pakistan. While these events mattered much, the biggest event to take place in 1948 was the assassination of the declared father of the nation and the man behind Indian Independence, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Assassination of Gandhi
Assassination of Gandhi on 30th January, 1948 was the biggest event of 1948 and a poignant event in the history of India. Mahatma Gandhi was shot at a point- blank range from a .38 Beretta semi-automatic pistol when he was standing on the steps of a building going for a prayer. The chief- assassin of Mahatma Gandhi was Nathuram Narayan Godse, a pre-eminent hindu nationalist form Pune. It was a planned murder, for there were previous attempts to kill Gandhi conspired by Godse. The main line dividing Gandhi and Godse were Gandhi’s principles of non-violence. While Godse and his companions were against partition of India even at the cost of blood-shed, Gandhi desired non- violence over anything else. There were 4 previous attempts to kill Gandhi, with Godse involved in three of them. In the first attempt of 25th June, 1934 the chief conspirator remains anonymous.
In the events that followed, three convicts were tried and some of them executed. Vinayak Damodar Sarvarkar- an Indian Freedom fighter and revolutionary was also arrested but later released due to lack of evidences. Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte (a hindu activist and entrepreneur; the second conspirator) were sentenced to death while Gopal Godse (brother of Narayan Godse) was sentenced to life imprisonment. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and the sons of Gandhiji insisted on overruling the death sentence of Godse and Apte as the man whom they killed was against violence in any form but the verdict did not change. Violence followed in Pune (hometown of Godse) and the rest parts of India. The violence took anti- Brahmin form as most of the conspirators were Maharastrian Brahmins. Rastriya Swayamseva Sangh (RSS) a pro hindu party was banned as the main conspirators were believed to belong to the same party.
 The aftermath of the conspiracy says that the assassination of Gandhi was none but a clash of ideals of two people of different beliefs. Gandhi, a non- violent leader was killed by Godse who clearly was an apostle of violence believing blood as the ultimate conclusion.

This was the first year of Independent India, the year when the moral fiber of Indian Independence left for heavens. The years that followed was the first year of India without their Bapu.

65 Years of Indian Independence


 15th of August, 1947 as the history will describe was the day when India, one of the oldest civilizations of humankind, rose to independence and sovereignty. 15th August, 2012 marks the 66th Anniversary of this celebrated festival in India. On this day, the Indian tri-color will govern the skies; songs of patriotism will fill in the air and on the terrain will be 1.21 billion people celebrating the past and anticipating a future.
India has a history of many thousands of years, a nation where one of the earliest human civilizations lived. This piece of land, called the golden bird, was ruled by many but in its history of over 10000 years it never invaded any other country. The Sultans and the Mughals, the Rajputs and the Nawabs ruled this country and only contributed to make it more diverse and even better. This multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and secular state was ruled by a band of sailors from an island called the Britain for over 200 years. It was 15th of August, 1947 when this state became free from the shackles of slavery, to be ruled by the people in the years that followed.
India, a big player in the history of human existence is rising again to global prominence. It has been  65 years of growth, development, happiness and definitely freedom. Men and women have lived in this part of the world the way they have wanted to and that is what we call democracy. India, the largest democracy has shown the world what it means to ruled by people. Built on the strong foundations of the Indian Constitution, the second most populous nation in the world has brought together people from different religions, caste and creed, and tied them with one knot of unity.
A pool of valued engineers and doctors testing the limits of science; and a nation where traditions still live in the heart of its people, India has made the two ends meet. A land where cows are worshiped and nature is preached, culture and traditions never end in India.
In the 65 years that the Republic of India has lived, the bruises of some injuries still remain. The bloody partition of India and Pakistan will be remembered on every Independence Day, in the name of every person who could not breathe the air of free India. Over 1 million people died in the riots that followed the partition resulting in blood and tear all over.
While many Indians have lived their freedom to their fullest, there are people who still suffer for basic necessities of food and shelter. These slaves of stomach demand for their freedom too.
Let every Indian make this Independence day, not only a celebration of the past but resolution for a better India.
In the blogs that follow, we look at the events and processes that changed the face of post-independence India.
Wishing you a Happy Independence Day.

The End of a People's Movement



The End of a People’s Movement
5th of April 2011, Anna Hazare rose to public recognition when he sat on a ‘starve till death’ strike against the widespread corruption in the country. People saw in him the hope of a corruption free India, and participated in it with the fullest of their verve and enthusiasm. After the strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 5th April, a series of hunger strikes followed. It seemed that the stubborn government had finally bowed in front of an old man and his thousands of supporters. Jan Lokpal Bill, a Civil Society formed, edition of the Lokpal bill which is believed to root out corruption from the nation was finally considered by the standing committee of the Parliament. But as time flew the Jan Lokpal was struck in between nothing and the Civil Society believed that they were cheated by the Government.

The episode of the hunger strikes ended on the 7th of August,2012 at the same spot where it all began i.e Jantar Mantar. The Team Anna pronounced that it was worthless to waste time on hunger strikes while the insensitive government would sit silently. After ten days of hunger strike of the members of Team Anna, it was decided that this people’s movement would have to take a political form. Speculations began that ‘Team Anna’ would now be ‘Anna Party’. General V. K. Singh, the ex-army general stood with the team Anna and addressed the people by saying “All you have the power to change the society. With that magic wand, you have to end corruption.”

While Team Anna did not make it clear if they will form their own party or find other ways to feed the best people into the parliament but it is clear that the team which kept distance from active politics have jumped into this tricky game. In the language of the Team Anna they will be looking to find a political alternative to the Congress Party.
The response to this decision of the Team was mixed among the supporters of Anna Hazare. While some activists of India Against Corruption voiced their discontent against the decision; many supported this calling it Final War Against Corruption. Political Parties welcomed Team Anna into the political arena and made it clear to the team that a tough road lies ahead.

Time only can decide whether this was the end of a people’s movement or the birth of a new political movement which will build a new India.

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