India Day

Dewan Chand, Suva

India celebrated its 72nd Independence Day on August  15, 2018 with great pomp and show.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a very moving speech from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi. He appealed to 1.25 billion Indians to rise and walk the talk in making the new India.

A flurry of activities took place throughout the country in marking this very important day in the annals of Indian history. However,  by 5.05pm the Indian news channels broke the news of the death of Atal Bihari Bajpayee, the former Prime Minister of India.

The country plunged into shock and plans were changed to making arrangement for the funeral. Seven days national mourning has been declared and the tiranga (National Flag) will fly at half-mast. An era has come to an end!

Britain ruled India for about two hundred years when it was at the peak of its world power. It was said that the sun never set on the Empire.

However, a series of events forced Britain to quit India by granting independence in 1947.

However, it was done only after splitting the country into two: India for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims: British policy of divide and rule at its best.

It is generally believed that the quit India movement and non-violence movement (Satyagrah) led by Mahatma Gandhi was responsible in forcing Britain to grant Independence to India.

Gandhi basically indulged in a non-violent approach through boycotting British made goods and launching the home-made khadi movement, salt march and constantly going to jail.

This infuriated Indians and Gandhi’s support base increased.

It is worth noting that all key national political players were British educated. Gandhi, Nehru and Jinna were British educated lawyers and Subhas Chandra Bose was a British educated civil servant.

Subhas Chandra defeated Gandhi to become the President of the Indian National Congress.

At a rally in New Delhi he called on the Indians for a blood bath to drive the British out of India. For this he was sacked from the congress.

Subhas Chandra Bose did not give up. He formed a separate political party and went on a war footing by recruiting soldiers and forming the Indian National Army. He sought support from Japan and Germany and declared war on Britain.

It is believed that it was this threat that forced Britain to consider granting independence to India. Gandhi’s policy of turning the other cheek was an ineffective approach.

The Indian National Congress had elected Vallab Bhai Patel to be the Prime Minister of independent India. But the forces lurking behind the scenes manipulated to propose the name of Jawahar Lal Nehru. Nehru was seen as a British stooge.

A new movement has been launched in India to bring fairer recognition to the contributions of Subhas Chjandra Bose and his Indian National Army in bringing Independence to India.

Retired Major General GD Bakshi and Dr Subramaniam Swamy are spearheading this movement.

It is expected that thousands will march to New Delhi demanding the recognition of Subhas Chandra Bose’s contribution.

Major-General Bakshi has written a book on this issue and this will be interesting reading indeed.

Hypocrisy

Dharmendra Kumar, Suva

Those who spread lies tend to have lies spread about them. The same is true of those who knowingly spread hypocrisy. Sooner or later, some other partisan hypocrite — someone more clever than you — will beat you at your own game.

What will you then do? Call them a hypocrite? I guess it’s hypocrisy all the way down then.

10 cents more

Amenatave Yaconisau, Delainavesi

Gay Maxwell, who wrote on the above topic (Fiji Sun 19/8) should know by now that a certain media outlet is moulding itself to be agents of revolutionaries.

This manipulation, if uncontrolled, will wreak havoc in the next election.

Government help

Sukha Singh, Labasa

I would just like to ask all the parties contesting the upcoming general elections against the FijiFirst Party if they will continue with the business grants, cane farm assistance and all the other initiatives provided by the FijiFirst Government.

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