Unsung Heroes: #RaagDesh

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          I am extremely delighted to be writing this piece to honor the martyrs-the real heroes of rising India. I recently saw a trailer of a movie based on the famous Red fort Trials which have remained away from the limelight despite being one of the most important event in India’s struggle for independence. I am sure the movie is going to be a masterpiece. Here’s something to put things in perspective.

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                It has been more than 70 years since our national flag breathed free air for the first time in 1947 and we owe every bit of this victory to selfless heroes who laid down their lives for it. We can never be sure about who played the most pivotal role in the ‘struggle for independence’ but one thing is certain that it was a joint effort and that it did not happen “ बिना खड़ग बिना ढाल” . There were people (of the likes of Shaheed Bhagat singh ) who, at a tender age of 23 years, willfully took the path of martyrdom in the hope that it may help incite a revolution that might uproot the British Empire. There were more fighters than we can name but only a few shone as the leader, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was one such prodigy.

We should have but one desire today. The desire to die so that India may live.

     -Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

            You may think that I am exaggerating but Netaji’s feats are way beyond the ordinary. Be it cracking Indian Civil Services, being the Congress President, consorting with Germany and Japan to raise the Indian National Army, taking the British Empire head-on, establishing Provisional Government of Free India with Japanese support and what not. The government of Azad Hind even had its own currency, court and civil code, and its existence gave a greater legitimacy to the independence struggle against the British. Immediately after the formation, Azad Hind Fauj declared war against the Anglo-American allied forces on the Indo-Burma Front. Some may argue that it was a complete failure but many (including me) believe that it was much more than meets the eye.

One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives.

   -Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Let me ask you a simple question: Why did the British leave India?
Amidst all the celebrations, we often forget to introspect and the simple facts like these gets ignored. The Quit India movement of 1942 had subsided and nothing major was happening in the mainstream politics, the world war was over and the British had finished on the winning side, Netaji was no more and INA also had to face defeat at the hands of the Royal Army. So, why did the  British actually leave?

No real change in history has ever been achieved by discussions.

   -Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

          British Prime Minister Lord Clement Atlee, responsible for conceding India’s Independence, answered this all important question during a visit to Free India in 1956 when he mentioned this directly to Justice Chakraborty who was the then acting governor. He said – The final decision to “leave India in a hurry” was due to the “activities of Subhas Chandra Bose which weakened the very foundations of the attachment of the Indian land and naval forces to the British Government”. Also, that in his assessment, Mahatma Gandhi had “minimal” impact on British policies.

                  Elaborating further on this subject: In August 1945, Netaji had allegedly died, yes I said ‘allegedly’ because the real story still lies behind hundreds of classified files and in my mind the conspiracy further deepened when I saw the promo of a new series “Hunting Hitler” aired on History channel which alleges to prove that Hitler may have actually died years after he staged his own suicide when the second world war finished. A similar story of Netaji may be lying somewhere waiting to be unearthed. I seriously doubt that his disappearance was just bad luck.

                  Anyway coming back to the point, after the loss of INA, three of the top officers – General Shah Nawaz Khan, Colonel Prem Sehgal and Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were put on trial at the Red Fort in Delhi along with all the captured soldiers. Their crime was “waging war against the King Emperor”. It only proved to be their biggest mistake as  during the open trials, the people of India witnessed the transformation of the perception of Azad Hind fauj from traitors and collaborators to “the greatest among the patriots”. Given the tide of militant nationalism that swept throughout India and the resentment and revolts it inspired, it is arguable that its overarching aim, to foster a revolution within the Indian forces of the British Indian Army and Navy to overthrow the British Empire, was ultimately successful. Netaji may have possibly foreseen it and it may be all that he always meant to achieve with INA. It may be just a speculation but if it was true, each one of the soldier of Indian National Army deserves a standing ovation.

 I wish that their soul rests in peace.
“Jai Hind”

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के  जिनके  बलिदान  के  बिस्तर  पर ,

हम  चादर  ताने  सोते  हैं ;

भूल  बैठे  हैं  आहुति  उनकी ,

के  ख़्वाब  बड़े…पर  दिल  छोटे  हैं ;

 जीते  थे  जो  हम-तुम  के  लिए ,

शहादत  पे  उनकी  हम  क्यूँ  रोते  हैं ;

आओ  नमन  करें  उन  वीरों  को ,

और  खुशियों  के  बीज  बोते  हैं ;

 के  मोक्ष  मिले  हर  साये  को,

जो  सरहद  पर  जीवन  खोते  हैं ;

बेनाम  नहीं…शहीद  हैं  वो,

वो  देश  के  बेटे  होते  हैं…

वो  देश  के  बेटे  होते  हैं ||

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#Raagdesh by Tigmanshu Dhulia is releasing on 28th July and I can’t wait for it to release. Wishing them luck. A few other movies on similar grounds sound equally interesting. #Partition:1947 , #AccidentalPrimeMinister. Waiting for them too:-)