No one could have put it better. It required the inimitable Jawaharlal Nehru to fire the first salvo of a free India and claim her rightful place in the comity of nations.

It’s time for another Independence Day and some symbolic gaiety …the tricolor pinned on our shirts, the flags hoisted and speeches at several places across the country and abroad. However, it is also time to ponder over the events of the past, the experience of the present and the nation as we anticipate it in the future.

This post does not seek to serve as a chronicle of historical events but more as a comment on the ‘times’ that revolve around independence as we understand it.  For historians of modern India the conventional notion is that the freedom movement began with the Sepoy Mutiny or the battle of Independence in 1857. From there on until 1947, I shall categorize the interregnum as the period of sacrifice. The subsequent era between 1947 and 2008, I shall call the period of churning. And the period from 2009, I shall term the period of anticipation. This periodization is not mutually exclusive but just as a way of understanding what we value in each era.

It was a 90 year old march that ultimately culminated in Indian independence. In between there were numerous proclamations, acts, missions, movements, hartals and dharnas. Until about the end of the 19th century, there were small associations of Indians challenging the British and seeking freedom. There was a slow attempt by the British to enfranchise the Indians, giving them legislative power and greater role in education and bureaucracy. All this lasted well into the First World War when Mahatma Gandhi arrived on the scene and launched his famous Non-co-operation movement (1919-22), aligning it with the struggle for the Caliphate, making it a complete mass movement.

In this march towards independence, numerous freedom fighters languished in prison just because they had accepted the call to join the freedom movement. Gandhi had given the call for satyagraha (non-violent resistance). Even the top leadership was not spared including Gandhi , Nehru, Rajaji, Moulana Azad, Sardar Patel and several others. This period I term the period of sacrifice because of the enormous suffering that the preceding generations or the founding fathers underwent so that those who come after them may breathe in a free nation. Chief among the constitutional documents in the run-up to 1947, was the Government of India Act of 1935 that formed much of the basis of our later Constitution.

Independence from the British Raj came with its own set of challenges. The biggest crisis was on the economic front. Besides the concept of five- year plans, the idea of Green Revolution was developed to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. There were of course other challenges such as the linguistic reorganization of states, couple of wars with our neighbors and very importantly the demise of Nehru and in a few years after that the passing away of Lal Bahadur Shastri as well who gave to us the poignant slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.’ (Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer).

We are reminded of the twin of the celebration of the Independence Day which is the Republic Day ( the 26th January of each year) when we commemorate the declaration of India as a Republic and the day that we gave to ourselves our most precious and sacred document of the Indian Constitution. The Preamble to it declares the Union of India to be a sovereign, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty.

The democratic character of the young nation was proved repeatedly through several general elections since 1951 when the first election to the Lok Sabha was held. In subsequent elections, the halo and cheer of having won independence did not last long enough. Expectations were rising on the part of the masses. Basic issues of bread and butter, employment, electricity, water, health and education were taking centre stage. Further, the diverse castes and regions within the nation were also asserting themselves. Slowly, it was the turn of backward castes and Dalits to struggle for their rights and assert their dominance in political life. This period I call as the ‘period of churning.’ The struggle for Independence had achieved freedom from the British Raj but had not given to the people of India, in the true sense, their social, economic and political rights or the means to enforce those rights. This was and is a happening process. The Republic, its democratic and inclusive character over the years have indeed attained a state of maturity today (2009). The churning may continue but diverse social groups have found their languages of politics in which to make their reasonable claims in an arena where several others are also making their claims.

From here (2009) onwards, the question is staring at us in the face. How do we intend to maitain our ‘tryst with destiny?’ Until recently, development was one among the many key issues on which claims and counter-claims were made for electoral success. Now it has become THE central plank, almost like a one-point agenda and the masses are eager to know the outcome on this platform. The vocabulary in the public sphere increasingly refers to inclusiveness and care.

Nobel laureates like Amartya Sen have led from the front in championing the cause of social development, health, education and well-being of our people and their children. Gender inequality, undernourishment of children,  starvation and debt among farmers etc have all become focus of attention. These are no longer routine issues but the stuff that politics is made of and will be in the days to come. These issues are centre-stage, they can no longer be kept on the margins.

As I have always maintained, perhaps we are moving to an era where we are visualizing ‘citizenship’ in ways stronger than we have before. Age, gender, class, caste, region, religion, language are less important. These may not go away. However, our tryst with destiny would be as a ‘caring’ and ‘inclusive’ nation. When that happens, the moment of anticipation is over and we have truly arrived!

Jai Hind!

India celebrated its 61st Independence Day yesterday. I decided to jog my memory on this great occasion.

18 years ago, I reached the USA for my first stint there. As an Indian, I was almost immediately taken aback by the pride that Americans displayed for their country. The national flag was everywhere including on undergarments!

I observed, with a great deal of incomprehensibility, that when the national anthem was played, Americans placed their hand over their heart. I could even see tears forming in some of their eyes. Wow!

Flashback 29 years ago, while in grade school, we used to take the pledge everyday and sing the national anthem on special days. Teachers used to drill into us nationalistic messages, stories during I-day/R-day events as well as throughout the year.

However, for a 12 year old kid, things got very confusing due to what happened outside the school. There was no pride visible at all. More confusing was the fact that being an Indian meant that we will be scoffed at. Reams of advice was hurled at India – control your population, stop corruption, keep your streets clean, be proud or whatever else caught the fancy of the advisors.

In those days, at the end of a play or a movie, they used to play the national anthem. A shocking thing used to happen – almost everyone would walk out while the anthem was playing to go to their parking spot early or whatever. Myself and my dad (used to work in the Military Engineering Service) used to be amongst the few who were left standing (no pun intended). [Later the government wisely passed a law to stop the national anthem from being played during such occasions].

For me, this was all enough to completely smother the small flickering flame called Indian pride burning in me.

Fast forward to the last 2.5 years that I have been back here. I-days are big – people sport wrist bands and head bands with the tricolor. Many Indians are almost jingoistic. I went to a meeting with a couple of political leaders in it last year. This time when the national anthem was played i was pleasantly surprised to see a few people having their hands placed on their heart!

What changed?