We have celebrated 74 of freedom from British Rule and our Government has launched the celebrations of the Festival of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahautsav” on the eve of the 75th Independence Day. We took our first gasp of breaths in free Indian on 15th August 1947 when our first Prime Minister had unfurled the Tricolour, which was completed with the Constitutional Democracy on 26th January 1950 and we steamed ahead on the path of progress. Grappling with adversities, disparity and perils our leaders established our country, on the global platform, as the leader of the Non Aligned Movement and to achieve this lacs of our citizens had sacrificed a lot. To break the freedom struggle British Rule, in collaboration with certain religious organizations, had seeded the nation with the weeds of communal hatred, which is now growing aggressively.
Now this poison ivy is showing its true colours which it could not do so earlier because of our statesmen who were leading our nation in the past. But now some leaders are bent upon poisoning the country against which seldom a voice is raised and if a voice is raised it is feebly raised, according to Vedic scriptures gods and demons, both were the progeny of Prajapati, who were segregated on the basis of their actions and conduct. Gods were able to fight with force against the ills when they got the Nector of life during Devasur campaign. We now need the same nectar to ward off the poison, which is spreading everywhere and drawing us towards the Talibani culture. Celebration of the festival of Amrit Mahautsav would be meaningful only when we uproot those vines of poison ivy’s.
Today the country and its society is in the grip of communalism which is devouring away the roots of our glorious Vedic traditions. Those who are ignorant of the religious beliefs have become the mascots of those religions and are campaigning with a nuisance. A poor Muslim family beard the brunt of such jingoism, when the weeping and pleading toddler daughter was being shuffled by the poisoned Hindu who were portraying the Talibani culture, such lynching’s were earlier displayed in Rajasthan and NCR too. Supreme Court had issued clear instructions qua this to the Central and State Governments but none has bothered to do the needful. The majority knows its majority and the ruling dispensations would toe their line. Suich incidents are numerous in those States which were known for their Ganga-Jamuni culture, where the peace was their Zenith. During the Kanpur communal riots of 1931, journalist Ganesh Shankar Vidayarthi , who was able to successfully douse the communal flame in most parts of Kanpur was brutally murdered in his own neighborhood while he was busy playing a harbinger of peace.
He was so brutalized that his body was not recognizable. It was not that such incidents were a regular feature. Communal frenzy started with the partition of Bengal and then it was a poison spreader. Hindus and Muslims were a united force during the initial days of the freedom struggle but the British Rule poisoned their sentiments, which has not stemmed even after the partitioning the country.
It is important for us to know that this game of communalism was not only played by the British Rule but also by Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League, when they had to present themselves as the representatives of their religions they turned fanatics but when it was to share power they emerged as one entity. In the year 1940 Muslim League had advocated for a separate Pakistan and Hindu Mahasabha for a separate Hindu nation but in 1941 Shyama Prasad Mukherjee of Hindu Mahasabha became the Finance Minister in the Bengal Government headed by Muslim League. And in 1943 the coalition government of Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha had passed the resolution for creation of Pakistan in 1943, where there were 3 ministers from Hindu Mahasabha who remained ministers even after the passing of the resolution.
Coalition government was also established in North West Frontier Province. Led by Sarvarkar, Hindu Mahasabha in consonance with Muslim League had passed a resolution opposing the Quit India Movement. Such coalitions are witnessed in Assam and Kashmir even these times. Those who had branded the other party as pro Pakistan colluded to form a government with them. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee after the annexation of Kashmir in India, polluted the congenial atmosphere by launching the Kashmir yatra. Political parties yearned to grab power by raising communal issues instead of focusing on the real issues and now this communal poison is running in the veins of masses, which is drawing the country towards the direction of Talibanisation and the leaders remain mute spectators.
What happened at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, a few days back is a blot on our secular culture where in advancement of divisive politics, hatred sloganeering against the Muslims was pitched, is shameful but what is more shameful is the role played by the media and the police who stood with the anarchists promoting divisive politics. Country is passing through grave economic problem and unemployment has risen as a serpent head, level of education is declining and health services have crumbled and the rule of law has been confined on papers only. Women and businessmen are not safe and secure.
Capital has been rounded off to a few selected and media stands enslaved by the capitalists when media accounts are blocked for stating truth and when despite all this there is no protest by public it makes one believe that the country is passing through the colonial phase. Lohia used to say that the active communities do not wait for five years but now all are waiting. Opposition under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and the farmers are camping on the borders of Delhi but the public is silent and the poison of communalism is spreading in the air and our Government by celebrating the festival of Amrit Mahautsav wants to make us feel the independent India while the Congress Party, which had led the freedom struggle has prepared to celebrate the Amrit Mahautsav the year long. Both have to understand that the meaning of Amrit Mahautsav would be achieved only when the lives of the people is filled by Amrit and the poison within them is neutralized and all of them join to build the nation and not scatter away to save their own selves and when media and journalist do not hesitate to call spade a spade reciting Faiz Ahmad Faiz “Bol ki lab azad hain tere, yaad nahi dilana padega”
