After 75 years of the Quit India Movement, which was kick-started by the Mahatma on August 8, 1942 to oust the British rulers from the Indian soil, it’s now time to look at a new movement — the ‘Unite India Movement’ or ‘Bharat Jodo Andolan’.
It is the opportune time that we look at nation-building from a new narrative. While economically, there is much reason to rejoice, but socially, there are many reasons to stop and take stock of what is happening within our great big nation. Which is why, the present article…
The British Rulers were smart! They were apparently familiar with the kiddy tale of the two cats and the clever monkey. While the two cats fought amongst themselves, it was the clever monkey who tricked them and got the piece of bread for himself. A tale, they put to good use, in their quest to colonise undivided India.
Thus, through the well-crafted policy of divide-and-rule, the Britishers made sure that Indians in India were never a united breed. Of course, much of that changed during the freedom movement when people from all walks of life, united for a common cause, aka India’s Independence! But things changed for the worse when it was decided to split the country into two.
While the bloody partition may be nothing but a history chapter to most youngsters today, but the seeds of bitter resentment that was sown between the two major communities is a glaring testimony of the gaping wound that still remains untreated. Even though, the Britishers and the Indian leaders (from both communities) felt that the amputation of the country would help prevent the spread of this infectious hatred amongst the communities, the grim reality remains that the communities in India have become even more divided than they were so during the British regime.
While the Britishers simply used the Divide-and-rule to their advantage, the Indian Politicians are a smarter breed. They not only use the ‘Divide-and-rule’ policy to their advantage, but they go to the extent of extending the advantage to those they are planning to take advantage of. And the ones being taken advantage of…don’t mind it either since they also get a few advantages in return. All this for the sake of power and privilege.
Of course, in all their endeavours for personal gains, the one thing that continues to suffer is the country and its people. What they forget that a pre-requisite for economic and social development, is peace. What they forget in the process is that every time two cats start fighting, there is always a clever monkey hanging around…waiting to take advantage. What they forget in the process is that in a globalized world, the cats don’t just have to fear the monkey, but the entire wilderness.
Thus, even as India prepares to celebrate it’s 70th year of Independence tomorrow, let us all take a vow to Unite India again. And that would be the greatest achievement of Independent India.
