On our 74th Independence Day, we have perhaps forgotten that India’s strength lies in unity and not conformity. We need to renew our vows
On August 15, 1947, India and its citizens gained independence with the British rule coming to an end. Loudly and proudly, we pronounced to the world that we, too, were ready to step out from the darkness of colonial rule to a new dawn, ripe with uncertainty but also hope. It is this hope that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru so eloquently captured in his address to the nation on the eve of India’s independence. He opened his speech with, “Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny...” His immortal words still send a chill down my spine. But too often, we focus only on the first few words. If we read his speech further, Nehruji talked about a pledge that we have renewed by obtaining freedom. A pledge “of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”
Few exemplified this pledge and dedication to the service of India more than Mohd Usman, also known as Naushera ka sher (the Lion of Naushera). At the time of India’s independence, Mohd Usman was offered a high position in the Pakistan Army but he refused to join. Instead, he chose to help build a “new India” that had awakened on the fateful night of August 15. Usman bravely defended Naushera, causing a heavy toll on the Pakistani side but was martyred in July 1948 while fighting for his motherland. He was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra but more importantly, he remained a shining symbol of hope for a secular India. On his death, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas wrote, “...a precious life of imagination and unswerving patriotism has fallen a victim to communal fanaticism. Brigadier Usman’s brave example will be an abiding source of inspiration for free India.”
Such an example was necessary at a time when tension, fear and suspicion were writ large owing to the spectre of Partition. Not only did Usman dedicate his life to the service of India but also his death. Just as significant and poetic is the fact that six months before Usman was killed in a battle, another famous son of India, Jadunath Singh Rathore, who was under Usman’s command, protected a nine-man forward section post, displaying unmatched bravery against thousands of enemy forces. His bravery led to him being posthumously awarded the second-ever Param Vir Chakra. This sacrifice by two of India’s brave sons — both were from different faiths but laid down their lives for the Indian dream — in all likelihood terrorised Pakistan more than any weapon could and still does.
So where does India stand today? Seventy two years after the death of these bravehearts, it seems that the fear and suspicion, that loomed large then, looms larger now. We are currently living in times where different sections of society are asked to prove their nationality. Proving one’s nationality has been reduced to the idea of being subservient to a ruling class and not creating too much noise. This test is not limited to individuals of different faiths or people who come from different castes; it applies to anyone who does not agree with the view of the Government in power.
There are a number of instances where dissent against the Government and its actions are not only treated with the reckless exercise of power but also through an indiscriminate attack on the individual’s patriotism. There are numerous examples that are in the public domain but one does not even need to go that far. The author himself has been subjected to vile abuse and was branded “un-Indian” merely because he had written/spoken in favour of what he believed was right for the beloved country. This despite the fact that he served as a public servant and was awarded a medal for bravery by the Government itself. I can only imagine how an everyday citizen is treated when he/she dares to dissent.
A part of the reason why we are in this unfortunate position is that we have forgotten that India’s strength lies in unity and not conformity. We are steadily moving towards a time where dissent in a non-violent form and the free flow of ideas is stymied by authoritarian force or by the loudest voice. We have forgotten that our enemies as Indians are not our countrymen, who may follow different faiths or eat different foods, but illiteracy, hunger and corruption.
In his speech, Nehru recognised this when he said, “The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.” His words hold just as true today as it did then. True service to India is not fighting wars that our political masters or news channels manipulate us into. Instead, it is the fight against poverty, illiteracy and disease that plague millions of Indians.
This is one of the main reasons why I am proud of the work done by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party’s goal is to remain true to the nationalistic spirit through its work. This is why the Delhi model of governance has received such widespread credit in areas of health, education and transparency. All of this has been achieved by people of all faiths, gender and caste. By treating service to one another as the truest form of patriotism, we are united by purpose and enriched by our non-conformity.
Therefore, as we celebrate the 74th independence day, I would like to urge the citizens to remember the sacrifices of Usman and Jadunath Singh Rathore, who were killed before they could get a chance to see their beloved country turn two and laid down their lives for the Indian dream. A dream where people, divided for centuries by a foreign ruler, could find common meaning and purpose by pledging to live in service to one another and, therefore, in service to the country. A pledge renewed in 1947 demands renewal even more so in 2020.
(The writer is a former IPS officer, a former MP and currently a member of the AAP)
