Hail Independence Day of India

Does August 15 signify independence for Hindus in India too?

Today is August 15, 2011 and with it the whole of India has got heavily engaged to celebrate its 65 th prized independence or light and freedom that had come when the world was sleeping. But celebration of independence does not mean hoisting national flags in the vicinity and ending with cricket tournaments or making joyous picnics.

Independence does have a deeper meaning and unless a nation grasps it, its downfall becomes imminent. What we are witnessing at the moment is a steady downfall of India, slow but steady erosion of her values, cultural dignity, steadfastness – these three aspects are regarded as foundation of any nation’s independence. Where does India stand then? Where is the majority Hindu community in India standing then? These questions are hanging around in these days and must be answered.

Hindus made a glorious contribution in struggle against British imperialism and sacrificed in every form and everywhere to oust the fiendish dominance of almost two centuries. Hindus, taking inspirations from the clarion call of Swami Vivekananda and “Anandmath” of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, initiated revolutionary struggle in the Indian soil which soon earned a wide-reaching esteem. The fierce yet magnificent battle waged against British Raj subsided soon due to iniquitous deeds and mounting repressions of the alien government but Hindu-German conspiracy, hatched to uproot British remains unparallel, due to its intensity and excellence, even in the contemporary world.

Revolutionary movement was overshadowed, without doubt, by the non-violence movement under the aegis of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (alas Mahatma Gandhi) but participated mostly by Hindus. Well, to what extent non-violence movement became triumphant to snatch independence remains debatable but undoubtedly, combination of revolutionary and non-violence movements, under Hindu leaderships, played great roles to have independence from foreign control.

But the end did not become as expected by Hindus. Steady rise of Muslim League as the spokesperson of Muslim rights and its promotion into custodian of the same, especially after the emergence of Mohammed Ali Zinnah, in 1940s brought every Hindu desire to a standstill. Paltry presence of Muslims, exceedingly occupied to create an Islamic state of India always, in national liberation struggle stopped to matter anymore and what started to matter was its numerical presence and brawny strength along with aspirations to create a separate Muslim state called Pakistan.

Riots to have Pakistan expressed through Great Calcutta Killing – Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946 – and Noakhali pogrom against Hindus and counter-actions to those engulfed the whole of then Indian subcontinent. But this was not any ordinary riot – while one community (Islamic) was frantic to annihilate another one racially, the other one was trying to save itself desperately. And in the end Pakistan became a reality devouring millions of Hindus, if not more.

Have Hindus become independent after that? This is a crucial question. While a portion of Bengali Hindus still languish in Muslim dominated Bangladesh and are persecuted there day in and day out, fate of Kashmiri Hindus in India is no different. They, after being driven out of their homeland forcibly, have turned into mere refuges in the streets of Delhi. What has been done to them even after over two decades of forcible expulsion? The matter is still under consideration!

Had this taken place with Muslims in India what would have happened? Not to speak of building up a strong international opinion by secularists, government of India would simply have jumped to nurse the wounded Muslim psyche (without losing a second) apart from showering millions of money on them.

Who does emerge as victorious in Indian independence struggle then? It’s none but Muslims who virtually remained aloof from the nationwide struggle between 1905-1947. Apart from creating two independent Muslim dominions on two sides of Indian border, a chunk of Muslims remained in India and the same through flexing muscles recurrently is dominating modern Indian politics more and more.

Does this veracious reality portray any form of Hindu independence in India? Does August 15 signify independence for Hindus too? It’s the time to mull over this subject.

Secular and independent India through executing an assortment of bills, predominantly Hindu Code Bill, has made Hindus entirely effete. To save itself from further decay and above all destruction, Hindus have got to wage a new liberation struggle. And it must also come out from its age-old beliefs and start differentiating between State of India and its coveted motherland.

Contemporary India where they are regarded as second-grade citizens is not Hindus' own independent land.