It is truely said that its hard to understand other's feelings. Its more discernable when people try to judge other's National fervour and Patriotism. India got its most cherished freedom after 200 years of British exploitation and subservience. Its a hard won reward, for lakhs of people perished fighting against the oppressor.
While going through recent buzz regarding "Declassification Of Netaji's Files" sort of tickled my appetite to write about this topic. People in all their chauvnism are trying to slander and debase the contribution of other people in our freedom struggle. First name which strikes me in all this debate is of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. Social media is abound with libel comments against Nehru and accusing him of Neta ji's death (Though the allegations are still to be proven). This is unacceptable to me, not because i have any personal affinity towards Nehru but due to sheer respect for him and for many others who contributed in our freedom struggle. A day before i came across a letter purportedly written by Nehru, addressing Netaji as war criminal, later proved to be a sham. This is really disheartening to see such a debasing compaign against Nehru. In disrespecting him ain't we are disrespecting our hard earned freedom? Without a doubt Nehru was a great nationalist. My limited knowledge about Netaji and Nehru tells me that both of them had a friendly relationship. A person can differ with each other with regard to their ideologies but that must not be mistaken as personal enmity. For them common interest was more important than personal gains.
I am still befuddled with the question that what would one get by all this calumny against Nehru. Meanwhile another such issue strikes me was comparison of Gandhi ji's contribution to freedom struggle with respect to Neta ji. A article being doing around in social media talked about conversation between Bengal's Governor Mr. Chakravorty (immediately after Independence) and British PM Clement Attlee, who with a smirk labelled Gandhi ji's contribution towards British exodus to be m-i-n-i-m-a-l. He believed it was Netaji's movement which compelled Britishers to leave India. No doubt Netaji played a prominent role but it was fatuous on part of him to think that Gandhiji's role was minimal. First of all it was Gandhiji who played major role in evoking mass Nationalism feeling among people, which was apparently used by Netaji. British was worn off by incessant revolts going on around various places in country. Ofcourse People revolted before the advent of Gandhiji as well, various peasant revolts are example, but they didn't have a British empire as their enemy. It was with Gandhiji's effort that a layman could relate to freedom struggle. Countryside issues were brought to forefront and interweaved into common goal of achieving India's freedom. Even Royal Army's soldier was a 'Peasant in Uniform', therefore Gandhiji's view were bound to impact him as well. They were also attached to their villages and people, who were reeling under intense exploitation of British empire, so Gandhiji's ideas would ultimately impact their life also. Netaji worked on this already made foundation by earlier work of leaders like Gandhi ji. Netaji's INA might be the immediate cause for exodus of British but labelling it only reason and subsiding the role of various other freedom fighters is just not done.
Not only Gandhiji, but it is because of lakhs of people which he mobilised played equally important role in freedom struggle. Comparing these leaders is like undermining our freedom and despising the martyrdom of lakhs of other freedom fighter. For me i respect all of them equally and if i show more proclivity towards anyone of them its just because of their personal traits nothing to do with their role in freedom struggle.
I don't want to sound didactic but it would be great if we all work for stronger and bright India that all of our freedom fighters would have dreamt of rather than being scurrilous to them and comparing their respective contribution.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
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