Independence Day Special

India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: This August 15, on the Indian Independence Day, India Post is highlighting and remembering the crucial contributon of the Non Resident Indians and foreigners for whom the cause of the Indian freedom movement meant life itself. These were ordinary Indians pushed into rising from their normal lives to give up every thing for our nation.

These were men and women who detested the fact that their motherland was in chains and wanted to do everything possible to free her, to the extent of performing miracles.Long before Gandhiji preached non-violence, Shyamji Krishna Varma propagated it. He founded the India House and the India Sociologist in 1909 and took the radical movement to Britain itself. On July 1, 1909 Madan Lal Dhingra, an Indian student closely identified with India House in London shot dead William Hutt Curzon Wylie, a British MP.

Another significant freedom fighter was Bhikaiji Cama. She unfurled a "Flag of Indian Independence" on August 22, 1907, at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. While undertaking this she went on to say, "This flag is of India's independence. Behold, it is born. It is already sanctified by the blood of martyred Indian youth. I call upon you, gentlemen, to rise and salute the flag of Indian independence. In the name of this flag I appeal to lovers of freedom all over the world to cooperate with this flag in freeing one-fifth of the human race.

"Then there was a remarkable Irish woman, Annie Besant who started the Theosophical Society of India and London. In 1916, she launched the Home Rule League, once again modeling demands for India on Irish models. For the first time India had a political party to fight for change. It built a strong structure of local branches, enabling it to mobilise demonstrations, public meetings and agitations. In June 1917 Annie was arrested and interned at a hill station. She flew a red and green flag in the garden to show her defiance.

Congress and the Muslim League together threatened to launch protests if she were not set free. Annie's arrest had created a focus for protest, giving those who wanted long-term independence for India a chance to work together for a simple, achievable goal.Then there was Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in March 1940 in an avengement of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre. After the massacre in which more than 4000 Sikhs and their families were killed, he left the orphanage and moved from one country to another, aiming ultimately to reach his prey Dwyer, the conniving Governor behind the tragedy, in London. Singh was also known as Ram Mohammed Singh Azad, symbolizing the unification of the three major religions of India: Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Singh is considered one of the best-known of the more extremist revolutionaries of the Indian freedom struggle.Today, India is the 12th largest economy at the market exchange rates. India is proud to be home for a large share of knowledge based workforce in the world.

If the '123' agreement goes through, without hurdles and also without compromises to the Indian sovereignty, it will be yet another milestone in Indian history. All of the above is just tip of the iceberg, the feats are endless. But, if we don't see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential; and that if we do, we could once again be an ever shining country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow.

Not to forget the cultural heritage that the youth of the country- India's driving force- carries further while taking leaps and jumps and making a further mark on the global map. India has been an integral part of the second and third generations world wide. It is needless to say that being extrinsic to the country did not ease the passion in their hearts, as these firebrands set the world on fire. These acts continue to inspire generations yet to come to rise above mediocrity and work tirelessly to take our great nation to new heights. Salute to their impeccable spirit.

The amalgam of culture, technology, progress, and heritage has never been an impairment to the country that has outshone most of the First world countries on the horizon of success. Kudos to the Indianness!