Celebrating Independence Day in India

India is one of the largest countries in Asia and the world. A great civilization exists there. It was successively conquered by different empires, such as the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs, Afghans, Mongols, Portuguese, Dutch, and finally, the English, who, through the capitalist English East India Company, came to conquer and exercise almost absolute dominion over India. The English colonialists used the divide and rule principle of ancient imperial Rome. They placed themselves at the top of the pyramid of power and privilege, maintaining the divisions resulting from castes and stimulating religious rivalries.

The first nationalist movements began in the 19th century and India achieved its long-awaited freedom in 1947. It took nearly four decades of political struggle and painstaking work to build a sense of national unity that contrasted with the country's traditional fragmentation, accentuated by nearly two centuries of British occupation.

From bold uprisings to nationwide resistance movements, countless unsung heroes, from revolutionaries to peaceful protesters laid the foundation for the cause of a free India.

The armed struggle groups were very strong and their contribution to India's independence struggle was significant. This movement was especially strong in Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (then called the United Province), and Punjab.

In addition, there were a series of armed mass movements like Tebhaga in Bengal, and numerous other revolts in different regions. Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose also played a prominent role. Even on the eve of independence, in 1946, the country was shaken by the famous naval mutiny. Nor should we forget the importance of the intervention of the Azad Hind Fauj, led by Subhash Chandra Bose.

Sepoy Revolt or Indian Rebellion in 1857

The Sepoy Revolt is described as an aggressive revolt by the British colonialists who won the war, but the Indian rebels, who lost it, tell it differently, placing it at the forefront of the future struggle for Independence.

Sepoys were indigenous soldiers within the British Indian Army. In 1857, they rebelled against the customs and abuses of the mother country. A large part of the British East India Company 's army was made up of Indian sepoys.

Lal Qila was the official residence of the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, and the sepoys asked him to reclaim his throne. Although he initially refused, he eventually agreed and became the leader of the rebellion. The Indian rebellion had various religious, social, political, and economic causes. The sepoys had long harbored animosity toward the British East India Company, mainly due to ethnic differences and poor treatment between British officers and Indian troops.

The accumulation of grievances led to the uprising of the sepoys against the power and abuses of the English Company around 1857. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny by Indian soldiers of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857 in the cantonment town of Meerut.

In March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a soldier in the 34th Infantry Regiment, attacked a British sergeant and wounded his adjutant. The motive for Mangal Pandey's behavior was a new type of cartridge that had been coated with pig and cow fat, repulsive to Muslims and Hindus respectively. To use, these cartridges had to be bitten off at the ends, implying an explicit contempt on the part of the British for their respective religious beliefs, even with the intention of turning them away from them.

When General Hearsay ordered an Indian officer to capture Mangal, he refused. Instead of heeding the suggestions of some British officers regarding respect for the sepoys' beliefs, they were dismissed as beastly superstitions. Once captured, the soldier was hanged along with the Indian officer on April 7.

On May 10, 1857, the 11th and 20th Sepoy Cavalry regiments rebelled against British officers and marched on Delhi. There, they were joined by other Indian regiments and civilians. They attacked and captured the palace where Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last emperor of the Mughal dynasty, resided. Zafar was restored to his throne.

Since many regions controlled by the British Company did not join the Revolt, remaining neutral or awaiting its outcome, the defeat of the sepoys was assured. Nevertheless, the Maratha leaders became popular heroes of the independence movement a century later. In 1984, the government of an independent India issued a stamp bearing his portrait, commemorating him as a freedom fighter, and his life was later adapted into a film.

As a result of the tragic conflict, the Company was abolished and its power assumed by the Crown in 1858, while the Administration remained under the control of the British aristocratic oligarchy.

Fearless women warriors of India's freedom struggle

Women played a vital role in this epic journey, leading the fight against oppressive British colonial rule with extraordinary courage. Some of them have left an indelible mark on history.

Imagine the dramatic scene of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, dressed in warrior regalia, leading her troops into battle against the British East India Company. Her leadership during the 1857 Indian Rebellion, particularly the defense of Jhansi Fort, was marked by strategic brilliance and unwavering determination. Despite her eventual defeat, her heroic stand has immortalized her as a symbol of resilience.

Others who joined the national movement were Madame Cama, Sister Nivedita, Annie Besant, Pandita Ramabai, Sarojini Naidu, Kamla Nehru, Maniben Patel, Vijaylakshmi Pandit, Sucheta Kripalani, Prabha Vari Devi, and thousands of others who sacrificed their homes to see their country free.

Even those who did not fully support nonviolence joined the movement for a new India through revolutionary methods. Among these were Durga Bhabhi, an associate of Bhagat Singh; Satyavati Devi; Khurshedben; Lado Rani Zutshi; Aruna Asaf Ali; and others; as well as Durgabhai Deshmukh and Ammu Swaminathan, who served the country with active social service.

Madame Cama's story reads like a thriller. Even before Gandhi began his movement in India, she, along with Sardar Singh Rana, unfurled the Indian tricolor in 1907. When Madan Lal Dhingra, a 22-year-old patriot and engineering student in London, was executed in 1909, she said, "More Madan Lals are needed now." In collaboration with Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, she founded a magazine called Madan Talvar (Madan's Sword), published in Berlin.

Madame Cama greatly influenced the minds of Bhagat Singh and his companions. She is popularly known as the "Mother of the Revolution" and called on her countrymen to commit themselves to overthrowing the foreign yoke.

Durgavati and Susheela Devi are two sisters who played a vital role in the revolutionary movement of Bhagat Singh's era. Bhagat Singh had traveled with Durgavati, popularly known as Durga Bhabhi, on the Calcutta Mail train on December 18, 1928, on one of his adventures.

Durga Bhabhi was like a meteor in the firmament of India's independence struggle. She was the wife of Professor Bhagwati Charan Vohra and was the terror of the British police.

She was an active member of the Naujaivan Bharat Sabha, and her finest moment came on December 17, 1928, when, after killing Saunders, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev came to her house for advice and to decide on future action. Her plan was to travel to Calcutta. Dressed as an English sahib, she traveled with Durg Bhabhi and her son on the Calcutta Mail.

Satyawati is another name associated with the Indian independence movement. She was the illustrious daughter of Swami Shradhananda, whose sole passion was Indian independence. Of her 37 years of life, she spent 12 in prison, once with a newborn baby in her arms as her companion.

Lado Rani Zutshi, wife of a Lahore lawyer, and her two daughters, Janak Kumari Zutshi and Swadesh Kumari Zutshi, also played a leading role in the civil disobedience movement in Punjab, specifically in Lahore.

Aruna Asaf Ali, the heroine of the 1942 movement, was made of different material. Originally a Gandhian, she changed her mind about nonviolent methods. She remained underground for several years, raised the national flag in Bombay, became mayor of Delhi, and earned the admiration of all politicians.

Amrit Kaur, imprisoned several times and repeatedly whipped, became close to Gandhiji during the days of martial law in Punjab. She decided to abandon princely pomp and entered Gandhiji's ashram .

Another name that emerged from the independence struggle was that of Durgabai Deshmukh during the Salt Satyagraha. Popularly known as the Iron Lady, she challenged British authority in the 1930s and edited a magazine called Andhra Mahila. These women social activists broadened the base of the independence movement with their active social work.

Known as the Nightingale of India for her evocative poetry, Sarojini Naidu was also a formidable leader in India’s freedom struggle. A pillar of India's Constituent Assembly, Sucheta Kriplani was a key figure in laying the foundations for a democratic India. The young Usha Mehta challenged the British authorities through her revolutionary broadcasts on Congress Radio.

Khurshed Ben, another young woman from Maharashtra, worked in the Northwest Frontier Province and became a legend among Pushto-speaking independence fighters.

A doctor and revolutionary, Lakshmi Sahgal was a prominent leader in the Azad Hind Government under Subhash Chandra Bose. Her command of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Azad Hind Fauj and her humanitarian efforts during the Bangladesh Liberation War highlight her multifaceted contributions. Her leadership was characterized by her ability to mobilize female soldiers and provide lifesaving care in the midst of conflict.

Rise of Netaji

The rebellions were not as damaging to the British as the one led by Subhash Chandra Bose, who recruited 55,000 Indian soldiers to fight them and convince the Japanese to support India's independence.

With Japanese help, he founded and organized the Indian National Army and the Provisional Government of Free India, headquartered in Japanese-occupied Singapore. When the British military command surrendered, they had left behind some 40,000 Indian prisoners of war. These were recruited with Japanese help as the basis of military units willing to fight for Indian independence under Japanese military command.

Officially, Bose was declared as dead on August 18, 1945, two weeks before the end of the war, when the plane en route to Tokyo crashed over Taiwan. His body was never found, leading to numerous speculations and alternative views that contradict the official version.

Two-nation Theory

While Netaji's men lurked on the northern border and Congress members languished in British jails, members of the Muslim League had a clear path to thrive in the shadows and lay the foundations for the nation they wanted to build for their people. This party, which controlled barely a quarter of the seats reserved for Muslims, was key in the negotiations for independence.

he situation worsened, with bloody attacks against minorities in various parts of the country. In Calcutta alone, 4,000 people died in riots in 1946, according to official figures.

First steps towards freedom

On August 15, 1947, at midnight, what is now the most populous democracy on the planet achieved its independence amid popular enthusiasm. Jai Hind (Victory to India) was the most widely heard cry. The final Constitution was promulgated in 1949, and the following year, the Republic of India was proclaimed. The long journey toward freedom was over for this country, and a period fraught with challenges had begun, many of which remain unresolved at the start of the 21st century.

Independent, but divided

At the end of the Second World War, Winston Churchill called a general election, which was held on 5 July 1945 and won by Labour. The new government, led by Prime Minister Clement Attlee, decided to grant India independence, with Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy, negotiating the transfer of power with the Congress Party and the Muslim League.

On 15 August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had become the country's prime minister, hoisted the national flag at the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in New Delhi. This was the official act of proclaiming India's independence. The country was divided into two nations: India and Pakistan.

The problem was that Hindus and Muslims lived intertwined in almost every region of the country. Adding to this difficulty was another: Muslims were the majority at both ends of India (in Bengal in the east and around the Indus River in the west).

This resulted in a country divided into two parts: West Pakistan, where Urdu and Punjabi were spoken, and East Pakistan, where Bengali was spoken and cultured. This dismemberment led to the outbreak of violent riots between the two ethnic groups in the north of the country.

Consequences of the partition

Hindus from Pakistan migrated to India, and Muslims living in India fled to West and East Pakistan, triggering the largest migration movement in human history and a territorial conflict on the subcontinent that remains unresolved. In just two years, 15 million people crossed the borders of the two new countries to flee attacks by the dominant population. Hundreds of thousands died in brutal attacks organized by radicals on both sides.

The final toll of the partition was terrible. During the migration of Hindus and Muslims, nearly three million people disappeared in the violent attacks that occurred in 1947. Most of the families who moved to another country occupied the homes of those who had fled to other territories. Those who refused to leave their homes suffered violence from their neighbors.

Today, India is the world's fourth-largest military power and the fourth-largest economy.