Without being disrespectful to our freedom fighters, it must also be mentioned that August 15 is a day of mourning. The exultation of attaining freedom was marred by horror that struck hapless millions in erstwhile West Punjab and East Bengal. An entire generation was devastated, uprooted, lost their family members and found themselves under the open sky on the streets of Kolkata or New Delhi. Thus it is sheer barbarism to gloat over the “freedom” achieved at the expense of numerous lives of our own countrymen i.e. the victims of Partition.
And what was the root cause behind such violence and gory deaths? Nothing but sheer communalism. But the greatest tragedy lies in the fact that instead of learning any lesson about the ill-effects of communal hatred, India (actually the whole sub-continent) has simply failed to nip communalism in the bud. It is unfortunate to see how mean-minded imperialist lot continues to dominate Indian polity who simply does not know the basic concept of India. That this multi-lingual multi-religious secular democratic heterogeneous India is neither a colony nor paternal property of a particular religious or linguistic group — simply elude the parochial dark mindset of the communal chauvinist lot.
Also it is high time India be made free in the true sense of the term. Apart from ensuring independence for all from the vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy, hunger, child and bonded labour; the menace of intolerance and violence against Dalits or our North-Eastern brothers and sisters in North and South India should also be resisted with utmost strength as rightly stressed by our President Mukherjee.
India is indeed proud and fortunate to have such a conscientious President at its head who is acting as the Conscience of the nation. In this dark age of “Good Days”, Pranab Mukherjee is the only beacon of light in our wretched polity.
