Capt Purushottam Sharma (Retd)
“I do not want to see fallen and prostrate India. I want a free and enlightened India so that she may be of help to the other countries of the world and she may if need arises, die so that other people may live/’ -Gandhi Ji Centuries of slavery of MOTHER INDIA caused its people horrible sufferings from oppression, diseases and hunger. To quote an example, the 1857 Revolt was ruthlessly crushed by the British killing millions of Indian soldiers and civilians. Around 28 million Indians had died of starvation between 1854 and 1901. Our Independence on 15th of August, 1947 was a victory accomplished after a protracted war lasting many many years wherein millions of heroes sacrificed their lives and underwent untold sufferings. Therefore, August 15th is the Golden Day and the most unique event to celebrate, rejoice and resolve to keep climbing up unitedly. Gandhi Ji’s noble statement is being fully realized when India is liberally helping other countries of the world in difficult situations and calamities. See how people of Indian origin are being held in high esteem for their admirable merits. Some of them are exceptionally genius. Shri Rishi Sunak, Britain’s Prime Minister is of Indian origin. We may have similar achievements in USA and other countries in future. Many thousands of patriots embraced martyrdom for the sake of freedom of Mother India. They are the embodiment of heroism and source of inspiration to the succeeding generations. Every living being in the lap of Mother India who breathes the air of this sacred land, drinks the holy waters, consumes her produces and enjoys freedom is supposed to be loyal, prepared to lay any sacrifice and prove an absolute asset exhibiting robust nationalism and be worth the salt. It is an occasion to repeat and to remind of the Revolutionary slogans of the Patriots who faced gallows with smiles and singing hearts for the sake of dear Freedom. Few of these are- “Sarfroshi Ki Tammanna Abb Hamare Oil Mein Hai, Dekhana Hai Zor Kitna Bajue Kaat1l Mein Hai” “Shaheedon Kl Chitaon Par Lagen Ge Har Bars Mele, Watan Pe Marne Walow Ka Yehi Baaki Nishan Hoga.” “Inquilaab Zindabaad.” Bharat Maata Ki Jai.’ “Dushman Ki Goliyon Ka Hum Samna Karenge, Azad Hee Rahein Hain, Azad Hi Rahenge.” -Chandra Shekhar Azad How can our memory escape the supreme sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who embraced the gaiiows at the Central Jail, Lahore, in the evening of March 23,1931, on charges of assassination of British Police Inspector Saunders who had made a ‘Laathi’ charge on Lala Lajpat Rai, a great leader and Freedom Fighter, causing his death. It was on August 9, 1942, in the August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai, that a call was given by Gandhi Ji “I want freedom immediately.” “Do or Die” for India’s Independence. PtJawahar Lal Nehru had said, “The Resolution is in no sense a challenge or a threat to anyone but an offer of cooperation of a free India/’ Sardar Patel said “It is the duty of every Indian to do whatever he can to win freedom immediately. This is a test for us. It is the duty of each one of us to show where India stands.” On the same day, all the leaders of India were arrested. That mass arrest transfused patriotic urge in the people which needed own powerful transmitter for large-scale propaganda. It was Usha Mehta and Babubhai Khakhar who established Congress Radio of 42.34 meter- band on August 14, 1942. Another Transmitter was set by Vithalbhai. One undertook recording work and the other broadcasting work. The Second World War from 1939 to 1945 had crippled the world at large and the Britain in particular. At last, the Freedom Movement brought its glory and compelled the British to quit India. Independence came with a sad division of the country into two (India and Pakistan), well known as ‘partition’ which caused mutual hate, communal riots, mass killings, migrations both sides, brutality, sorrows and sufferings. This hate still subsists. On this special occasion, let us remember and pay tributes to freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Babu Rajendra Prasad, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sh C Rajagopal Acharya, Sh Subhash Chander Bose, Acharya Kriplani, Smt Sucheta Kriplani, Dr C Subrarnaniam, Sh Lai Bahadur Shashtri, Shri YB Chavan, Sh TS Pai, Sh CR Manohar Lohia, Sh KM Munshi, Sh Achyutrao Patwardhan, Sh KA Abbas, Sh Moinuddin Harris, Sh Kamal Wood, Usha Mehta, Smt Aruna Asif Ali, Sh Sachindranath Sanyal, Sh K Kamaraj, Sh S Satya Murti, Dr Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, Sh RVenkataram, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerjee, Mangal Pandey, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rani of Jhansi, VD Savarkar, Sorojini Naidu, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqualla Khan, Chittaranjan Dass, Annie Basant, Madam Bhikaji Cama, Dadabhai Naoroji, Khudiram Bose, Bipin Chander Pal, Nana Saheb Tantya Tope and many others. OUR NATIONAL SYMBOLS National Flag This was originaiiy designed by Shri Pingali Venkayya, a great Freedom Fighter. With some changes, it was finally adopted on July 22, 1947, just a few days ahead of 15th August, 1947. The length and width of the Flag has to be in the proportion of 2:3 with three strips of identical size horizontally. The upper strip of dark saffron color stands for courage and sacrifice, the middle strip in white with Ashoka Chakra (Wheel of Dharma) in its center of Navy Blue shade having 24 evenly sized spokes stands for light, the path of truth, and the lower strip of deep green color stands for prosperity and fertility, that is, kinship with the soil. Flag must be made of special kind of Khaddar and hand-spun silk. The Flag is manufactured in 9 different sizes. The sole right to manufacture the Indian Tricolor belongs to the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha in Hubli (Dharwad). December 7 is celebrated as National Flag Day. The 361 feet high National Flag atop the Red Fort is 8×12 feet. National Emblem Our State Emblem was adopted on January 26,1950. It is a replica of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. Crest of the Emblem shows three lions mounted on an abacus with wheel of Dharma in the center, a bull on the right side and a horse on the left. The motto Satyameva Jayate is included underneath the crest. National Anthem ‘Jana-Gana-Mana Adhinaayak Jaya Hey, Bhaarat Bhaagya Vidhaataa Panjaab – Sindhu – Gujarat – Maraatha – Draavid – Utkal-Banga, Vindhya Himaachal Yamuna-Ganga Uchchhal Jaladhi Taranga Tav Shubh Naamey Jaagey, Tav Shubh Aashish Maange, Gaahey Tav Jayagaathaa Jana-Gana-Mangal Daayak, Jaya Hey Bhaarat Bhaagya Vidhaataa Jaya Hey, Jaya Hey, Jaya Hey, Jaya Jaya Jaya, Jaya Hey. ‘Thou art the ruler of the mind of people, Dispenser of India’s destiny, Thyname rouses the hearts of the Panjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, of the Dravid, Orissa and Bengal, it echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, Mingles in the music of the Ganges and Yamuna, And chanted by the waves of the Indian sea. They pray for thy blessings, And sing thy praise. The saving of ail people waits in Thy hand, Jhou Dispenser of India’s destiny.’ Our National Anthem is the first stanza of a Bangla poem ‘Bharot Bhagyo Bidhata’ (Dispenser of India’s destiny) by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in January 1912 issue of Tattvabodhini Patrika of which he was himself the Editor. He had translated it into English in the year 1919 under the title ‘The Morning Song of India.’ It was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24th of January, 1950. The record of our National Anthem was played before the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1947 in New York. It received rapturous applause of the large number of representatives of nations present there for patriotic theme of the Anthem and sweet and magnificent tune of the song.