Politics

Anti-Brahmanism: A Case Study to Indian Muslims

By U. Mahesh Prabhu

The Great Uprising of 1857 unnerved the British, though for a while. Within two or three years of quelling it, and with great ferocity, they set to work putting together a version of the incident that would suit their ends. ‘The uprising was confined to just a few pockets’, they said, adding, ‘it erupted as a result of local misunderstandings’, and that ‘there was no national sentiment behind it for the leaders themselves fought only for their feudal privileges—one because her son was not being recognized, another because his pension was being stopped, and so on.’ This version was believed to be the true narration of the incident for so long that it even finds mention in Nehru’s ‘Discovery of India’!

The British did not stop at rewriting history books. They initiated a series of real politick measures. As Brahmins had provided the ideological leaven for the uprising, the campaign of calumny against them was redoubled. They started their propaganda against the Brahmins and an era of anti-Brahmanism began which lives on till date.

Though the British just gave a boost to such sentiments, they were not the beginners of the legacy. In the book ‘Diwan-i-Salman’, Khwaja Masud bin Sa’d bin Salman wrote of the Battle of Jalandhar (Punjab) thus: ‘The narrative of any battle eclipses the stories of Rustam and Isfandiyar. By morning meal, not one soldier, not one Brahmin remained alive or free. Their heads were levelled to the ground with flaming fire. Thou have secured the victory to the country and to religion, for amongst the Hindus this achievement will be remembered till the day of resurrection.’ Read More…

Islamic Fanaticism—Not Economic Backwardness

It’s almost a month since Jammu began, what seems to be, an insuppressible agitation against the Governor and the pro-partisan and Muslim-appeasing politicians on their refusal to re-allot the land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for providing facilities to Hindu pilgrims visiting Amaranth. The depth of resentment is evident looking at an incident which occurred on July 22, when Kuldeep Raj Dogra, in his mid-30s, while participating in a hunger strike at Jammu’s Parade ground, consumed poison, stood up, read a passionate, self-written patriotic poem, faltered, and then… fell dead. Since then the situation has gone haywire, well beyond the control of the administration. But what made the people of Jammu, mostly peace-loving, to turn so aggressive? Is there a logical explanation for this? Read More…

Behind the Gujjar-Meena fracas

The Kautilyan Perspective The 1857 uprising, though for a short time, unnerved the British. After the event, to ensure that this never occurred again, Britons began commencing a series of real politick measures. The Bengal army which had shown alarming camaraderie during the mutiny was disbanded. Calumny against the Brahmins, for having presented the ideological leaven for the revolt along with constituting an all India framework for the movement, was doubled. The unity of Hindus and Muslims, which was unmistakably extraordinary during the revolt, was a major budding threat for the empire in India and provision were made to dissuade it.

‘Divide et Impera was the old Roman motto,’ wrote Lord Elphinstone, then Governor of Bombay ‘and it should be ours.’ Sir John Strachey was of no dissimilar view. ‘The existence, side by side, of hostile creeds among the Indian people, is one of the strong points in our political position in India.’ he stated. Read More…

Break the walls

When I met MJ Akbar (MJ) for the first time at his office in Green Park, New Delhi, we had a very transitory interaction. Though not much noticeable happened, in the last minutes of discussion, however, he made a statement which was to make a lasting impression on me – for life.  ‘We have built walls for generations… now its time to break them down.’ he said, as I hopelessly agreed.

For over hundreds of years walls have been built and fortified in this country. It’s stronger than the walls erected by the Israelis to keep away the Palestinians from crossing into their territory. The wall we are talking of is the Hindu-Muslim emotional divide. Apart from the four metros and other cosmos, when I move towards the rural areas, if not all – most, I see how agitated people are against each other. I am saddened by the hatred person of one faith harbors against another in a sense of utter disbelief.

Certainly both have valid reasons from their perspectives to this mutual distrust. But, the issue that baffles my mind is as to why be it that no efforts for lasting reconciliation have been made from either side until today? I am unable to comprehend as why do populace retort to hostility, fighting and brutality when frustrated without giving talks-for-peace a chance? Many may argue that we hadn’t had much of riots in the past ten years. But that is not to say that mutual discontent has vanished. It is gathering momentum, though steadily, even today. Read More…

After arrack went off the rack

Sieged ArracksFather of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had no place for alcohol in his grand vision for India. In prompt compliance to this ‘vision’, his condemnation was written into the constitution. All the states, according to it, are supposed to be making it gradually more complicated to obtain alcohol until none is available. The motives of our founding fathers were commendable: in rural India booze is a dominant anaesthetic against the pains of destitution and yet it exacerbates that deprivation and ruins families! But there was never a pragmatic chance of eradicating the ‘demon drink’ completely. Many efforts were made, but with little success.

In 2007, during the reign of BJP-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, B S Yediyurappa (BSY), under the capacity of Dy. Chief Minister took a ‘very brave’ step of eradicating the arrack by banning it. Though it was a bloody blow to the arrack barons, it was, however, well received in the rural areas. The Stree Shakti Group, an NGO, and other Seers of Hindu Monasteries, who have been campaigning hard for the eradication hailed the former Dy. CM for his commendable measure. It can be called commendable because in Karnataka 50% of revenues from the liquor industry come from arrack alone. To put it in figures: of 3,414.94 Crores excise collections in 2005-06, arracks share was 1,565.40 crores. Read More…

Seed of hatred begets nothing but destruction

Hate looks like a paltry four letter word. To say ‘I hate…’ may seem natural. ‘It’s common’ many may say, and agree. It is also a ‘natural human tendency’ that which is imbibed in a person ‘since birth’. But once born hate often dies hard.

Leaders are the men who lead the masses. Leaders are required, for without them we have little motivation for growth. If leaders are wise, they transform the society for good and forever, when imprudent he instigates a culture of hatred. That hatred, like wild fire, burns the minds of people and instigates violence to be faced and suffered by not just one but generations after generations.

When Pakistan was born it was simply based on abhorrence towards the Hindus. When Zimbabwe marched in its path to freedom it carried along hatred against the white skinned people. Almost all of the middle-eastern nations were brought to existence out of the hatred for the other races and religions. There is a saying in various Indian (or Hindu) texts, which reads ‘If hatred is thy reason, it shall bring nothing but destruction.’ Great Indian Sages starting from Vedic seers like Jaimini and Veda Vyas until the great exponent of Advaita Adi Shankaracharya until Sufi saints like Kabir have all been great propagators of ‘Love’, for they knew that ‘Hate’ will bring nothing but obliteration. The chaotic state of Pakistan, financial and social misery of Zimbabwe, suffering of people living in Middle Eastern nations, I strongly believe, is a testimony to that truism of our sages. Read More…

Threat that can be severe than Terrorism

U.N. peacekeepers patrol in an armored vehicle during protests on a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.By U. Mahesh Prabhu

Do you think Islamic terrorism is the worst thing ever to be faced by mankind? If ‘Yes’ is your answer, perhaps you shall change your view point, and completely, after reading this.

Egypt’s authoritarian regime is currently facing a mounting political threat. Other countries in similar state are: Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Indonesia. If not riots they are forced to face increase in public demonstration. Recently Jacques Edonard Alexis, Prime Minister of Republic of Haiti, a Caribbean nation, was kicked out of office foreseeing the hospitals filled with wounded following the riots. These riots, interestingly, are neither for the sake of religion nor for unswerving political rationale. It is all happening for the sake of food!

Globally food prices have risen nearly 40% since mid-2007. And the nations who import nearly all of its food are facing their worst crisis ever. The prices of wheat have jumped by over 120% which means the price of a loaf of bread has more than doubled in places where poor spend as much as 75% of their income just on food. It is needless to say that if such rise in prices go on, then its consequence on population in a large set of countries will be terrible. Read More…

Zimbabwe: A dreadful saga of inflation

Zimbabwe DollarsIn Zimbabwe every person is a millionaire. He has a capacity to spend millions of Zimbabwean Dollars (ZD) every month. It is true, have no doubts. Actually he does spend millions of dollars. It’s fact, not fiction.

However, it is also true that knowing this very truth revered economists deny calling it a prosperous nation. Not out of psychosis, but of sanity. A mere sausage sandwich here costs 30 million ZD. That’s true, thirty million! That apart a 30 pound bag of potatoes, which would cost 90 million in the first week of March, is now estimated to be costing over 160 million ZD. Why? That’s because of inflation, which in case of this African nation has surpassed over 1,000 %.

Before I dive a bit deep into the subject here’s a brief definition of inflation, for those who have never heard of this economic terminology: ‘Inflation is a measure of rise in price level of goods and services, measured up by taking set of goods and services and then prices of the items in the set are compared to prices one period ago.’

In 1979, when Mugabe’s nationalist rebels overthrew the white dominated government of Rhodesia, and changed the name of the country to Zimbabwe, it was among the most prosperous of the African Nations then. All the farms which once would have enough and more of food grains and thus export to earn a foreign exchange now lay barren – virtually. Needless to say that agricultural productivity is at all time low. This year the country’s shortfall in maize is 360,000 tones, and its short fall in wheat is 255,000 tones. Read More…

Contentions Unjust: Defying the allegations against the RSS

By U. Mahesh Prabhu

I am not an integral part of the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). I am neither a Pracharak nor do I have any responsibilities within the organization. The comparatively underpaid job that I have currently as the Editor of ‘Aseemaa: Journal for National Resurgence’ has hardly anything to do with RSS, though it was founded by some of its notable affiliates. It’s not a mouthpiece of theirs unlike Organiser or Panchajanya, both published from New Delhi, in the first case. The journal is run by me completely independent of RSS on the editorial side.

Aseemaa is today considered by many of the distinguished intellectuals in this country, and abroad, to be ‘Liberal’ magazine carrying thoughts of writers hailing from almost all school of thoughts, and also from all part of the world. It has articles authored by premier journalists like M J Akbar, Aijaz Zaka Syed, Caroline Glick, and many who hardly have anything to do with Hindutva, or any other ideologies propounded by RSS. Some of them have even, at times, strongly criticized RSS. Yet when I changed my profession, from a management-man to a journalist-editor, people shouted at me saying that I am going ‘fascist’.

‘Fascist’ is the word they wanted to convey, also, to RSS and all its respective organization and its people too. I was taken completely aghast. ‘RSS and Fascism, what do they have it to do together?’ I thought for myself. The allegation was a serious one and I had to answer them all. Within no time I did answer them and completely shut them up.

But recently I happened to write an article entitled ‘We shall continue to live to the end of times, for we have done no wrong’. It was published by over 4 significant medias, both print and internet. While many hailed my efforts many more ever angered for I having taken the name of RSS. A site called Mutiny.in which featured the article found over 60 responses with a few shouting the same old allegation of ‘fascism’, directly and indirectly. Some even called RSS and Sangh Parivar – ‘fundamentalist’, one ‘whose funda is mental’. I am bound to put pen to paper owing to those 70 and odd responses and emails I have received to my previous article, mentioned above, with the aforesaid accusations. I don’t really know as to whether I can convince them that we are neither ‘fascist’ nor ‘fundamentalist’, but all that I can to is to prove that their contention is completely spurious. Read More…

Why army is the most important political factor in Pakistan?

Pakistani FlagWith the elections done and Nawaz-Zardari joining hands together to form the government, people in Pakistan and around the world might be of the impression that Pakistan’s military is out of the scene, as if obvious. But I can only wish it to be so. This I say because army is the most important political actor in Pakistan. Even without being a formal political party, it can influence or manipulate most things in the country: from managing its nuclear weapons programme to conducting census. The Fauj is everywhere. It shall not be wrong to state that it’s omnipotent as well as omnipresent even in the presence of a successful civilian government in power. Wearing the Khaki uniform allows you unprecedented status, and transforms you into being part of that tiny elite corps of Pakistanis whose writ run everywhere.

It might just be a surprise for many of you to know that from the areas as disparate as running businesses to finding ghost schools, the army is the ubiquitous face of Pakistan’s government. Besides it also builds roads and fights insurgencies; less important to say that its membership is superior to any exclusive club. From one phase of a military regime to another, the army has ever taken care of its own. Read More…

We shall live to the end of times, for we have done no wrong

By U. Mahesh Prabhu

I am not a celebrity writer and hence the kind of responses I receive to my articles, which are mostly on Hindutva, National or International issues are very few, nothing more than 20-30 mails, on average, per day. But many of the mails I receive have a common question to pose. It’s ‘What do you feel is the future of Hindus.’ The question, initially, I thought, considering my low response rate, was inquisitive to few. But with each passing day I am forced to believe that many, especially the youth of this nation, are eager to know as to what do Right-Wing writers like us have to say in this regard.

‘Will we survive the subjugation, would we be united against the oppressive political forces that which is keen to divide the Hindus for vote bank politics?’ I was asked by a student at a recently concluded NSS’ National Integration Camp at Moodubidri, where I had been to deliver a lecture, rather too pryingly. The answer was not readily available to me either, and I had to apologize to that young and enthusiastic looking lad.

Of all the things, the debt which the world owes to our culture, now rightly called as Hindu, is immense. Taking country with country, I bet, there is not one race on this earth to which the world owes so much as to Hindu, who is mostly patient and mild. ‘The mild Hindu’ sometimes is used as an expression of reproach; but if ever a reproach concealed a wonderful truth, it is in the term, ‘the mild Hindu’, who has always been the ‘blessed child of God’, as said by Swami Vivekananda in his maiden speech at Colombo after returning from the US, where he had attended the Parliament of Religions.

Civilizations have arisen in other parts of the world too. In ancient and in modern times, great ideas have emanated from strong and great races, wonderful ideas have been carried forward from one race to another. In times, ancient and modern, seeds of great truth and power have been cast abroad by the advancing tides of national life; but mark you, my friends; it has been always with the blast of war trumpets and with the march of embattled cohorts. Each idea had to be soaked in a deluge of blood. Each idea had to wade through the blood of millions of our fellow beings. Each word of power had to be followed by the groans of millions, by the wails of orphans, by the tears of widows. These, in the main, other nations have taught; but India has for thousands of years peacefully existed.

There was activity in this land when even Greece did not exist, when Rome was not thought of, when the very fathers of modern Europeans lived in the forests and painted themselves in blue. Even earlier, when history has no record, and tradition dares not peer into the gloom of that intense past, even from then until now, ideas after ideas have marched out from her, but every word has been spoken with a blessing behind it and peace before it. We of all nations of the world have never been a conquering race, and that blessing is on our head, and therefore we live.

Let us seldom forget those times when at the sound of the march of big Greek battalions the earth trembled. Vanished from off the face of the earth, with not even a tale left behind to tell, gone is that ancient land of Greeks.

There was, also, a time when the Roman Eagle floated over everything worth having in this world; everywhere Rome’s power was felt and pressed on the head of humanity; the earth trembled at the very naming of ‘Rome’. But the Capitoline Hill is a mass of ruins; the spider weaves its web where Caesars ruled.

There have been other nations equally glorious that have come and gone, living a few hours of exultant and exuberant dominance and of a wicked national life, and then vanishing like ripples on the face of the waters. Thus have these nations made their mark on the face of humanity.

But we continue to live, and if Manu came back today he would not be bewildered, and would not find himself in a foreign land. The same laws are here, laws adjusted and through thousands and thousands of years; customs, the outcome of the acumen of ages and the experience of centuries, that seem to be eternal; and as the days go by, as blow after blow of misfortune has been delivered upon them, such blows seem to have served one purpose only, that of making them stronger and more constant.

Let us also not forget, that we Hindus have never preached our thoughts with fire and sword. If there is one word in English language to represent the gift of India to the world, if there is one word in English language to express the effect which the literature of India produces upon mankind, it is this one word, ‘fascination’. It is the opposite of anything that takes you suddenly; it throws on you, as if, a charm imperceptibly.

To many, Hindu thought, Hindu manners, Hindu customs, Hindu Philosophy, Hindu Literature are repulsive at the first sight; but let them persevere, let them read, let them become familiar with the great principles underlying these ideas, and it is ninety-nine to one that the charm will come over them, and fascination will be the result. Slow and silent, unseen and unheard yet producing the most tremendous result, has been the work of this calm, patient, all-suffering, spiritual race upon the world of thought.

So I can say it with conviction that we Hindus shall continue to live without fear of being perished from the facet of the earth, should only we get organized. For we have all the moral right, as well as reason, to live to the end of the world. The organization of the Hindus is being done, thanks to the wonderful people at the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh. We need conviction and need to stay united against the evil forces that is committed to spark mutual collision, in the name of conversion, liberation, reservation and many.

The old proverb ‘United we stand divided we fall’, is very apt in this regard. Let us continue to bear it on the top of our thoughts.

Author is the Editor-In-Chief of Aseemaa: Journal for National Resurgence | indiamahesh@gmail.com | February 24, 2008

The Role of Media in National Integration

Lecture by:

  • U. Mahesh Prabhu,
  • Editor-In-Chief,
  • Aseemaa: Journal for National Resurgence,
  • At: SEMAA BHARATI – National Integration Camp on 23rd February 2008.

 

Distinguished dignitaries and my dear friends,

It is indeed my privilege and honor to have this opportunity to speak on the topic of ‘Role of Media in National Integration’.

Before I take you to the depth of the subject of media’s role in integrating this nation – India, We need to know what Nation is and why it is important. We also need to understand why ‘Internationalism’ one that is being propounded by the Capitalists, Communists and Wahhabi Islamists hasn’t hold good for the past, present and the future.

In the current context many people in our country hold the view that any venture that we undertake should be based on a grand world-thought capable of rendering good to the whole of humanity eschewing all narrow limitations of the country, community and religion. In support of this view, some proclaim that in this age of missiles, rockets and internet distance has vanished, boundaries of countries have become meaningless and the whole world has shrunk. They, therefore, feel that the very concept of country nation, etc., has become outdated, that the spirit of world unity alone should inspire all our activities. They conclude that the modern ‘isms’ which have taken up ‘internationalism’ as their watchword can alone lead us to that cherished goal. Read More…

Madikeri Diary: Fight before it’s late and victory is far and bleak

U Mahesh PrabhuBy U. Mahesh Prabhu

It was my first visit to Madikeri on February 7th 2008. There were two compelling reason for me to be there: First to deliver a lecture at Field Marshal Cariappa College and to attend the anniversary celebration of a dance magazine, Noopura Bhramari, founded by my distinguished, and exuberantly gifted, friend Manorama B N. Must say I was spell bound, rather completely, looking at the mystic beauty of the Kodagu. I was indeed repenting for not having visited the place, which was a few hundred kilometers from Mangalore, that which was reachable in less than five hours. Rich with greenery the place is filled with coffee and rubber plantations and several places of historic, religious and adventurous substance.

But before my three day trip to the city could come to an end I was spell bound again, but this time for a different reason. There are two Christian schools in the city named after the ‘revered savants’ of Christianity and, of course, managed by missionaries. Here I was testified by a medical practitioner about the rules and regulation of the said school.
A Hindu girl child, he told me, is not supposed to wear a Bindi on her forehead, not more than two Bangles are allowed and amazingly you are not supposed to take the names of Rama, Krishna and the like even while reciting the prayers. When tried to confirm about it I would find more than seven people, who were not related to each other, confirming the said statement of the doctor, who had introduced me to the issue. When asked as to why the parents didn’t take up the issue at the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), they would say that those two schools haven’t got any, to my utter awe. Read More…

Unholy ways of 'Holy' Missionaries

MissionariesOn December 25th when the whole world was celebrating the birth of the Jesus Christ, churches were burning in Orissa. As per confirmed estimates 11 churches had been burnt. On December 27th Religious leaders in the national capital expressed their anguish over the continuing attacks on the churches in Orissa, saying violence in any form is unacceptable. But something that which really bothered me was one of the statements, by Swami Shantatmanand – Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission in New Delhi – published in Indian Express, that which read ‘Hinduism teaches us to respect and acknowledge the validity of all other religion.’ I am yet to understand as to why was he saying so? Or what made him to make that statement? Is he trying to portray that some Hindus had did those deeds? But how can you say without investigation is complete and report is out? Read More…

Who earns a dividend on Benazir’s death?

Benazir is dead. Conspiracy theories are already up and working, ones that are complex, and are hard to understand. Pakistani administration of the Mush had initially told of her death due to the blast, where as the ‘scintillating revelation’ by the close aide of the departed leader seems to hinting otherwise. The Al-Qaeeda and Taliban, which was blamed, rather instantaneously, had denied their involvement. ‘It’s against our culture to attack woman’. Maulvi Muhammad Omar, a spokesman for Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Meshsud was found stating in Peshawar on phone from an undisclosed location. But can you trust Taliban? This is the question that may be humming your mind, and that’s obviously natural. Taliban regime, which when in force in Afghanistan, had violated almost all the human rights laws by executing those woman for alleged ‘adultery’. It didn’t even seek evidence in many of their cases before executing. Yet they deserve a benefit of doubt given the fact that they have been, rather passionately, taking in the responsibility for the alleged execution in the past. But if not Taliban then who else is to blame? Read More…

Kannada is under siege by whom?

In less than a month’s time I have attended two Kannada Sammelans (read conference). One organized by Alvas Education Foundation, entitled Nudisiri, in Moodubidri and Kannada Sahitya Sammelan – organized in association with the state government in, my home town, Udupi. The difference I found in both of them was phenomenal. While Alvas did a remarkable job of setting standards for such conferences, the Sammelan in Udupi was an awful experience owing to the political organizers and publicity mongers.

People were acting in varieties at the Kannada Sahitya Sammelan to find a space for themselves in the media. I am sure everyone was aware that this event was to get a tremendous publicity given the fact that there wasn’t much happening in the political podium in Bangalore with the assembly standing dissolved and election being too far. The news channels that have recently popped from nowhere were simply finding hard to put their hands on anything sensational for airing. Thanks to this Sammelan, especially the one organized in Udupi, they were at least managing to get some worthy, or unworthy, news to feed their desperate bosses in Bangalore, if not their viewers. Read More…

Why Americans may invade Pakistan?

American Invasion of PakistanFor four of its six decades since independence Pakistan was ruled by its Generals. And every General had with him an agenda of ‘bringing peace and stability to his nation.’ If anything was never achieved by them it was the same ‘peace and stability’. Situation is no different in Pakistan, even today, under its current dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf, whom people have provided different adjectives including: ‘stooge of Americans’, ‘disguised fundamentalist’, ‘cunning opportunist’ and a ‘perfect chameleon’.

When a person in any nation rises to a level of dictator, he needs a reason to justify his takeover of that particular country by force. Gen Zia-ul-Haq, then, had a very simple logic for this: While he promised his citizens corruption free governance by instituting Shariah (Islamic law); he was also quick to convince the Americans of his being an ‘ideal ally’ to help them fight against their arch rivals – Soviets, then, in Afghanistan. The same logic was followed by Musharraf with little modification. Read More…

Does Karunanidhi’s faith have a Scientific basis?

M KarunanidhiThere might not be anything as complex as and dirtier than Indian Politics. The current controversy over ‘Ram-Sethu‘ and ‘Existence of Ram‘ might just be one testimony to the fact.

When Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) filed an affidavit in the court stating ‘there isn’t scientific evidence to prove the existence of Ram…‘, it created a deep sense of unrest, not just among the people in the Sangh Parivar but also among those Hindus for whom Ram is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There was a great deal of dissatisfaction against the move by the Congress led UPA Government for almost twenty-four hours after which the Congress made a complete ‘U’ Turn to reinstate Ram in the Indian Pantheon. All the spot lights were then on Sonia Gandhi and was presented as a ‘Champion of a Hindu cause‘ by our media. But was she? Certainly not! Though she took the cognisance of Hindu feelings, she did nothing to stop the destruction of Ram-Sethu. It was, to be frank, a smart move by the Congress to devour BJP of its core agenda – Ram. This they did at the time when there were, and is, too much of uncertainties over the Party’s leadership in the next Loksabha elections.
ASI, which had filed the affidavit, is a part of Cultural Ministry headed by Congress’s leader Ambika Soni, who is a Christian by faith and not Hindu as many assume. Some rumours, it seems were spread by the party itself, that Soni had fallen apart with Sonia. H R Bharadwaj’s, union law minister’s, statement in clarification to the Congress’s stand on the whole issue indirectly suggested that ‘it was‘ perhaps ‘a ploy by a piqued loyalist to show the boss by embarrassing the government.‘
But could it be? Given the fact that ‘Soni is not going to leave the party’; the assumption of her challenging Sonia falls flat. So did Sonia and Congress’s win? Yes, certainly! But for a very short time! Thanks to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s (MK) statement they were bailed out, almost instantaneously.
‘Some say there was a person over 17 lakh years ago. His name was Ramar. Do not touch the bridge (Ram Sethu) constructed by him, they are saying. But then, from which engineering college had he graduated? Is there a proof for this?‘ said Karunanidhi, an atheist himself, in a public rally. The statement was enough for the Hindutva brigade to make the charge and demand from him an apology. But MK was reluctant and forged further on his remarks to add ‘…neither Valmiki nor Ram is here now (to touch for claims of Ram’s existence). There is only a group of people that think of people as fools. They will be proved wrong.‘ This won him a deep friendship with the Communist who offered him their full support, isolating the congress almost completely.
‘I dare him to challenge the heads of other faith‘ said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. But that was not to catch anyone’s attention, let alone MK’s. There was further drama when Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) leader, and former Bharatiya Janata Party MP, Ramvilas Vendanti issued a death sentence, what media dubbed with Islamic ‘Fatwa‘, against Karunanidhi on September 21.

The media got their favourite whipping boy, VHP, and diverted their total concentration on them. VHP were perhaps ‘forced‘ to take such extreme steps when MK went on records to say that ‘Ram was drunkard according to Valmiki…’ For people to whom Ram ‘had set the highest example of righteousness, as a obedient son, caring husband, great citizen, king and a warrior par excellence‘ the statement was no less than blasphemous an ‘intentional effort to hurt their religious sentiment‘. Their patience was perhaps tested to the extreme by now, for no wrong reason of theirs. Writes, in this regard, noted Hindutva writer Tarun Vijay: ‘One Diwali our Shankaracharya was arrested and then Muslims were given reservations in job and educational institutions. No one ever, not even once, has shown concern for Kashmiri Hindu Refugees; rather Illegal Migrants Detention Act was brought and when Supreme Court struck it down was brought through the back door.‘
But while there was so much of coverage, in detail, on the whole episode starting from Ram Sethu to the existence of Ram himself, the media failed to find the reason as to Why is Karunanidhi questioning the existence of Ram? It was not an instantaneous response from the aging leader. It has a deep root in the history of Tamil Nadu and dates back to 1914 when Dr. C. Nadesan Mudaliar started the Dravida Association with objective of ‘helping Dravidian People in the south‘.
The association was inherent in its doctrine ‘for the separation of the Aryan North and Dravidian South; and the destruction of the southern Brahmins were necessary because they were the true agents of the Aryan North.‘ In Tamil Nadu Ravana is seen as a South Indian prince and his defeat by Rama is interpreted by the Tamils as the ‘subjugation of a nationalist‘, not the downfall of a demon. Perhaps this was the reason why Ramayana was burnt in this part of the world once. What MK is doing, or better put trying to do, is to revoke the past, of which he was one of the champions.
He and his party Dravida Munnetara Kazagham (DMK), is based on its uncanny belief on the ‘Aryan Invasion Theory‘ propounded by a few European Historians, then, in order to prove the supremacy of Christianity, and to serve the purpose: ‘Divide and Conquer the Hindus‘. After the departure of British, Communist Historians like Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra, K M Pannicker, R S Sharma, D N Jha and Irfan Habib spread and advocated this myth with insane insights and misinterpretations. Thanks, also, to the lunacy of our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, this thought was even hailed by him in his book ‘Discovery of India‘ because of which this myth was further forged.
Dravidian pride or nationalism need not depend upon the Aryan Invasion Theory or denigrating the culture of North India. The, so called, Dravidians have long been one of the most important peoples of India and have been the preservers of Vedic Culture itself. The best Vedic Sanskrit, rituals and traditions can be found only in the Indian South.
Importantly the word ‘Arya‘ in Sanskrit was never a racial term, but a title for respect. Even Dravidian king, for MK’s information, named themselves Aryan. Hence to place Aryans against Dravidians as a term is a misuse of language, being done by MK’s party for over decades now.
Be that as it may, the Aryan and Dravidian divide by itself has failed to prove itself. Then it is certainly a good question to ask Karunanidhi: as to why is he still hanging on to his Dravidian thoughts? That too when the belief by itself has no basis? Given the fact ‘Biologically both Aryans and Dravidians are of the same Caucasian type, only when closer to equator the skin gets darker.‘ is a strong evidence for MK to come out of his lunatic Dravidian thoughts and legacy. But will he ever disown it? I think he should, along with his communist friends, after all, all that they need is a scientific proof. Are you listening Mr. MK? Are you there Mr. Prakash Karat? Hello!

U Mahesh Prabhu | 23 September 2007 | indiamahesh@gmail.com

Towards God…?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

‘The whole world is moving towards God, would Your Excellency not wish to join?‘ said Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a letter to his American counterpart – George Bush. This kind of a letter, for your information, is not new and is simply a continuance of tradition instituted by Prophet Muhammad.

In 625 AD, after having consolidated his position in Medina and having established a secured power base for Islam Prophet dictated three letters: to Khosrow Parviz, the Persian ‘King of Kings‘, a Zoroastrian; and to Emperor Heraclius of Byzantium and the Ethiopian monarch Negus, who were Christians by faith. The Prophet’s offer to the three recipients of his letters was: ‘Convert to Islam and secure a place in paradise or cling to your beliefs and face the sword of Islam.‘

The Persian monarch, apparently angered that Muhammad had put his own name before that of the ‘King of King‘, ordered his security services to find the ‘insolent letter writer‘ and bring him to the court in Ctesiphon, the capital of the Persian Empire at the time. According to Islamic folklore Muhammad escaped capture by the King of Kings‘ agents only because, soon after the incident, Khosrow Parviz was murdered by his son and designated heir. Within a decade of this incident the Persian Empire had disintegrated with most of its territory falling to the armies of ‘Islam’.<!–[endif]–>

Ayathollah Khomeini’s letter came with a similar response to a message sent by Gorbachev through his ambassador Vladimir Vingradov, offering the Islamic Republic a strategic partnership with the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). Mikhail Gorbachev wanted the Islamic Republic to help him prevent the victory of the US-backed Islamist Mujahedin in Afghanistan. In exchange, Gorbachev would support the Islamic Republic in the face of mounting American pressure. Khomeini, however, was not interested in that kind of deal-making. As a good Muslim leader he would not be satisfied with having ’something’. He, perhaps, wanted everything. Thus he composed a letter inviting Gorbachev to convert to Islam before he could receive help in Afghanistan or anywhere else. Needless to say the Soviet leader ‘politely’ declined.

Despite it’s many spelling and grammatical errors, written with naive undergraduate style, Ahmadinejad’s letter contained a crucial message that: the present regime in Iran is the enemy of the current international system and is, certainly, determined to undermine and, if at all possible, destroy it. It has now been confirmed that ‘Ahmadinejad believes that hidden Imam is about to return and that it is the duty of the Islamic Republic to provoke a ‘clash of civilizations‘ to hasten that return. As he asserts in his letter, Ahmadinejad also believes that ‘the liberal democratic model of market-based capitalist societies has failed and is rejected even in its traditional homeland’.

Ahmadinejad has been impressed by the extent of recent riots in France in which the extreme Left provided the leadership while the Muslim sub-proletariat offered much of the muscle in the streets. All this, and more, makes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a subject of hate to majority in the ‘civilized‘ society.

Apart from that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated his well-known intent to ‘erase’ Israel from the map last Friday with a new twist: ‘Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will be annihilated in one storm.‘ The history at times takes weird twists and turn. During the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, the current regime was not considered problematic by Israelis. At that time, Jerusalem saw Teheran as its strategic ally against Baghdad, then under the Saddam’s regime. The situation has reversed because of the fact that Ahmadinejad is a political no voice with a streak of ultra-nationalist tendencies – all poised to make situation for Iran worse.

Writes M J Akbar:

‘The Manmohan Singh government wants to bind India into a strategic relationship with the United States, specifically targeted against Iran (in writing) for starters but developing into a larger axis of the kind that America once had with Pakistan through the Baghdad pact. This was sweetened by much talk of nuclear energy on rather salty terms, intrusive, expensive and imbalanced’

But is there a better way to confine the Iranians? I think that’s the issue we aren’t really debating. Muslims still find themselves aligned with the Iranians. Non-Muslims, should they like it or not, have to align in such cases with the Americans whose President, it seems, prefers to let the weapons do the talking, even when he claims to be engaging in diplomacy. Sadly, there is hardly any much difference between the two Presidents. Both are fanatics in their own aspects.

By denying the Holocaust and Suffering of Jewish people Ahmadinejad has endeared himself to Muslims. By his diplomatic and hawkish posturing, has managed to earn more enemies for Iran during the past year and a half than the leaders of Islamic Republic have over the past quarter century or so.

With inputs from frontlines it looks as if Americans have already made up their mind to attack Iran. It’s now only a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’. According to Oxford Research Group up to 10,000 people would die immediately if the US bombed Iran’s nuclear site. If the US uses nuclear weapons, such as earth penetrating bunker buster bombs, radio active fallout would become even more disastrous.

Says Aijaz Zaka Syed of Khaleej Times:

‘Although Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons – at least not yet – to stave off aggression, it has other options of retaliating. It boasts a standing army of 450,000 troops as well as long range missiles that could hit Israel an even Europe. More importantly, a desperate Iran can play a havoc with the global economy by blocking strait of Hormuz through which much of the world oil supply is routed.‘

I don’t know as to whether the world is moving towards God. But these two leaders are certain to push to world to brink of disaster. We are on our way to war and not God, which is for sure.

U. Mahesh Prabhu | September 22, 2007 | indiamahesh@gmail.com

Handling Terror: Still not a Serious Business

Terrorism Yesterday Prime Minister of India, on the eve of Independence Day, reaffirmed his commitment to ‘firmly fight terror’. By the way the statement is not new and has been consistently made by PM’s after PM’s. Manmohan Singh’s is just a reaffirmation of that legacy. ‘Talk it loud and then flip it over’ – is the definition of India’s terror policy. We have, and shall continue, to be a soft state in handling terror. But why are we so? Why is it that no successive government was able to put a halt on the terror? Why is it for 6 decades we have been constantly eroded by terrorism? Why do we suffer from the countless conspiracies run by our neighbors? What wrong have we done to any? Any answers? If something is killing India, there are three: inaction of its citizens, inefficient presentation of truth by the media and the corruption of our political class.

The terrorists in the country are indeed very handful. They are less than 0.01% of our populace and their theories being ‘medieval’ in the making, be that of Maoists or Islamic Fundamentalists, there is hardly any chance for them to gain momentum. Those fundamentalists could find place in countries of the West and Middle East easily, but India is too big and complex for them to gain momentum. At least not until the mainline media give them a say and way!

But with the medias are changing side with the ‘anti-nationals’ and ‘anti-constitutional’ powers like that of Jihadies and Naxals, there is a growing discontent among the Muslims and the economically oppressed classes to find their way into them. How many times have we seen a trouble faced by a terrorist being glorified in the media to justify their acts of terror? And how many a time have we been speaking about them?

When Dr. Haneef was arrested in Australia the entire media of the country was behind him – as if to prove that he was the last Muslim who was not a terrorist. Why this double standard? Why so disparity? The day Haneef was released three army personnel’s had laid down their lives in fighting against the antagonists of our land. They had to wait for two days before they could make their way into 10 lines of news in some scarcely visible space of our ‘mainline’ newspaper.

By the way the Medias in the country were so desperate to find him innocent that they simply declared him ‘not guilty’ by the time he was given a ‘bail’. When few handfuls of people in Australia, mainly fanatic Muslims and unjust secularists, started raising their voice in his favor this was considered as an ‘important’ point to prove his innocence. Poor Politicians of the country seemed to have forgotten the fact that ‘Judiciary’ is supreme than the people who vote for them, at least, when it comes to declaring someone is right or wrong. While Prime Minister of the country lost his ‘Sleep’ over the issue, Karnataka Chief Minister went out of his office to find him at Haneef’s door step in Bangalore and offer him a ‘Government Job’. Could it haven been more insane? I am sure not.

Let alone the Islamic Terrorism, let’s talk about the Naxalites. Did we just spoke about Prime Minister’s commitment to fight terror? I am sure we certainly did. However that’s just one statement for Independence Day speech. Besides it is yet to get sanctity from our Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil, who describes the Naxals as “My Brothers and Sisters.”

Let me not go fanatic by speaking the wrong doings of UPA. Let me do what my Journalistic conscious say: ‘to inform the truth.’ It happened recently that a list of Naxalites was issued by the Karnataka State Police Department. Within days later some of the names in the list were called back. Premier Kannada news paper, mainly Vijay Karnataka and Hosa Digantha presented their respective readers with a photo which depicted those personas, removed from the list, with former Naxalites killed in encounter. The state JD(S) Government backed by the BJP kept mum over the concern and did zilch. Why so? That’s politics.

No country’s politics in the world could be as complex and dirty as one we have in India. The communist who claim to be ‘messiahs’ of ‘downtrodden’ and ‘poor’ themselves slaughtered many in Nandigram (West Bengal), the place where they are being reigned supreme for past 3 decades. Jehadis or Mujahiddins (freedom fighters) of Kashmir, after having slaughtered and driven the Kashmiri Pundits, are now doing their second (similar) act with their own people. BJP which is criticized ‘decisively’ the Nandigram episode are now all set to do the same act in a place called ‘Nandigudi’, a place 60 Kilometers from Bangalore, where 5,000 Hectares of land is being planned to be given to a little known ‘Skilled Company’. Will they get back to their consciousness? Don’t expect that… there is lot of money in SEZ to be made by our politicians.

You may have been confused over my mentioning of SEZ issue with terror. You must just think as to what would there be a relation between two. Don’t you? You should. It’s very simple; terrorism thrives at places where there is poverty and unemployment. When a premier company was closed in Kudremukh in Karnataka a major part of 5,000 families were displaced overnight and had no option but to join the Naxalite movement. When Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Kashmir the tourism went into a ‘nose dive’ and eventually the people dependent on the industry had no option but to bond with Jihadis. By the way a Jihadi is paid 5,000 Rupees a month compared to 4,000 what he may have earned out of living. It is a total myth that the Mujahiddins don’t fight for money. Nothing could be a better nonsense.

Each SEZ displaces, at least, 5000 families consisting of minimum 300,000 people, and employs just 10% of the displaced people. And the employed ones are those who are educated and qualified, what about those who aren’t qualified? Would they have any better option than being a Naxalite or Terrorist? By the way there are approximately 700 SEZ in pipeline all over India which means more than 3,50,00,000 people are going to loose not just their jobs but homes – giving a wonderful enrollment opportunities to the anti-national organization. It’s high time we understand that ‘Terrorism’ is not as much a ‘Philosophical’ problem, as much as it has to do with ‘Economical’.

Till date southern Indian states were little affected by terror but now, watch out, it’s just going change for shoddier, mind you. It was John F Kenned who once said ‘If those who are privileged could save the few who are oppressed, then there exists very bleak chance to for the privileged to save their privilege.’

U. Mahesh Prabhu | August 15, 2007 | indiamahesh@gmail.com

Jinnah: A Secularist among Jihadis

Gandhi JinnahL K Advani landed in trouble among his own protagonist for having hailed late father of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, as ‘A True Secularist’. The wrath he had to face from the Sangh Parivar was just too much for him. It is fact that Jinnah was a secularist at least until 60 years of his life. Is that looking to be a fiction? Trust me, it’s a fact. M A Jinnah whose portraits dominate the offices of Islamic government of Pakistan, but General Pervez Musharraf must be a very relieved man that Mr. Jinnah, the father of Pakistan, is not alive today – or he would have to be flogged publicly for his personal habits. Jinnah not only chain smoked Craven – A cigarettes but also liked whiskey and was not averse to pork! His was the life of an upper class liberal-which indeed Jinnah was for most of his life.

To take a look at his personal life is important, considering the assumption with which youths, both in India and Pakistan, looked at him. The celebrated author and journalist of the 60s and 70s M J Akbar defines Jinnah in his book ‘India: The Siege within’ as “The man who eventually destroyed Gandhi’s dream of a free and united India…”

Born on 25th December 1876 he spent his early days in Karachi. At the age of sixteen Jinnah was sent to England for further studies. However he was married before his journey to the alien land at the insistence of his mother, as she didn’t wanted her son to be seduced and captivated by an ‘English Miss‘. As a dutiful son he agreed and was married to a 14-year-old girl he never saw.

In London Business studies bored him and at one point of time he even thought of joining the stage and eventually signed a three-month contract with a theatre group. But then he decided to concentrate on a degree in law, entering Lincoln’s Inn; it was a wise decision since Jinnah was to become one of the ‘Best Lawyers of his Generation‘.

Reminisces Rafique Zakaira in his book ‘The Man who divided India‘ “While Jinnah was abroad his father’s health began to fail and he started to plead with his son to return and take over his business. Jinnah stayed in London till he finished his legal studies. By the time he could return, both his mother and wife had died. Instead of staying with his ‘unwell’ father Jinnah decided to come to Bombay to start his law practice. With him came his sister Fatima, who was devoted to him.”

It’s also astonishing to know about Jinnah, a ‘confirmed bachelor’ until 39 years of age, falling in love with daughter of his friend Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit. While with him to a hill resort in Darjeeling in 1916. The Parsi friend’s daughter, Ruttie, was interestingly just 16, no doubt she was a girl of great liveliness and courage. It’s said that though Ruttie’s father tried his level best to stop the marriage she eventually on her 18th birthday walked out of her home to marry the man she loved. As she belonged to the professional and entrepreneurial upper class of Bombay, this couple was a great hit in Bombay society. But the marriage did not last long. After 7 years when Jinnah was 48 and Ruttie was 25, they separated. The only time Ruttie’s father spoke to Jinnah, after the marriage, was when he telephoned to inform Jinnah that his wife was dying. Ruttie died in 1929 of an overdose of Morphine taken to ease the pain of chronic coltis. Jinnah wept like a child when he buried her. The last thing that Jinnah did before leaving Bombay on his way to the new country in 1947 was to visit her grave. The stern, unflappable Jinnah, who rarely displayed any emotion in public, broke down again.

The only person who accompanied him to Pakistan was his sister. His only daughter Dina, refused to go to Pakistan. The Jinnah who had married Ruttie had changed; he was now the ‘commander of the forces of Islam‘ Dina wanted to marry a Parsi, and Jinnah became furious when he heard this. There were millions of Muslim boys, he told his daughter, from whom she could choose. Dina replied that there had been lot of Muslim girls yet Jinnah had chosen to marry a Parsi. The only answer Jinnah had was to disown his daughter; he never called her ‘Dina‘ again, referring to her whenever necessary as ‘Mrs. Wadia’.

“Jinnah was able to ‘represent’ the Indian Muslims” states Akbar “thanks solely to the British. When the second World War broke out in Europe, the Congress refused to support the British effort and asked all its provincial government (elected in 1937) to resign. For Jinnah, who could not hope to come to power through elections, this was an’ Allah-sent’ opportunity. The Muslim league had decided that the only way it could get Pakistan was through the grace of the British and so in decade between 1937 and 1947 it played an active pro-British role.”

On February 1947, Prime Minister Clement Attlee finally declared the end of the British resolve, removed the last imperialist, Lord Wavell, and announced that by June 1948, Lord Mountbatten would preside over closing ceremonies. There was more than a year still left to the deadline; if anything, given the implications, Lord Mountbatten might have feasibly asked for a small extension. Instead, he got into hurry, which has still not been explained. Lord Mountbatten excuse had been that if he had not handed over the power as quickly as he did, the price would have been much higher. But that is only an assumption. It has been suggested that the British hurried transfer of power because they were aware of something, which no one else, apart from Jinnah, knew that ‘Father of Pakistan‘ had terminal TB, and if he died before the plans for Pakistan could be announced the whole campaign for a separate country might have collapsed.

Jinnah died on 11 September 1948 due to TB. But Jinnah’ doctor in Bombay Dr JAL Patel had diagnosed the problem in June 1946, says Collins and Lappire in ‘Freedom at Midnight’. This was perhaps the best-kept secret of Partition. Interestingly, it is acknowledged by many, Jinnah gave no public indication of this reality continuing with his usual ration of Cigars, and attributing his cough to bronchitis. Lord Wavell’s diary talks of this, giving testimony to the fact that British were well informed about the illness of Jinnah.

Little known is also Jinnah’s answer to a Journalist, who once questioned him after the formation of Pakistan. The question was ‘would Pakistan be a theocratic state.‘ Replied Jinnah “you are asking a question that is absurd. I do not know what a theocratic state means.” On 11 August the day he was elected President of Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly and the flag of the new nation was adopted, he told the House, “We are starting the state with no discrimination… we should keep that in front of us as our ideal, and you will find that in course of time Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to be Muslims. Not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as the citizens of the nation.”

Notes Ian Stephen in his book ‘Pakistan, Old country/New Nation’ “In 1934, Mr. Jinnah came back to India from a spell of law practice in London, and he soon found himself the leader of Muslim League. Like the Indian Liberal party but unlike congress, it had as yet scarcely attempted ‘mass contacts’ and remained little more than a discussion society of the upper class persons interested in particular brand of politics.”

Poet-Philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal made the same point in his letter to Jinnah sent on 28 may 1937 (which Tariq Ali quoted in ‘Can Pakistan Survive?‘). Said the Poet Politician: “The League will finally have to decide whether it will remain a body representing the upper class of Indian Muslims or Muslim Masses, who have so far with good reason, taken no interest in it. Personally, I believe that a political organization which gives no promise of improving the lot of average Muslim cannot attract our masses.” So, considering this, we return to the basic question: In whose interest was Pakistan created? It can never be for the Muslims. History acknowledges the fact that “Jinnah was able to ‘represent’ the Indian Muslims thanks solely to the British.”

Jinnah’s secular Pakistan was brought down to ashes by the Power of the Mullah, who reins the country even today. On June 4 Mountbatten held only the second Press conference addressed by the Viceroy of India, and announced that power to be transferred by 15th August. There was just two months left, and most of difficult task was yet to begun – drawing of boundaries. The lawyer Sir Cyril Radcliff was summoned from his chambers in London to run a scraper through the heart of the subcontinent he had never seen. This is when Mullah had won their country.

Less than five years from here Jinnah’s secularism was dead, with the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, in a decade Jinnah’s democracy had been destroyed. So what did Jinnah prove on 14 August 1947 except that he really never understood what he had done in the last decade of his life? The Mullah’s had to struggle for a while after 1947 to establish his domination over Pakistan, but that was what finally happened. How long will this phase last, however, is yet another story.

What more? Gandhi had appealed to let Jinnah to assume power in a united India. But who would listen? And why should they amidst of butchery and mayhem? And that too which was one of worst ever.

Before I forget: Did you know that Pakistan’s Constitution of 1956 could have been in Guinness Book of World Records as constitution with shortest life span in the world? That’s right! It was scrapped within two years.

U Mahesh Prabhu | August 15, 2007 | indiamahesh@gmail.com

Separating Facts from Fiction: The British Rule

Indian IndependenceCome August 15th, India will complete 60 years as an independent nation -a nation that continues to forge ahead even after the countless turbulences and tragedies. Six decades in the life of a man is time to retire and do some self-retrospection and worry about preparing himself for his death – the best possible fashion. However that’s not a case when it comes to Nation, 60 – is as good as 16 – in comparison to the lifespan of a human. But, if at all, something is similar that’s the point of introspection.

A nation, though has to move forward, must never fail to peep into its past – this is not just important but also essential. Essential at this point of time because more than 70% of our population is less than 25 years of age and have very feeble knowledge about our past and lesser knowledge of the history of this great land. The history what they learn are limited to the textbook, which are not just minimal but also one sided. Pampered by politicians from time to time and moreover edited suitably to meet their objective of glorifying their leaders at this time its imminent that efforts are made by us to inform them of what the truth is before the fiction planted by political mongers are turned into facts.

The important questions that our history textbooks don’t answer truly are three: Why did the British come to India? Why did they stay here so long? And why did they leave? Answering these questions is as good as finding the truth of the land’s true legacy.

Writes David Gilmour in his book ‘The Ruling Caste’: “Benjamin Disraeli famously called India the ‘Jewel in the Imperial Crown’. It was a many sided jewel of strategic value, of military power, a jewel which absorbed nearly a quarter of Britain’s overseas investment. But it was not a jewel the British particularly like to gaze at. They wanted to know it was in the bank.”

It is imminent to learn from history that British never came here to stay. India’s resources, mainly natural, held numerous importances in its expansion plan across other parts of the world. British by the end of the eighteenth century had begun to think themselves as ‘Romans’. Though Roman Empire was smaller and less populated than the British, it’s 100 million subjects in Trojan time spread over an area of 2 ½ million square miles, while Britain’s Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century consisted of 440 million people dispersed over 11 ½ million square miles. But the growth and shaping of two empires, the compulsion to occupy territory to prevent another power taking it, had multiple similarities.
Few Victorian Imperialists would have claimed that Britain had held India solely for the benefit of Indians; and the ‘non-official’ Anglo Indians, the businessmen and the planters and other traders, were said to regard the sentiments as a ‘loathsome…’ It was indeed hard to deny the great economic, strategic and military value of India; without it Britain’s position in the Far East and in Australia and New Zealand would have been too fragile to sustain.

During the time of British rule, in India, voices in Britain and elsewhere contested the morality of a nation being ruled by foreigners. The imperialist’s response to them was very much interesting. Stratechy was the most strenuous proponent of the views “We have never destroyed in India a national government, no national sentiment has been wounded, no national pride has been humiliated; and this not through any design or merit of our own, but because no Indian nationalities have existed.”

This wasn’t really wrong either: A Bengali in Delhi was as much foreigner as an Englishman in Rome. A native of Calcutta was more of a foreigner to the hardy races on the frontiers of Northern India than Englishman could be. Even some of existing native states were ruled by unassimilated by a Muslim Prince backed by an army of Arab mercenaries. The Maratha states of Gwalior, Indore and Baroda had combined population of 6 ½ million; but apart from the rulers and followers, they contained no Marathas. However, this is not to say that British did the unifying part of India. The nation was unified mostly due to the equal treatment from the British to the men of the land – the divide and rule policy.

Yet another justification for British rule was provided by the conviction that ‘India would fall apart if left to it.’ They, some section of people, thought that departure of the British would lead to the disintegration of India, the establishment of rival states and the certainty of anarchy and civil war.

Conveniently for the British some Indians backed the view. For example talking to General Roberts in 1884, Sir Madhav Rao, a former minister of Baroda, scoffed at the cry ‘India for the Indians’. “You have to only go to the zoological gardens and open the doors of the cages, and you will very soon see what would be the result of putting that theory into practice. There would be terrific fight among animals, which would end in the tiger walking proudly over the dead bodies of the rest.” When Roberts asked who the tiger was, Madhav Rao replied, “The Mohammedans from the North.” The point, it may be noted, was not wrong either. Before the British the Mughals had ruthlessly dominated the infidels (non-Muslims) with inspiration from the Mullahs.

Boell, who visited the subcontinent at the beginning of the twentieth century, wrote, “The question is not whether England has right to keep India, but rather whether she has the right to leave it. To abandon India would in truth lead to the most frightful anarchy. Where is the native power, which would unite Hindus and Muslims, Rajputs and Marathas, Sikhs and Bengalis, Parsees and Christians under one scepter? England has accomplished this miracle.”

Indians acknowledged the fact, i.e. of the only British united India for the first time, sadly because they were unaware of their own history and the story of Mauryan Empire. It was in fact Kautilya and his disciple and king of the empire Chandragupta who could be heralded for having united the land in one sphere. The India then included today’s Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma.

The British Raj had divided India to rule it. They encouraged scraps among local ruling princes to come to bows, and magnified the existing class and caste systems so they could sit on judgment.

We have been forced throughout our school days to say that “Gandhi won us freedom through Ahimsa (read Nonviolence)”. At the core, should you study the history in depth you would agree that: “India’s independence in 1947 was in fact a fallout from turbulence the British experienced in their home country. World war II and Nazi dictatorship frightened the world into uniting towards a civilized society. Britain’s people and Army seemed unwilling to continue with repression in the Empire, so freedom for India was inevitable.” Even Sir Winston Churchill who led the Allies into Victory was not chosen to steer Britain as Prime Minister in peacetime. He won the election, but his party lost the power to rule. England understood that colonialism and dictatorship are not radically different from one another.

If one reads German or British history he will find that their ruling instincts were more or less the same. The Germans employed the hard dose of extermination while the British used the soft dose of Cultural Transformation. Writes Shombit Sengupta “…History has proved that a soft dose has a lasting impact. Britain’s obsession with imperial pelf gets no less attention even from their Left wing governments. Britain and erstwhile colonies in the commonwealth of Nations, still kowtow to Buckingham Palace, Lady Di and Camilla, giving them superior majestic stature. Why did independent India invite Lord Mountbatten, the last British Governor-General to remain as her ceremonial head for a year? The strong influence of the soft dose is obviously at play.”

This is a very brief saga of British Imperialism in India. How sad to know the fact that: many Indians still don’t know much about it?

U Mahesh Prabhu | August 15, 2007 | indiamahesh@gmail.com

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