There’s a lot to fix before India turns 100
In recent years, social gaps have widened. Economic inequality has also grown; 57% of the nation’s overall wealth is in the hands of a mere 10% of the population. Even the official data on those living below the poverty line mocks the impoverished
It was the early 1960s. Every time we travelled to our village, we found our grand-uncle (my father’s uncle) in front of his enormous house, always surrounded by people. And we often overheard him say, “You are blessed to be born in independent India.”
Our grand-uncle, the late Siddhagopal Chaturvedi, had been convicted in the Mainpuri conspiracy case. He was imprisoned in British India for a long period. He used to tell us tales of Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’, and other such figures. Bismil’s sister Shastri Devi used to visit our house with her child. When Bismil used to drop her off at her in-laws at Kosma, a village in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh, a revolver would be fastened to one of her legs. If caught, he reasoned, the authorities would at least refrain from searching his sister. This took place repeatedly. Who says that the dream of freedom is the preserve of lunatics?
Shastri Devi lived in abject poverty then, and died in penury. Her son ran a tea shop. After Independence, our leadership failed to recognise individuals who were reluctant to brag about their roles in the freedom struggle. On the 25th anniversary of Independence, she was not given any tamrapatra (commemorative copperplate engraving), nor did any of her offspring receive a reservation in government jobs. She began receiving a monthly pension of ₹40, thanks to the efforts of the renowned author Banarasi Das Chaturvedi, which she said was her main source of income.
Thousands of such people worked tirelessly until India gained Independence, but how is it doing now? The nation was partitioned. Numerous people became homeless and millions were killed. There are many such reasons to be depressed, but there are also many things that can make us feel proud on the occasion of the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence.
Let me introduce you to some statistics.
Our total population was 340 million at the time of Independence; it is currently 1.38 billion. We’ll soon overtake China as the world’s most populous nation. Overpopulation is frequently seen as a negative thing, but India has done very well in transforming its demography into a skilled workforce. This is how, in 75 years, our Gross Dometic Product (GDP) expanded from ₹2.7 trillion to ₹147.36 trillion. India’s contribution to global GDP climbed from 3% to 7.2%. We were originally viewed by the West as a nation of illiterates, tribals, and snake charmers. Literacy is at roughly 78% today, India has the greatest percentage of graduates worldwide. Winston Churchill, erstwhile prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK), once said during a debate over the Indian Independence Bill: “If independence is granted to India, power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw. They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. They will fight among themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles.”
The work India and Indians have done over the past 75 years of Independence is enough to hold up a mirror to our former British colonial masters. Rishi Sunak, an individual of Indian descent, is now one of the contenders for the position of UK’s prime minister (PM). Never in the history of Britain has someone with such a background been in the running for such high office.
In contrast, headlines are made in the world media when a Hindu woman is appointed deputy superintendent of police in Pakistan, whereas IK Gujral, who had come to India as a refugee during Partition and had spent his first night in Delhi on a railway platform, was elected PM in India 25 years ago. This group also includes Manmohan Singh, who had the distinction of serving as PM for 10 years, and LK Advani, one of the tallest leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A tribal woman currently holds India’s highest office, that of the President. The nation’s PM is Narendra Modi, a former tea vendor. Also, India has had three Presidents from the minority Muslim community, and two Presidents from among the Dalits. Why is it that members of the Dalit, adivasi, and other backward communities are able to reach the highest ranks in India if not due to the trust in democracy?
That said, the history of India is not without dark moments. In recent years, social gaps have widened. Economic inequality has also grown; 57% of the nation’s overall wealth is in the hands of a mere 10% of the population. Even the official data on those living below the poverty line mocks the impoverished. A person who spends ₹33 each day is not regarded poor, as per the guidelines. It makes sense when people claim that the brown sahib has taken over the role of the white masters. Finally, in the midst of such ebb and flow, I’d like to congratulate everyone on the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. I am confident that we will be successful in addressing all of these challenges before our centennial year.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan
The views expressed are personal