On 6th April, I came across a NEWS "What led to India's partition according to Bal Thackeray" in which Bal Thackeray attributed the country's partition to what he called "love affair" between Pandit Nehru and lady Edwina Mountbatten :
"Lord Mountbatten took advantage of this madness and the country was ditched," Thackeray said in an interview carried by the party mouthpiece 'Saamna'.
When I read this, I was actually laughing of the fact that the political blaming game can reach this height. Then, actually I thought that it might be true. I mean, the posibility of something of that sort can't be ruled out completely when the fact remains that nobody can know the complete truth. After all, History is as written by the historians.
Then I went through the comments. One of them was : Partition was a good thing. What is bad was uncompleted Partition. Muhammadans promised us that after getting their Pyara Pakistan they would all go to Pakistan. They did not keep their promise. If we do not pack them off to Pakistan then they will try to break up India one more time. Their loyalty is to Islam and Mecca, not to India.
I don't know exactly what the actual reason behind the partition was, but one thing which I can say definitely is that there were many people like the one posting this comment during those tensed days.
We hear the great words that we live in a modern world, we are a secular country, unity in diversity and all those stuffs. But do we really mean them? What about the Hindutva, Islam terrorists and others? Are they mearly political terms to keep ruling the great country applying the old rule - 'Divide and Rule'? Are they the terms which came out of nowhere just because of the selfish thinkings of a few people in power?
Well, a few days ago, I got a mail in which American visits India and then meets an Indian friend in America. Hos friend asked how was India. He replied that it was great. Then he was enquired whether he liked the Indians. To this he replied, "Indians? who Indians? I didnt find or meet a single Indian there in India. In Kashmir I met a Kashmiri; In Punjab I met a Punjabi, In Bihar, Maharastra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu I met a Bihari, Marathi, Bengali and Tamilian. Then I met a Muslim, a Hindu, a Christian, a Budhist and many more. But I didnot meet a single Indian".
That's really a bitter truth. British ruled us for so many years because we were divided. How united are we now? We have self divided us not only in the name of religion but also in the terms of the borders which were created just for better management of such a large democracy.
There are people even now who thinks that Mumbai is their property. I would like to ask them what is their contribution in making Mumbai. If they have an accurate answer(say x%), then give the rest (100-x)% to India and keep the rest. Can they do that? When we say Mumbai, it is meant to be an Indian city, rather than a maharastrian. Only few people from a place can't create a city like that. It is evident from the fact that Mumbai showcases the cultures and talents of whole of India. The same is true for the other parts of our country
This is one aspect. The other one being the religion based partition which is about to take a dangerous shape anytime. Just because of a handful number of self-centered people, we shouldn't blame all those who are associated with that person's religion. Osama is a terrorist, that doesn't mean we directly associate terrorism with Muslim. Bal Thackeray boasts about his being a Maharastrian more than that being an Indian, that doesn't mean none of the maharastrians are Indians. Pakistan is a Islam country, that doesn't mean all the Islams fom India should be thrown out of India. Bangadesh's language is Bengali, that in no way should hamper the authencity of the people of West Bengal.
India is in the top three of the rapidly developing countries in the world. But if we continue these kinds of differences between us, then the time will be near when the other countries will overtake it.
I appeal to all Indians to be united and fight against the social evils together like a unit as we did a few decades back.
Jai Hind
The Mysterious '0'
15 years ago
