From Raj to Swaraj, the most befittingly vaulted history of India's freedom struggle is replete with the great sagas of supremely sublime sacrifices and colossally commendable contributions of a huge number of the sons of the soil who, unmindful of their pain and plight, did not shudder even an inch to surrender their body and soul towards the greater cause of India's freedom from the cruel claws of the Britishers.
"Fortunate are those who are born in a free nation" is arguably a matter of deep deliberations, as keeping in view the inefficient corruption infested system prevailing in our country, it is often quoted by some countrymen that the days of the Raj were a lot better in comparison with today's shoddy state of affairs. But such individuals are oblivious of the nefarious nature of the tyrannical regime of the Britishers who had for a mind-bogglingly long period kept the natives of India under their crushing thralldom and scripted many bloody epics of atrocities committed on the innocent Indian civilians.
It would not be erroneous to point out that post-independence India has not yet become a fully prosperous state. The nation is still grappling with the demons of poverty, caste divide, illiteracy, economic inequality, and many more social scourges and mental morbidities. But after snatching the freedom from the menacing jaws of the oppressors in 1947, the narrative of India as a new nation has emerged better and it has secured pride of place on the world map with its many gigantic achievements and lofty accolades in various fields. Today, Indians have the privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder on the world forums in international bodies like UNO and they are also pivotal participants in the growth of the world economy.
Presently, ours is a sovereign state with her own classy repute among the global community where her voice is heard seriously and valued solemnly. John Milton, a Puritan English writer has remarked in his magnum opus work, "Paradise Lost" that "it is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven." Undeniably, today Indians are the masters of our destinies, and no foreign regime is thrusted upon us anymore. Admittedly, the challenges are plenty and proper prosperity of everyone is not a reality in our developing country but we are extricated from the callous clutches of the draconian rule of the yore.
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This much-hankered freedom with which we are blessed today has been achieved with not only the blood and sweat of the sons and daughters of Mother India. Broadly speaking, the history of India's freedom struggle finds its first and foremost mention from the great uprising of 1857, which is also heralded as a harbinger to the mightier and full-fledged freedom movement. A terrible beauty was born with the legends like Mangal Pandey, Tatya Tope, and Rani Lakshmi Bai, who like a mythical bird Phoenix rose from their ashes and sowed the seeds of India's nine-decade late freedom.
These sacred names still reverberate and resound in our ears and make us proud of the fact that we are the posterity of such spunky and legendary Indians who exemplify indomitably massive courage and copious strength. After the glorious rebellion of 1857, the freedom movement of India never ceased and many more new images of the valiant martyrs and fighters began to bedeck the galaxy of freedom fighters. On one hand, the ghastly oppressions of the English dictators were rising, and on the other hand, the big bands of crusaders with a vow to banish the barbaric Britishers were rising.
The fiery youths like Sardar Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru, Sukhdev, and the likes of Udham Singh believed that the merciless British murderers only need to be dealt a crushing and lusty blow with equally murderous frenzy.
Bhagat Singh, from his very formative years, was under the strong sway of his freedom fighter Uncle Ajit Singh and under the influence of many more martyrs about whom Bhagat read a lot. This son of the soil resolved to liberate India from the steely fetters of colonial rule. Under his tutelage were many other equally fiery and passionate like-minded youths. Though their ideals could not cut any ice with the exponents of the peaceful freedom movement like Mahatma Gandhi, they did not have even an iota of acrimony against one another. The struggle to expel every particle of the Raj was in the prime of its youthful vigour and on the altar of this highly prized freedom Bhagat Singh and his young compatriots laid down their lives without a shred of fear of death.
Eventually, with the efforts of pacifists like Gandhi and justifiably pugnacious people like Bhagat, India managed to witness a new dawn.
Today, the aspiring youth of our independent county are living with their heads high. But what ails us a lot is the most perturbing truth that we India have started paying a cold shoulder to the contributions of such great patriotic souls. It is a matter of deep anguish and chagrin to notice that the ideals and icons of our youth are changing. They no longer hold the brand of Bhagat Singh in high esteem nor do they prefer to cling to the values of these patriots anymore.
The free Indian society has constructed temples in honour of film stars to eulogise them whereas the monuments of the great martyrs like Bhagat Singh are in utter neglect. It is time to take the call and revisit the horrors of the slavery that would definitely have been perpetrated on us also, had the selfless souls like Bhagat Singh not sacrificed their lives just for the sake of us.
(The writer is the Chairperson of the Department of English Language and Linguistics at Dev Samaj College, Ferozepur. He tweets at @ShivSethi4)
