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K.MMunshiwritesin1947IndpendendancedayissueoftheHinduTheHindu

NATIONAL

Published:August14,201517:38IST|Updated:August15,201511:10ISTAugust14,2015

Independence:AstocktakingBirthofgreatAsiaticPower
K.M.Munshi
OnthisIndependenceDay,webringyouthisarticlepublishedintheAugust15,1947editionofTheHindu.
INDEPENDENCEhascome,soonerthanIdreamtof,moreliketheendofaninartisticallywovenplotabruptly,almostinconsequentially.In
1905undertheinfluenceofShriAravindo,IbegandreamingofIndependence.Lastyear,afteryears,IfeltIndependencewasfaraway.Butit
wasnotitwasroundthecorner.TwoWorldWars,afarseeingpartyinpowerinBritainandamanwithBritishtactandGerman
thoroughnessasViceroyandItcame.
WhenIjoinedthegreatventureoftheConstituentAssembly,thePlanofMay16thwasthedespairofmylife.WhicheverwayIturned,the
malignantspiritwhichProf.Couplandhadraised,confrontedme.ThencamethePlanofJune3rd.Itwasnothingnewbutitbroughtthetwo
StatesSchemeinpracticalpolitics.Realismthechildofstark,nakedreversaltobarbarisminsomepartofthecountrytriumphed.Ittore
thePlanofMay16thtopieces.ForamomentthePlancametomeasashock.AkhandHindustanisamatterofcreedwithme.Wasthe
MotherwhomIworshippeddestroyed?IhumblyaskedNocametheemphaticanswer.Indiawasone,isoneandshallbeone.Thiswas
onlyastepinthemarchtowardsrealUnity,unembarrassedbythemilitaryoccupationofaforeignpower.ThePlanofJune3rddidnot
destroyAkhandHindustanonlyitspatternwaschanged.Indiawasnotdividedonlypartsofitwereadministrativelyconsolidatedtoforma
newgovernment.TheyweretobeboundtotheMotherland,butnotbythevisiblebondsofadministrativeunityimposedbyforeignrule.The
nottooperceptiblebondsofhardfactsthecommonmilitaryfrontier,theeconomicinterdependence,theunityofanageoldculturewere
tobebroughtintofreeplay,maybetoproduceacloserunity.Ataconference,itwassuggestedthattheIndependenceActshouldgiveIndia
thepowertoamendtheActitself.Itwasthelawyers'contributioninassertingIndependence.Withinafewhoursthereplywasflashedback
thatH.M.G.agreedtotheproposal.Myheartsangwithjoy.IndiawasIndependent!
Agreatthinghappenedinthehistoryofman.ThewholeofIndiapractically,for,FranceandPortugalstilloccupyoddspotswasridof
foreignoccupationafterIdon'tknowhowmanyhundredyears.Anditwasdonebynonviolentmeans.ThebloodyWorldWars,themilitary
reputationoftheIndianArmyandthenottoononviolentactivitiesofsomeofourpatriotsduringtheQuitIndiaMovement,nodoubt,
werenotinconsiderablecontributoryfactor.WhateverthecontributionofNonViolencetowardsourgainingindependencethiswasthefirst
eventinthehistoryofmanwhenanimperialpowerhandedoverindependencetoasubjectpeoplewiththeeaseandcourtesyofhandingover
acupoftea.Thatisalandmarkinthiswarridden,littlesphereofours.
Further,agreatAsianWorldPowerhasbeenborn.JapandidemergeassuchaftertheRussoJapaneseWarbutshedidnotevokeAsian
loyalty.FreeIndiaiseasilythecherishedleaderofAsia.Panditji'slatestannouncementofpolicytheNehrudoctrineofAsiacomparable
onlytotheMunroedoctrine,isthetriumphantassertionofherleadershipofAsiannations.
AGEOFNEHRU
Onenotableevent,almostofworldImportance,isthatoneageisgoneandanotherhasslippedinwithoutanyoneevennoticingit.Theageof
GandhijiisgoneofNehrucome.GandhijiwonthefreedomoftheNationandbecameitsFatherafatherwhomeveryoneworshipsand
hearswithreverencebutdoesnotnecessarilyfollow.Hehasriseninstatureinproportiontohisshrinkageinactualleadershipafate
reservedonlyforveryluckynationalleaders.WashingtonandLeninremainedleaderstotheendtobeonlyFathersoftheNationafterit.
BismarckshrankinleadershipwhenaliveandwasdeniedthefatherhoodoftheNationhecreated.GandhijihasthetechniqueofaRishihis
dutydone,hehasrecededtoanoblerroleandahigher,thoughdistant,pedestal.
In1942,heaskedmetogooutoftheCongress,forIcouldnotreconcilemyselfwithhisstrictNonViolence.Nowsomeofhisdisciplesare
ardentconscriptionists.Onmanyaneveningprayertimehebemoansthedivisionofthecountry,whichsomeofhisdisciplesconsiderthe
lastwordinpracticalwisdom.HewantsAugust15thtobeadayofsorrowthecountryiscelebratingitasthedayofdeliverance.Hewants
HindustaniandtwoscriptsanoverwhelmingmajorityofCongressmenwantHindiandDevanagari.Thenationalmindhasbeenshocked
intoappreciationofrealities,inspiteoftheFather'shypnotictouch.Buthestilldominatesastheguardianangel,theadviser,the
cementor,astheconsciencekeeperofleadingStatesmen.Nolongeraprophetfetteredtothepatrioticneedsofonenation,heisfast
emergingaworldprophet,pureandsimple.
TheothereventofalmostequalimportanceistheemergenceofPanditNehruontheworldstage.ThiserstwhileprisonerofBritishpower
has,inamoment,becometheNation'sleader,theacknowledgedleaderofAsiaandoneofthefourgreatleadersoftheworld.Heclaimstobe
nothingbutapoliticianbutthereisanundercurrentofdeepspiritualityinhim.OnceIsaidofhimthatheistheonlygreatpoliticianinthe
worldwhohasagenuinefaithindemocracyandIthink,theworldsharestheviewtoo.Helovesgreatandnoblecauses,temperamentally.
ThefirstPrimeMinisterofFreeIndiahasinthemomentofitsbirthbecometheforemostchampionofworldreconstructionamongthe
nationsoftheworld.
IndependencehasgivenatremendousopportunitytoSardartoo...theindomitableSardar,asIoncestyledhim.Heismadeoftheironfibre
ofwhichBismarcksandStalinsaremade.Hisvastlyalertmind,hisuncannyinsightintohumanweaknessesandhisgreatpowerfor
organisationhavefoundscopeandfulfilmentintheFreeIndiaoftoday.Hishardheadedrealisticviewofthingsandthedreadthathe
generallyinspiresareinvaluableassetsinthenewventure.Withhimatthehelm,Kerenskyismcouldnotbethoughtof.
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K.MMunshiwritesin1947IndpendendancedayissueoftheHinduTheHindu

ThepartnershipofPanditjlandSardarisanovelphenomenoninworldpoliticsTwomenofthehighestcalibreandyetofthemostcontrary
temperamentandoutlookoneelegant,handsome,courteous,fondofsocialgraces,fascinatedwithdistantvaluestheother:old,stocky,
mysteriouslysilent,hisfeetfirmlyplantedonearthbotharegatheredinanunbreakablebondofmutualunderstandingbyGandhian
influence.ThisseemstobethegreatestpieceofgoodluckforIndependentIndia.
CONSTITUENTASSEMBLY
IcannotforgettheConstituentAssembly.HowcanI?Forninemonthsithasbeenalmostmysolepreoccupation.
India'sgreatnesscanlegitimatelybeassessedbythisConstituentAssembly,thefirstsovereignlegislatureofIndia.Whatagalaxyofstarsof
thefirstandsecondmagnitude:Fewindeed,ofworldassemblies,havecontainedthestatesmanship,thewisdom,thebrillianceandthe
eloquencewhichthisAssemblycanclaim.
ItsspiritisrepresentedbyDr.RajendraPrasad.Allhisgreatmoralqualitiescombinetomakehimtheheadandsymbolofthatbody.Sweet
smiling,patient,indulgent,hemakeseveryonefeelathomeguidesgently,withoutanyonediscoveringthatheisbeingguided.Hecurbs
turbulancebyhisverypresencehepullsuploquacitywithanairofalmostencouragingthespeaker.EverysectionoftheHousehas
confidenceinhim.Andhehastopaythepriceaheavyone.Whenever'partiesorinterestsdisagreetheyquietlyleaveittothePresident.
TherewasastorminthepartymeetingoverthesingingofBandeMataram.SuddenlysomeoneproposedtoleaveittothePresident.There
wasalmostunanimousvotingtoleaveittohim.TheAssemblyisalwaysinLeaveIttoPSmithsortofmoodtousethephraseofP.G.
Wodehouse.TheAssemblyhasdonegreatwork.
FundamentalrightsandanindependentJudiciarywillestablishtheruleoflawinthisland.Untouchabilityisbannedunderthethreatofdire
penaltiesnomoreshallitdividemanandman.Adultsuffrageandabicamerallegislaturewillprovideitwithaparliamentaryapparatus.
ResponsibleGovernmentsattheCentreontheBritishmodelandintheProvincesinaslightlymodifiedformwillgiveitafrontrankplacein
thedemocraticGovernments.FreeIndiawillthusbetheyoungestofdemocracies.
Nooneshallbedeprivedofhislifeorlibertywithoutdueprocessoflaw,inIndia,theAssemblydecidedtheotherday.Thisformulawhich
theEnglishBaronsextractedfromKingJohnin1215A.C.travelledallovertheworldthroughcenturiestocometousinalmosttheselfsame
wordsin1947.WearebuildingontheconstitutionalfundamentalsofAustralia,Canada,U.S.A.,and,ofcourse,England,naturallyand
spontaneously.Adoubt,however,hasariseninmanyminds.TheEnglishmodel,whichhasfailedinsomanycountries,willitsucceedinthis
clime?Butascrutinyofthesubconsciousmentalprocessesofmanyofus,whilediscussingdifferentproposalswillshowhowdeeplywehave
madetheBritishdemocratictraditionourown.IndiaisperhapsthefirstAsiancountrywhichhasacceptedthisgreatinheritancesoavidly
andthereisleastlikelihoodofitshavingtobesorryforit.AtthesametimetheAdvisoryCommitteehassweptawayseparateelectorates
thatwretchedsystem,bornofBritishImperialismwhichhasmadeofthiscountryacauldronofviolentpassions.
THEFUTURE
Willthisindependenceendure?Ihavenodoubt,itwill.TheIndependenceActhasgivenuscompleteindependence,asalsoaconstitutional
nexuswiththeBritishCommonwealth.IndiawillbeaDominion,forsometimeatanyrate,andthecontinuityofinstitutionallifewillbe
preserved.Itmakesthetransitionbreakproof.
WhatiswrongabouttheDominion,exceptitsname,which,inspiteofShakespeare,doesnotsmellassweet.Itisindependence.Itgivesa
secureplaceinaworldsystemanditgivesusthehelpweneed.

Leafthroughthepagesandexperiencehistoryinthemakingasourreadersexperienceditthatday.
Ontheoccassionofthe69thIndependenceDay,TheHindupresentstoyouthehistoricdayofIndia'sliberationfromimperialrulethrough
oureditiondatedAugust15,1947.Youcanleafthroughthepagesandexperiencehistoryinthemakingasourreadersexperienceditthatday.
WehaveextractedselectarticlesbythelikesofV.K.KrishnaMenon,T.T.KrishnamachariandC.V.Ramanforyoutoreadintothethoughts
ofthegreatmindsofthatera.Youcanclickontheredmarkeronhighlightedarticlesandproceedtothefullstory.
(Thisarticleisbestviewedonalargescreendevice.Ifyouareonamobiledevice,choosethedesktopviewoption.)
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