Before we begin today’s post, we would like to apologize for not posting last week about Rakhi like we intended to. Shreya fell sick and due to a storm, my (Nikitha) wifi was very unstable throughout the week. We hope you can understand and if this ever were to happen again, you can check our Instagram for updates (@thepasupublog). For now, we are back with our regularly scheduled post about Indian Independence day!
The British Rule:
The East India Company was a very powerful trading company. We don’t want to bore you with too many facts, so after the Company gained victory in a few wars against India, they were given the right to trade (silk, cotton, tea, opium) with India. The Company set up a capital in Kolkata and ruled this area. So many Bengalis were working under the Company and they were starting to dislike the Company’s policies and threats. For example, the Company ordered rifle cartridges greased with pig and cow fat. In order to load the cartridges into the rifles, people would have to bite the cartridge; remember, these are meats that cannot be consumed according to the religions of Islam and Hinduism. Because of this and many other reasons, the Bengali’s travelled to Delhi to revolt against the Company.
The Indian rebels surrendered to the British on June 20,1858. The British government then abolished the remains of the Mughal Dynasty and the East India Company. India was officially under British control. Although, British Raj rule included about two thirds of modern India, Britain placed a lot of pressure on the princes controlling the remaining one third of India which essentially gave them indirect control of all of India. Queen Victoria promised that the British government would help to better India by educating Indians on British practices. However, the British created a division between Hindu and Muslim Indians by using their religion to pit them against each other. In 1905, the government separated Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections. Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907. The Muslim League of India is a political group that called for a separate Muslim Nation to be created. During World War I, Britain declared war on Germany on India’s behalf without consulting Indian leaders. Nearly 1.5 million Indian soldiers served in the British Indian Army and 60,000 Indian soldiers were killed or reported missing. At this time many Indians were eager for independence. Mohandas Gandhi, a politician and social activist, helped these Indians fight through their struggle. When World War II broke out, India had formed a volunteer army of 2.5 million men. Around 87,000 Indian soldiers died in the war. As World War II continued, the fight for Independence grew larger. The British government was slowly giving India certain small rights and these rights made their desire for independence grow stronger. Soon after the war, Gandhi and his wife were arrested. It was just a matter of time before the British Raj came to an end.
The Partition:
Because Muslims and Hindus had different beliefs, they were split into Pakistan (east and west Pakistan) and India. The migration was supposed to be peaceful, however, many people found themselves in the wrong nation. This led to a bloodbath with people fighting to get to the correct side. Thousands of women were abducted during this time and about 1-2 million people died during this mass migration. The partition line was drawn right in between the state of Punjab, which is where most of the commotion happened. Many families were split, and the violence was so out of control that the British couldn’t even handle it. Because of the partition, there are continuous problems between India and Pakistan to this day.
National Anthem and Celebrations:
India’s Independence day is on August 15th, and there are several different traditions that take place on this special day. On the first independence day on August 15th, 1947, the first Prime Minister of Independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, unveiled India’s tricolor flag at the Red Fort in Delhi. This tradition still occurs today, and the Prime Minister typically delivers a speech from the historic monument. After the flag hoisting and the Prime Minister’s speech, a national parade by different battalions of the Indian Army bands takes place. Several people also symbolize their patriotism for the country by flying kites decorated in the colors of the Indian flag (saffron, white, and green). Around other parts of the country the chief minister of each state capital unfurls the flag while the national anthem is sung.
Due to the pandemic many of these celebrations can not occur with a large audience, but will be broadcasted to everyone in India. If you choose to celebrate please do so safely!
Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. It was originally composed as Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata in Bengali by poet Rabindranath Tagore. It was first publicly sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta (now Kolkata) Session of the Indian National Congress. According to an article by BBC News, the governor of Rajasthan state Kalyan Singh, a veteran BJP leader, pulled an old chestnut out of the fire by saying that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's Jana Gana Mana, had actually praised the British rulers. He said the phrase adhinayak jai he, which literally translates as "hail the leader" should be removed and replaced with mangaldayak, which means the "welfare giver". He is not alone; Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju wrote recently that Jana Gana Mana, which became India's national anthem in 1950, was "composed and sung as an act of sycophancy" to George V, the only British king-emperor to travel to India. Although Jana Gana Mana has a controversial history, it is very important to India because it signifies unity.
Although India is now independent, many religious minorities throughout the country are discriminated against. As the years pass, India’s minorities are treated worse and worse. After new leadership positions were appointed in 2014, the country’s rank for violence against Christians has gone up from rank 28 to rank 10 in the world. Religion extremists have violently attacked these minorities just because they have different beliefs. India’s muslim population is only increasing and it is projected that in 2050, India will have the world’s biggest Muslim population. Citizens of other religious beliefs may be rejected from jobs and be denied the right to education. Moreover, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains are considered Hindus legally, not their actual religion. In many Indian states, it is illegal to convert to a different religion and it is looked down upon to marry someone from another religion. With the populations of these minority groups only increasing in India, it is important that India learns to respect other religions and beliefs. India is mainly Hindu and the biggest thing one can take away from Hinduism is its acceptance of all faiths, However, it looks like Hindu-Indians have forgotten this important statement.
As mentioned in previous posts, Britain’s rule was the start of colorism and the caste system. People were always split apart and one group always was more superior than another. Muslims and Hindus and other religions all were together in one country, but Britain split the countries based on religion. Because of the partition, there are still continuous arguments over the borders and tension between Pakistan and India. As mentioned above, it is also very taboo to marry a Muslim because of the vast differences. Britain brought English to India and from here, Indians were able to make many advancements and also became modernized. In Indian schools today, most students are taught British-English and most education is based off of the British curriculum. And finally, Britain introduced the Judicial System to India.
Come back next week for our next post about Racism faced by South Asians! This post will include personal experiences. If you haven’t already and would like to do so, please fill out the google form below about racist experiences you have had as a South Asian.
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