\Samvad

Ashadha Krishna 10 Vik. Samvat 2081, Yugabda 5126 : 1 July, 2024: SM 6007(For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS:  BHAGWAN JAGANNATH  RATH YATRA 2. PROGRAMS OF SARASANGHACHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT
3. CONCERTED EFFORTS NEEDED TO COUNTER CULTURAL MARXISM : J NANDAKUMAR 4. MANTHAN 2.0 CONCLUDED
5. VIGYAN BHARATI NATIONAL CONVENTION 6. AGM OF SHIKSHA VIKAS SAMITI CONCLUDED IN CUTTACK
7. BOOK ON PUNYASHLOKA AHILYABAI HOLKAR RELEASED 8. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA IN BHARAT
9. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA AROUND THE WORLD 10. HSS IDY CELEBRATIONS
11. HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH USA CELEBRATED HINDU SANGATHAN DIWAS 12. HINDU HERITAGE CAMPS IN MOZAMBIQUE
13. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE EFFORTS IN TONGAAT 14. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article: RSS FOUNDER DR HEDGEWAR & HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE


1. FESTIVALS:  BHAGWAN JAGANNATH  RATH YATRA: The Rath Yatra of Bhagwan Jagannath is organised on Dwitiya Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Ashadha month (July 7 this year). The Rath Yatra commemorates Bhagwan Jagannath's annual visit to Gundicha Mata mandir to honor the devotion of Queen Gundicha who built the Puri Jagannath mandir.

After eight days in Gundicha mandir Bhagwan Jagannath returns to his main abode in a procession known as Bahuda Yatra. During Bahuda Yatra a short stoppage is taken at Mausi Maa mandir which is dedicated to Devi Ardhashini. The pulling of the chariot is an important event, symbolizing the participation of devotees in the journey. The chariot procession includes an elaborate decoration, traditional music and dance. Millions of devotees across the nook and corner of the country irrespective of caste, creed and nationality join together to participate in the celebrations united in divine brotherhood and shared devotion.  -GoTop


2. PROGRAMS OF SARSANGHCHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat attended a camp in Gorakhpur on June 3. Around 280 volunteers from Kashi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, and Awadh regions participated in the 'Karyakarta Vikas Varg' at a school in Chiutaha.

Dr. Bhagwat provided suggestions to the volunteers on increasing the number of Sangh shakhas and expanding the organisation. He also emphasised on the expansion of various projects undertaken by the Sangh.
Dr. Mohan Bhagwat paid tributes to Siddheshwar Maharaj at the Shivyog Samadhi in the Siddheshwar Mandir. Speaking on the occasion, he said that mandirs have been the centre of cultural heritage for generations and the society has been ably sustained by the values inculcated through it.
Dr. Bhagwat also offered prayers at the Shri Vatavruksha Swami Maharaj Devasthan in Akkalkot, Maharashtra.
 -GoTop


3. CONCERTED EFFORTS NEEDED TO COUNTER CULTURAL MARXISM : J NANDAKUMAR: Speaking at an event organized by VIGIL on June 23 at Chennai, National Convener of Prajna Pravah and writer J Nandakumar spoke about the concerns over wokeism and cultural Marxism in Bharat.
He said that cultural Marxism targets thinkers and students through academic institutions. He warned of attempts to infiltrate cultural and educational institutions to promote divisive ideologies and said that by controlling educational curricula and media narratives, cultural Marxists aim to shape societal perceptions and values. He added that cultural Marxism thrives on societal anarchy, using chaos as a springboard for political takeover.

J Nandakumar also said that it’s time for those who value traditional Bharatiya culture and social harmony to stand up, speak out, and actively work to preserve our heritage while addressing genuine social issues in a balanced and constructive manner. Only through such concerted efforts can we, as Hindus, counter cultural Marxism and build a truly inclusive society that is respectful of diverse viewpoints and grounded in the timeless principles of Bharatiya civilisation. -GoTop


4. MANTHAN 2.0 CONCLUDED: Seema Jagran Manch organised Manthan 2.0: 2024 - a campaign dedicated to fostering the comprehensive development of Bharat’s border villages - at The Park Hotel, New Delhi. It brought together over 400 delegates, including Chairmen and Managing Directors from various Public Sector Undertakings, senior government officials, bureaucrats, and representatives from more than 200 NGOs across Bharat. During the sessions, participants from NGOs, academia, and corporations shared insights and initiatives ranging from cultural preservation and sustainable agriculture to education and effective implementation of governmental schemes in rural areas. The event concluded with a call to action for a united effort towards securing and developing Bharat’s borders.

Manthan 2.0: 2024 aimed to strengthen coordination between NGOs and the corporate sector operating in border regions, providing a robust platform for collaboration towards the shared goal of integrating these villages into the national development fabric.  -GoTop


5. VIGYAN BHARATI NATIONAL CONVENTION: The 6th National Convention of Vigyan Bharati (VIBHA) was held at MIT ADT University in Pune on June 22-23. National Executive Member of RSS Suresh Soni inaugurated the convention and delivered the keynote address on June 22.

Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, former President and mentor of VIBHA, delivered the opening address. Around 2000 delegates participated in the convention. The discussions and deliberations at the convention included topics like green energy and energy security, Hydrogen fuel, electric vehicles, science and spirituality, and Bharat’s concept of holistic development. A souvenir highlighting the goals of VIBHA and achievements in the last 33 years was also released during the convention. The national Executive of VIBHA was also announced. The Chairman of ISRO S. Somanath attended the concluding session on June 23.  -GoTop

 
6. AGM OF SHIKSHA VIKAS SAMITI CONCLUDED IN CUTTACK: The two-day Annual General Body meeting of Shiksha Vikas Samiti, a unit of Vidya Bharati, concluded at Keshav Dham in Cuttack on June 23.

Four dimensions of work namely Vidwat Parishad, Research, Sanskriti Bodh Project, and Alumni Contact were discussed in detail. Along with this, topics like new education policy, district centre empowerment and annual plans were discussed and decisions were taken for their implementation. Speaking at the concluding session, Sunilpad Goswami, member of the National Executive of RSS spoke on issues like Parivar Prabodhan, Swadeshi and Paryavaran.
Vidya Bharati is continuously working to re-establish the Bharatiya education system on the basis of Bharatiya culture. Shiksha Vikas Samiti is playing a leading role in this movement in Odisha.
 -GoTop


7. BOOK ON PUNYASHLOKA AHILYABAI HOLKAR RELEASED: On June 16, Samvit Kendra celebrated the 300th birth anniversary of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in Chandanagar, Bhagyanagar. The event included release of the book ‘Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar: Queen of Indomitable Spirit’ authored by Chinmayee Mulye.

The three distinguished guests, Dr. Aparna Kulkarni, Dr. Vidya Deodhar, and Chinmayee Mulye, spoke about the history of women’s roles in Hindu civilization and highlighted Ahilyabai Holkar’s pivotal role as a bridge between Bharat’s past and present. They highlighted the indomitable spirit of Ahilyabai as she navigated through crises with remarkable skill and strength, achieving great success and leaving behind a legacy that continues to enlighten and inspire everyone.  -GoTop


8. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA IN BHARAT: On the occasion of the 10th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21, Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu, along with her secretariat, performed yoga at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Rashtrapati Murmu said that yoga is Bharat's unique gift to humanity and emphasised that it has become far more important because of the rising lifestyle related problems.
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi performed Yoga at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar and said that the world is seeing a new Yoga economy.
Foreign diplomats in Bharat celebrated the 10th IDY with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other senior officials from the External Affairs Ministry. High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Bharat, Lindy Cameron emphasised that Yoga is Bharat’s gift to the world. Norway’s ambassador to Bharat May-Elin Stener and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bharat Shombi Sharp also attended the event.
The Bharatiya Army’s Trishakti Corps marked IDY with extensive yoga activities across North Bengal and Sikkim, including high-altitude border areas above 15,000 ft. The North Eastern Region (NER) Directorate of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) celebrated IDY with a vibrant event at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati featuring 2,500 NCC cadets from various units across the Guwahati region.
 -GoTop


9. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA AROUND THE WORLD: Guatemala celebrated IDY by hosting the largest yoga event in Guatemala City, drawing around 5000 participants. 

The Consulate General of Bharat in New York hosted yoga sessions at the iconic Times Square, USA.
Yoga enthusiasts gathered at the Copacabana Beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to celebrate the IDY.
Hundreds of people, including Michal Herzog, First Lady of Israel, participated in an event hosted by the Bharatiya Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. Yoga enthusiasts, diplomats and Bharatiya diaspora participated in an IDY event held in Canberra, Australia.
The High Commission of Bharat in the United Kingdom hosted a yoga event at Trafalgar Square, which drew over 700 participants. More than 750 children performed asanas during the IDY celebrations in Lenasia, South Africa.
The Embassy of Bharat in Nepal organised Yoga demonstrations at three iconic landmarks of Pokhara.
People participated in a mass yoga session on the 10th IDY at Batu Caves, Malaysia. More than 300 people participated in the IDY event observed at historic Galle Fort in Sri Lanka. Thirteen yoga institutions participated in a grand Yoga event organized by the High Commission of Bharat in Bangladesh at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium, Mirpur.
Dubai embraced wellness with over 150 people participating in the IDY celebrations organised at Dusit Thani. The Embassy of Bharat in Riyadh, in collaboration with the Saudi Yoga Committee and the Ministry of Sports of Saudi Arabia, organized an International Seminar on Yoga at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Olympic Complex.
Several yoga trainers, enthusiasts, and members of the diplomatic corps and the Bharatiya diaspora in Kuwait participated in the event organized by the Bharatiya Embassy.
Singapore’s Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam joined more than 200 yoga enthusiasts and the Bharatiya High Commissioner Dr Shilpak Ambule in celebrating the 10th IDY at the Waterfront Plaza. The Bharatiya Embassy in Beijing, China, organised a yoga class at Beijing Morning Star School in which more than 45 students participated.
The High Commission of Bharat in the Maldives organised an event that witnessed the participation of Maldivian and Bharatiya Yoga enthusiasts. IDY events were also held in several other countries.
 -GoTop


10. HSS IDY CELEBRATIONS: HSS Iowa City organized a yoga and pranayama session on June 21 at North Ridge Park to celebrate IDY. The event was attended by around 45 people. HSS Events were also held in Texas, Carolina, Pennsylvania and several other states in the USA.

In a special event Indiana karyakartas talked about Yoga Day on local CBS news WISH TV.
Several shakhas of HSS Japan organized Yoga Day celebrations at Kawasaki, Yokahoma and Tokyo. HSS Uganda and Sewa International celebrated IDY in several cities across Uganda including Kampala, Jinja, Arua and Mukono. More than 4000 people participated in these events. High commissioner to Uganda Upendra Singh Rawat and mayor and MP of Arua City attended the events.
250 people participated in the IDY event in Kano organized by Sewa International Nigeria. Events were also held at Victoria Islands and Illupeju in Lagos. HSS supported the IDY celebrations organized by the Bharatiya High Commission in Kigali, Rawanda.
HSS Burundi in conjunction with Hindu Mandal, Indian Association and High commission of Bharatiya organized the first IDY celebrations in Bujumbura which was attended by 170 people.
 -GoTop


11. HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH USA CELEBRATED HINDU SANGATHAN DIWAS: Georgia chapter of HSS USA organised the annual conference on 16th June at Georgia Tech, inviting Mandir Executives across Georgia. The event offered the representatives from mandirs and few other organisations like Sewa international and VHPA to network, exchange ideas and synergize with each other. Representatives from each mandir organisation shared the activities conducted and challenges faced by them. They shared the need for working together, reaching out to community and awareness among second generation kids/youths.

In his keynote address, Saumitra Gokhale, Global coordinator for HSS emphasised the need for collaboration between different Hindu mandirs and organisations for making greater impact in contributing to the community. He shared a few examples of the excellent work being done across USA by Hindu organisations.  -GoTop


12. HINDU HERITAGE CAMPS IN MOZAMBIQUE: To emphasize and inculcate the positive thoughts of Hinduism, HSS Mozambique conducted Hindu Heritage Camp (HHC) at Communidade Hindu De Beira -Mozambique on June 16. 38 people attended the camp. The participants demonstrated yoga and the camp song during the concluding ceremony. In her address, Chandni Ben from Communidade Hindu De Beira highlighted the importance of Hindu cultural values.

On June 23, 32 people participated in another HHC organized at Communidade Hindu de Gaza (Shree Jalaram Hall), Xai-Xai.  -GoTop


13. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE EFFORTS IN TONGAAT: Communities in Tongaat, located north of Durban, were severely affected by a tornado that resulted in the loss of 11 lives and left thousands displaced and in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Sewa International volunteers were among the first responders who assisted in cutting and removing fallen trees and helped in evacuating people on June 3.

On June 4, 250 hampers of essential disaster relief materials consisting of food, water, and clothing were distributed. Sewa International also helped in collecting and distributing building materials and helped many individuals without a home insurance to build new homes.  -GoTop


14. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Rameash T K - Philippines, Sonal Gupta - USA
 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Life is life – whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man’s own advantage. – Sri Aurobindo   -GoTop

JAI SHRI RAM
----
RSS FOUNDER DR HEDGEWAR & HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE
- DR MANMOHAN VAIDYA

Some time ago, a journalist came to visit me. During the conversation, he asked me, “What role did the RSS play in the Independence struggle?” Perhaps he too was a victim of the propaganda against RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ ). I asked him back what he meant by the ‘Independence struggle’? He was not prepared for this. He could not speak anything. Then he replied in a low and hesitant voice, “The one which Mahatma Gandhi did”. I asked, “So nothing happened before Gandhiji? Did the trinity of Lal-Bal-Pal have no contribution? Did the revolutionary movement and Subhash Chandra Bose have no role in the independence struggle?”
He was silent. Then I asked how many Satyagrahas happened under Gandhiji’s leadership? He was unsure of that. I said there were three, in 1921, 1930 and 1942. He did not know it. I said the founder of RSS Dr Hedgewarji (who passed away in 1940) had participated in the Satyagraha before (1921) and after (1930). He founded the RSS for which he had to suffer imprisonment also.
I narrated this incident because a very systematic attempt is being made to tell us a partial history. The people of Bharat are forced to believe that Independence was gained only because of the Congress and the Satyagraha in 1942; no one else did anything. This is not the complete truth. Yes, the Satyagraha provided a simple and effortless means to the common people to participate in the Independence struggle through charkha and khadi. However, to give credit to a particular movement or a party is playing with history and an insult to the efforts of all others.
Now, if we want to discuss RSS, we have to start with Dr Hedgewar. Keshav (Hedgewar) was born in 1889. The fervour of the Independence struggle started in Nagpur from 1904-1905. Yet, in 1897, the 9-10 year old Keshav threw away the sweets distributed in the school on the occasion of the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria’s coronation into a dustbin. This was his anger and annoyance for being slave to the British. In 1907, Keshav invited the wrath of his school management and exclusion from the school, as punishment for making all his classmates sing Vande Mataram in front of the Government inspector in his Neel City school against the tyrannical order banning the public chanting of Vande Mataram, called Risley Circular. He chose Calcutta over Mumbai for medical education even while the latter had the facilities because the former was the hub of the revolutionaries. There, he became a core group member of the top revolutionary organisation Anushilan Samiti.

He returned to Nagpur in 1916 after becoming a doctor. At that time, all the top leaders of the Independence struggle were married and leading a family life. Dr Hedgewar could have thought on the same lines. The family background matched with it. Nevertheless, he decided not to follow the medical profession and not to marry. He had such intensity and urgency in his heart for attaining Independence that he gave no thought to his personal life, dedicated all his might, time and ability to the nation and joined every type of movement for independence.
He had an unflinching faith in Lokmanya Tilak. All the responsibilities of the Congress session, to be held in Nagpur in 1920, were given to Dr Hardikar and Dr Hedgewar and they inducted 1200 volunteers for that. Dr. Hedgewar was the joint secretary of the Nagpur city unit of Congress at that time. Dr Hedgewar had proposed to the resolution committee of the Congress to come up with a resolution with a clear objective ‘to make Bharat independent, turn it into a republic, and free the world from the clutches of capitalism. The Congress accepted his suggestion of total independence after nine years in the Lahore session in 1929. Pleased with this, Doctorji instructed all the shakhas of the RSS to congratulate Congress on January 26, 1930. All Tilak supporters in Nagpur were saddened after Lokmanya Tilak’s demise on August 1, 1920. Thereafter, the independence struggle of the Congress continued under Gandhiji’s leadership. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhiji supported the Khilafat during the non-cooperation movement with a view of expanding the social base against imperialism and to accommodate the Muslims that were hurt by the abolition of the Khilafat in Turkistan by the British. Many leaders of the Congress and nationalist Muslims too were opposed to this. Hence, the non-cooperation movement was not much effective in Nagpur. However, Dr Hedgewar, Dr Cholkar, Samimulla Khan etc. changed this scene. Even after objecting to associating Khilafat to the national movement, they did not make the objection public. They took part in the movement with the sole purpose of opposing imperialism. They did not care for the political atmosphere around them or for the views of vocal Tilak supporters. They had to suffer one year in imprisonment under the charges of sedition.
Even after knowing the importance and priority of attaining independence, one question plagued Dr Hedgewar – how could a handful of Englishmen, who came from 7000 miles away for trade, rule this large country? There must be some flaws in us. He realised that our society had forgotten itself, divided in groups like castes, provinces, language and faith; it was unorganised and full of bad practices. The British benefited from this and could rule us. This history might be repeated in future as well if the society remained the same even after the independence. He used to say that ‘Sapnath will come when Nagnath goes’ (if one type of snake goes, the other will come).
Hence, it is more important and necessary to make our society proud of itself, aware and organised as well as liberate it from all bad practices and make it full of national character. He realised that this work can be done only by staying away from politics, publicity, silently and continuously. He founded Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1925 for this purpose. He had cordial and affectionate relations with all political and social leaders, movements and activities even after founding RSS.
The civil disobedience movement started by Gandhiji on April 6, 1930 from Dandi (Gujarat). The decision to support this movement was taken in November 1929 itself in the three-day meeting of the Sanghchalaks. As per the RSS policy, Dr Hedgewarji decided to participate in this Satyagraha at the individual level with other Swayamsevaks. He entrusted his responsibility as the Sarsanghachalak to his old friend Dr Paranjape so that RSS work was not affected and gave the responsibility to visit the shakhas to Babasaheb Apte and Bapurao Bhedi. Initially, 3-4 thousand people accompanied him on July 21 during this satyagrah. By the time they reached Pusad, the venue of the Satyagraha 1930, ten thousand people had gathered. They were sent to jail for nine months in this Satyagraha. He took charge of the responsibility of the Sarsanghachalak after the release and again focused on the RSS work.
Hindu Mahasabha and Arya Samaj had given a call of Satyagraha under the banner of Bhaganagar Nihshastra Pratikar Mandal in 1938 to oppose Nizam’s atrocities against the Hindus in Bhaganagar (Hyderabad). Doctorji gave consent to those Swayamsewaks who asked permission for joining that Satyagraha. But he clarified that they could do so at an individual level. When the organisers frequently mentioned in their press releases that RSS had participated in the Bhaganagar Satyagraha, Doctorji wrote a letter to them and asked them not to mention RSS.
Doctorji had deliberately devised this strategy with a vision and clear thinking. He understood the transitory, momentary and struggling nature of political movements and the continuous, uninterrupted and constructive nature of RSS work.
He wanted movements to be successful without hampering the perpetual work of RSS. Even during the Forest Satyagraha, he participated in the Satyagraha with many other Swayamsevaks after entrusting the responsibility of Sarsanghachalak to Dr Paranjape.
Mahatma Gandhi gave the historic call of ‘British! Go Back’ in the Congress session at the Gowalia Tank ground in Mumbai on August 8, 1942. From the next day itself, the movement caught momentum all over the country and arrests of leaders started at many places. Agitations at Bawali (Amaravati), Ashti (Wardha) and Chimur (Chandrapur) in Vidarbha were remarkable. The news from Chimur was broadcast even on the Berlin Radio. The agitations there were led by Uddhavrao Korekar of Congress and RSS’ functionaries Dada Naik, Baburao Begade and Annaji Siras. The only death with a British bullet in that agitation was that of RSS Swayamsevak Balaji Raipurkar. Congress, Shri Gurudev Seva Mandal of Shri Tukdoji Maharaj and RSS Swayamsewaks collectively organised the agitation and Satyagraha at Chimur. Cases were filed against 125 satyagrahis in this agitation and innumerable Swayamsevaks.
Senior members and pracharaks of RSS at many places vehemently jumped in this movement all over Bharat such as Shri Jaidevji Pathak (Pracharak in Rajasthan), who was later active in Vidya Bharati. Dr Annasaheb Deshpande at Arvi (Vidarbha).
Ramakant Keshav (Balasaheb) Deshpande who later founded the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram Jashpur (Chhattisgarh). Vasantrao Oak in Delhi who later became the Prant pracharak of Delhi. Krishna Vallabh Prasad Narayan Singh (Babuaji) in Patna and who later carried the responsibility of Bihar Sanghchalak. Chandrakant Bhardwaj (Delhi) whose foot was hit with a bullet and which could never be removed. Dattatray Gangadhar (Bhayyaji) Kasture in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Madhavrao Devade in East Uttar Pradesh. Along with the tyranny of the British, on the one hand Satyagraha was going on, while on the other many agitators went underground and worked for steering the smovement. To give shelter to the underground workers during those times was not without risk. Many Sangh Swayamsevaks did that. Innumerable names can be cited like these. The possibility of documenting all these was very bleak in those days.
Revolutionaries are Patriots: A resolution to condemn the revolutionaries was to come up in the provincial session of the Madhya Prant Congress presided by Loknayak Ane in 1921. Dr. Hedgewar convinced him that even though he did not believe in the path of the revolutionaries, their patriotism should not be doubted. From Dr Hedgewa’s life it is clear that his entire life was dedicated to the Independence of the nation. The path he had chosen for the same was to organise society that is flawless, skillful and based on national thought. Until 1947, the main objective enshrined in the oath of RSS was ‘to make the Hindu nation independent’.
The national life of Bharat has the tendency of taking extreme positions. Even in Doctorji’s lifetime, society was divided on the binaries of Congress-revolutionaries, Tilak-Gandhi, violence-nonviolence, Hindu Mahasabha-Congress etc. The trend was of scoring brownie political points over each other. Sometimes, owing to their differences, they would fiercely oppose each other instead of fighting against British imperialism. A resolution to condemn the revolutionaries was to come up in the provincial session of the Madhya Prant Congress presided by Loknayak Ane in 1921. Dr Hedgewar convinced him that even though he did not believe in the path of the revolutionaries, their patriotism should not be doubted. Thus, Doctorji’s life was not determined by the narrow options of political views, philosophy and policies, Tilak-Gandhi, violence-nonviolence and Congress-revolutionaries etc.
The fundamental aim of attaining Independence was far more important than a personality or a particular path. A class which considers Bharat merely a political entity always tries to take credit for everything. It pursues the unilateral propaganda for taking the sole credit for Bharat’s Independence, without recognising the role of others. Independence was a cumulative result of all round efforts from armed revolutionaries to non-violent Satyagrahis, rebels in the army and Indian National Army etc. The role of prevalent precarious situations in England after World War II and their inability and reluctance to rule the colonies cannot be completely ruled out either.
The British eventually gave Independence to other colonies also where there was no freedom struggle like Bharat.
It is true that the Satyagraha in 1942 was the last Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhiji and Bharat attained Independence after that in 1947. However, to say that Independence was gained only because of the 1942 movement in 1942 and because of the people who were arrested in that movement is laughable, improper and untrue.
There is a story. A farmer was very hungry. The wife was serving and he was eating.
However, his hunger was not satisfied. He was satisfied only after eating the eleventh roti. The upset husband scolded his wife for not serving the eleventh roti earlier. His logic was the work of eating so many rotis could have been avoided and he would have experienced satisfaction earlier. The idea itself is laughable.
Similarly, giving the credit for Bharat’s Independence solely to the 1942 Quit India Movement is laughable. If we go through some historical accounts, we get a clearer picture on this movement. While granting Independence to Bharat, British PM Clement Atlee said, “Gandhi’s nonviolence movement had next to zero effect on the British.” Former acting Governor of West Bengal P M Chakraborty (CJ of Kolkata High court) wrote: “When I was the acting Governor, Lord Atlee, spent two days in the Governor’s palace at Kolkata during his tour of India. At that time, I had a prolonged discussion with him regarding the real factors that had led the British to quit India.
My direct question to him was that since Gandhi’s “Quit India” movement had tapered off quite some time ago and in 1947 no such new compelling situation had arisen that would necessitate a hasty British departure, why did they have to leave?
In his reply Atlee cites several reasons, the principle among them being the erosion of loyalty to the British Crown among the Indian army and navy personnel as a result of the military activities of Netaji (Subhashchandra Bose). Towards the end of our discussion, I asked Atlee what was the extent of Gandhiji’s influence upon the British decision to quit India. Hearing this question, Atlee’s lips became twisted in a sarcastic smile as he slowly chewed out the word, m-i-n-i-m-a-l”. [Ranjan Borra, “ Subhashchandra Bose, The Indian National Army, The War of India’s liberation”. Journal of Historical review, Vol 20,(2001), No 1 ref. 46]
Bharat is not a mere political entity. This is a cultural unit based on the perpetual, comprehensive and integral vision built on the eternal thinking and vision of thousands of years. This vision and culture provide a special identity to this varied society spreading from the Indian Ocean to the Himalaya. Therefore, whenever there is a political change, just before that or simultaneously a process of cultural awakening by a spiritual force takes place in Bharat. It is visible that if the situation is more critical, the manifestation of this spiritual force becomes stronger. This is why the Bhakti Movement spread all over Bharat during the 12th to 16th Centuries during the Mughul rule. An uninterrupted chain of spiritual great men like sadhus, saints and sanyasis are seen in every region from Swami Ramanand in the north to Ramanujacharya in the far south. The tradition of spiritual leaders like Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans and Swami Vivekanand is seen during the slavery of the British. No political change has been successful or permanent in the history of Bharat without the cultural awakening. Therefore, the work of cultural awakening should not be evaluated on the political parameters. It must be underlined that spiritual and cultural awakening that goes on silently and calmly has much more significance for a nation like Bharat. https://organiser.org/2024/06/21/91333/bharat/search-for-swaraj-sangh-freedom-struggle/   
 -GoTop