The Mammoth ‘Do or Die’ Struggle
Of all the movements launched as part of our freedom struggle, the Quit India movement was easily the most complex, dramatic and multi-faceted.
The Partition of Punjab and Bengal
India suffered not one partition but many. On the one hand India was partitioned into two nation states. But along with the country, two major regions – Punjab and Bengal, evolved through many centuries, were also partitioned – this partition of the regions was probably much more serious with extremely tragic consequences.
In the Name of Gandhi
At the very outset, two things can be said about Gandhi. One, no leader of modern India has been misunderstood as much as Gandhi. It would be true to say that Gandhi has been written about a lot, but understood very little. Two, today we need to understand him more than ever before.
The Internationalist National Movement of India
The overall approach of the national movement towards foreign policy was that the immediate pragmatic interests made sense only when placed in a larger setting – of a vision of a world order based on peace and cooperation. This approach continued after independence.
Under Nehru’s Leadership, India’s First Elections Upheld Plurality, Rejected Communalism
Independent India’s first elections were held from October 25, 1951 to February 21, 1952. During that historic event, apart from seeking a vote against communalism, Nehru focused a great deal on the long-term goals, in his election speeches.
The Uniqueness of India’s Partition
The partition was not simply an accidental episode. It had a long chain of events behind it and leading to it. And the partition story did not end in 1947. The year 1947 was in some ways the beginning of the consequences of the partition.
The Making of the Mahatma
The Making of the Mahatma Mahatma Gandhi is generally associated with India’s struggle for independence. He was the unquestioned leader of this struggle for three decades from 1918 to 1947. Being its leader he formulated the strategy of the struggle. It was to be based on non-violent non-co-operation with British imperialism. In the process of…
The Enigma Called Gandhi
Politics in independent India has shown a tremendous obsession with Gandhi. Khadi, worn by most politicians, protests through Satyagraha, hunger strikes, voluntarily courting arrest, civil disobedience, all carry the indelible stamp of the politics practised by Gandhi during the course of the national movement. Most rituals and symbols of Indian politics today emanate from Gandhi….