Independence Day
By Justice Markandey Katju
In a few days from now Pakistan will have its Independence Day on 14th August, and India on 15th August.
In my opinion there was no genuine Independence on those days, but instead a colossal and monstrous hoax and swindle by our British rulers, so I appeal to Indians and Pakistanis not to celebrate them. Let me explain.
Firstly, real independence is freedom from poverty, unemployment, hunger, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, lack of healthcare and good education, oppression of minorities, etc Without these freedoms, the formal civil rights e.g. liberty, freedom of speech and expression, equality, freedom of religion, etc are illusory and meaningless. Does a poor, unemployed or hungry man want freedom of speech and liberty, or food and a job ?
This was realised by former US President Franklin Roosevelt who gave a famous speech on 11th January 1944 in his State of the Union Address called 'The Second Bill of Rights'. In this speech he said that the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution which guaranteed liberty, freedom of speech, equality, freedom of religion, etc had clearly proved inadequate. Now the need was for a Second Bill of Rights which guaranteed to all Americans the socio-economic rights, e.g. employment with a decent income, healthcare, housing, nutritious food, etc
Have poverty, unemployment, hunger, lack of proper healthcare and good education, oppression of minorities, etc been abolished in India and Pakistan ? The answer is a categorical no. In fact even today there is massive poverty, massive unemployment, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities like food, fuel, and medicines, appalling level of child malnutrition ( every second child in India is malnourished, according to Global Hunger Index ), oppression of minorities, etc
So where is the 'Independence' which will be celebrated ?
Secondly, the truth is that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are really one country, sharing the same culture, which were one for over 500 years from the time of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. Partition of India in 1947 on the basis of the bogus two nation theory ( that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations ) was a colossal, monstrous British swindle, which resulted in about half a millon brutal murders and millions being uprooted from their homes, and its effects are felt even now.
Partition of India was in my opinion the greatest tragedy of our nation in its 5000 year old known history.
The whole purpose of Partition was to keep Hindus and Muslims regarding each other as enemies, and fighting, or at least hostile to each other. This would keep the people in the subcontinent weak, and prevent united India emerge as a modern industrial giant, like another China, though it has all the potential for becoming one, with its huge pool of technical talent and immense natural resources.
Since we are really one nation, only artificially divided by a British fraud in 1947, we are bound to reunite one day, though that will take time, since those who divided us will oppose our reunification tooth and nail, for the reason given below :
Independence Day should only be celebrated when we are reunited after launching a mighty united people's struggle, led by patriotic, modern minded leaders determined to create a new political and social order under which all our people, not just a handful, enjoy a high standard of living and lead decent lives.
So Indians and Pakistanis, stop this farce, charade, pantomime, masquerade, make believe and put-on of celebrating a fake 'Independence Day' on 14th and 15th August, when in fact there was no independence in 1947, but only a horrendous and nightmarish tragedy.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court. These are his personal views.)