INDIA FROM 1885-2010
In Indian history, as taught in India, the year 1885 is identified with the Indian Independence Movement and founding of Indian National Congress (INC).
It is still a debated issue. The year is made popular among historian world by the liberal historians. The nationalist historians contend that the national movement started before 1857, the Year of Mutiny or First War of Independence. However, many of them would prefer to take 1819, the end of the third Maratha War as the starting year. There are some who would like it to start with 1736 when the first mutiny in among the native infantry was reported.
However, 1885 has also been picked by leftists and subaltern historians. They do not identify it with the founding of the INC but consider it the year of maturing of the political mobilization of the Middle Class which is identified as had grown since 1857. However, among them also, there are scholars who would identify the year of Gagging Act or Vernacular Press Act 1878 passed by Lord Lytton. The terrible famine of 1876-77 which took the toll of six million souls was being celebrated by Lord Lytton with a lavish expenditure on the Imperial Darbar in 1877 and it was the Indian Press which had strongly opposed it. The act was later withdrawn and it was considered as a success of the political maturing of Indians. They consider the forming of Indian National Conference of 1873 by Surenderanath Banerjea as the turning point in this history of India.
On the whole, year 1885 was the year when the middle class (professional classes) started presenting their demands in democratic manner. The Indian National Congress was established on December 28, 1885 and held its session for three days. Nearly 72 delegates attended the session. A study of the social, educational and economic background of those delegates shows that they represented the new face of the Indian Middle Class.
Any how, year 1885 sets the tone of a history which could give us five more important phases in the period which ends with 1947.
1. The moderate period extends from 1885 to 1905. The selection of historians would guide it up to 1907 (Surat Split) or 1909 Morley Minto Reforms. However, this period was dominated by Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishan Gokhle, Ferozeshah Mehta and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The vital fact about 1905 is Wang Bang Movement which revealed to the world the Indian tools for achieving their independence. They were Swadeshi, Boycott and Swaraj (???- Yes).
2. The period from 1905 to 1919 is identified by extremist period not only in demands of the Congress but also in the rise of the revolutionary movements. There were the nationalist activities undertaken by Bengal Dadas (big brothers) and the Ghadar Party activity of 1914. It was the period of Hindu Muslim unity in their struggle for collective bargaining.
3. It is generally identify with the Gandhian period. There is not doubt about the contribution of Gandhi. It was the period when Gandhi mobilized all the section of the Indian society behind his movement and his political tool of Satyagragha and Non-violence. But the Subaltern historians like Sumit Sarkar in his Modern India 1885-1947 has successfully identified the decade of 1920s as the crucial period in the Indian history. It was the period, when the Mill Workers of Bombay could force the Bombay Presidency to pass the tariff laws without the help of any established leader either from the National leaders of Congress or Communist leaders like Surendernath Bhardwaj or M. N. Roy. It was the also the decade when the Japanese merchandise invaded the Indian market and British government felt that the expenditure incurred on running the Indian administration was not a profitable proposition.
4. This period could be identified with 1936 to 1942. Though the starting point is the Government of India Act which was a culmination of the Indian struggle yet it also has other feature which can be called the maturity of the Indian movement for freedom. All the sections of Indian society had rallied behind the Congress movement. It included the peasants, mill workers, Indian industrialists identified with FICCI and G. D. Birla.
5. The fifth phase is definitely Quit India Movement 1942. Roosevelt was concerned about the role of India in the fight against fascist forces. Britain under Churchill was ready to sent first the Cripps Mission and then the Cabinet Mission. Wavell was ready to discuss plans for handing over the power to India before the arrival of Cabinet Mission Plan. The period ends with the Partition and Independence.
I have not intentionally identify the year 1929, for the demand Purana Swaraj as the major fact. This is how it is taught in India. But I am now a student of History and a learner. I am not going to be taught. I am learning it. I have an argument in defense of my stand. This important fact is not that important for Pakistan. For Pakistan, it is the Lahore declaration of 1940 which may be the important fact of the period. I do not know how Bangladesh would see it. The use of the word ‘Swaraj’ was already made by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1902 for which he underwent imprisonment in Mandala. No where I have read that he meant Dominion status for his demand. It was only in Nehru Report that such a goal was set for India but which was changed to Purana Swaraj only after one year. By attaching Purana to the word Swaraj, one can not minimize the significance of 1902 demand.
II
From 1947 onwards:
1. The first important fact was years from 1947 to 1950. Apart from partition, the three important problems were the most important for India as a young nation to survive the very next day. They were:
i. The preparation of a constitution of independent India.
ii. The problem of the rehabilitation of the refugees.
iii. The problem of merging of Princely States in the Indian Federation.
2. The next fact about India was Nehru period upto 1964. This period can be identified with three five years plans, the writing of destiny of India inside and at world level as envisaged by Jwahar Lal Nehru.
3. The third important period extends from 1965 to 1992. Yes, this period forms one unit whole. It is identified with the policies of Indira Gandhi and her twenty point programmes, nationalization of Indian banking, License Raj which was part of Nehruvian economic policy etc. It was period of transition for India and rising frustration which was more reflected in the movies of this period. In the same period, it was Rajiv Gandhi who tried to bring change in the mind set of the Indians with his young brigade. Again, I do not identify journalistic events of two wars with Pakistan, the Pokhran I etc as important. I taken into view how Pakistan and Bangladesh would evaluate this period. Going of Rakesh Sharma to space, 1984 assassination, pact with Mizos and Bodos are all the part of regular evolving of India which for me is a new India different from what it was before 1947.
4. It was year 1992, which is epoch making year. The journalistic history would stress upon Bombay Bomb Blast, rise of Mafia, political scams (which till this day have not reached anywhere and all the people involved are absolved of the charges against them). It is the period marked by Manmohanicms or the economic policies started under the guidance of Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia. It ended the controlled economic scenario and brought before the world a new generation of entrepreneurs in India. It is now not the world of TATA and Birlas only. Except from Ratan Tata and Kumarmangalam Birla of A. V. Birla group, a new generation of Middle class entrepreneurs now rule the Indians firmament which includes the name of Ambani Brothers, Azim Premji, Nadan Nilekani, R. RajuSunil Bharti, Mohabir Sawhney, Anand Mahindra, Kiran Mazumdar, Ravi Venkatesan, Reddy Brothers, Subash Kumar etc. Mohindras, Birlas, Godrej, Bajaj are there, but the new names are the product of 1992.
In the same period, on the political scene, India saw the experiment of minority government practiced by P. V. Narsaminha Rao.
5. 1997 was the next important event when coalition government headed by BJP came to power. It brought the power gallery and power equation people like Chandra Babu Naidu, Jailalitha, Om Parkash Chauthala, Ram Vilas Paswan, Shibo Shoren, Sharad Pawar (after parting ways from Congress), Lalo Parsad Yadav, Ajay Singh, Mamata Banerjee (after parting ways from Congress), Dewegoda Mayawati, Mulyam Singh Yadav. If there is no Congress and their breed, then they are the real India, from the grass root level, non elite but product of new India and true India and coming face of India if Congress is not able to continue under Sonia and Rahul
In Indian history, as taught in India, the year 1885 is identified with the Indian Independence Movement and founding of Indian National Congress (INC).
It is still a debated issue. The year is made popular among historian world by the liberal historians. The nationalist historians contend that the national movement started before 1857, the Year of Mutiny or First War of Independence. However, many of them would prefer to take 1819, the end of the third Maratha War as the starting year. There are some who would like it to start with 1736 when the first mutiny in among the native infantry was reported.
However, 1885 has also been picked by leftists and subaltern historians. They do not identify it with the founding of the INC but consider it the year of maturing of the political mobilization of the Middle Class which is identified as had grown since 1857. However, among them also, there are scholars who would identify the year of Gagging Act or Vernacular Press Act 1878 passed by Lord Lytton. The terrible famine of 1876-77 which took the toll of six million souls was being celebrated by Lord Lytton with a lavish expenditure on the Imperial Darbar in 1877 and it was the Indian Press which had strongly opposed it. The act was later withdrawn and it was considered as a success of the political maturing of Indians. They consider the forming of Indian National Conference of 1873 by Surenderanath Banerjea as the turning point in this history of India.
On the whole, year 1885 was the year when the middle class (professional classes) started presenting their demands in democratic manner. The Indian National Congress was established on December 28, 1885 and held its session for three days. Nearly 72 delegates attended the session. A study of the social, educational and economic background of those delegates shows that they represented the new face of the Indian Middle Class.
Any how, year 1885 sets the tone of a history which could give us five more important phases in the period which ends with 1947.
1. The moderate period extends from 1885 to 1905. The selection of historians would guide it up to 1907 (Surat Split) or 1909 Morley Minto Reforms. However, this period was dominated by Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishan Gokhle, Ferozeshah Mehta and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The vital fact about 1905 is Wang Bang Movement which revealed to the world the Indian tools for achieving their independence. They were Swadeshi, Boycott and Swaraj (???- Yes).
2. The period from 1905 to 1919 is identified by extremist period not only in demands of the Congress but also in the rise of the revolutionary movements. There were the nationalist activities undertaken by Bengal Dadas (big brothers) and the Ghadar Party activity of 1914. It was the period of Hindu Muslim unity in their struggle for collective bargaining.
3. It is generally identify with the Gandhian period. There is not doubt about the contribution of Gandhi. It was the period when Gandhi mobilized all the section of the Indian society behind his movement and his political tool of Satyagragha and Non-violence. But the Subaltern historians like Sumit Sarkar in his Modern India 1885-1947 has successfully identified the decade of 1920s as the crucial period in the Indian history. It was the period, when the Mill Workers of Bombay could force the Bombay Presidency to pass the tariff laws without the help of any established leader either from the National leaders of Congress or Communist leaders like Surendernath Bhardwaj or M. N. Roy. It was the also the decade when the Japanese merchandise invaded the Indian market and British government felt that the expenditure incurred on running the Indian administration was not a profitable proposition.
4. This period could be identified with 1936 to 1942. Though the starting point is the Government of India Act which was a culmination of the Indian struggle yet it also has other feature which can be called the maturity of the Indian movement for freedom. All the sections of Indian society had rallied behind the Congress movement. It included the peasants, mill workers, Indian industrialists identified with FICCI and G. D. Birla.
5. The fifth phase is definitely Quit India Movement 1942. Roosevelt was concerned about the role of India in the fight against fascist forces. Britain under Churchill was ready to sent first the Cripps Mission and then the Cabinet Mission. Wavell was ready to discuss plans for handing over the power to India before the arrival of Cabinet Mission Plan. The period ends with the Partition and Independence.
I have not intentionally identify the year 1929, for the demand Purana Swaraj as the major fact. This is how it is taught in India. But I am now a student of History and a learner. I am not going to be taught. I am learning it. I have an argument in defense of my stand. This important fact is not that important for Pakistan. For Pakistan, it is the Lahore declaration of 1940 which may be the important fact of the period. I do not know how Bangladesh would see it. The use of the word ‘Swaraj’ was already made by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1902 for which he underwent imprisonment in Mandala. No where I have read that he meant Dominion status for his demand. It was only in Nehru Report that such a goal was set for India but which was changed to Purana Swaraj only after one year. By attaching Purana to the word Swaraj, one can not minimize the significance of 1902 demand.
II
From 1947 onwards:
1. The first important fact was years from 1947 to 1950. Apart from partition, the three important problems were the most important for India as a young nation to survive the very next day. They were:
i. The preparation of a constitution of independent India.
ii. The problem of the rehabilitation of the refugees.
iii. The problem of merging of Princely States in the Indian Federation.
2. The next fact about India was Nehru period upto 1964. This period can be identified with three five years plans, the writing of destiny of India inside and at world level as envisaged by Jwahar Lal Nehru.
3. The third important period extends from 1965 to 1992. Yes, this period forms one unit whole. It is identified with the policies of Indira Gandhi and her twenty point programmes, nationalization of Indian banking, License Raj which was part of Nehruvian economic policy etc. It was period of transition for India and rising frustration which was more reflected in the movies of this period. In the same period, it was Rajiv Gandhi who tried to bring change in the mind set of the Indians with his young brigade. Again, I do not identify journalistic events of two wars with Pakistan, the Pokhran I etc as important. I taken into view how Pakistan and Bangladesh would evaluate this period. Going of Rakesh Sharma to space, 1984 assassination, pact with Mizos and Bodos are all the part of regular evolving of India which for me is a new India different from what it was before 1947.
4. It was year 1992, which is epoch making year. The journalistic history would stress upon Bombay Bomb Blast, rise of Mafia, political scams (which till this day have not reached anywhere and all the people involved are absolved of the charges against them). It is the period marked by Manmohanicms or the economic policies started under the guidance of Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia. It ended the controlled economic scenario and brought before the world a new generation of entrepreneurs in India. It is now not the world of TATA and Birlas only. Except from Ratan Tata and Kumarmangalam Birla of A. V. Birla group, a new generation of Middle class entrepreneurs now rule the Indians firmament which includes the name of Ambani Brothers, Azim Premji, Nadan Nilekani, R. RajuSunil Bharti, Mohabir Sawhney, Anand Mahindra, Kiran Mazumdar, Ravi Venkatesan, Reddy Brothers, Subash Kumar etc. Mohindras, Birlas, Godrej, Bajaj are there, but the new names are the product of 1992.
In the same period, on the political scene, India saw the experiment of minority government practiced by P. V. Narsaminha Rao.
5. 1997 was the next important event when coalition government headed by BJP came to power. It brought the power gallery and power equation people like Chandra Babu Naidu, Jailalitha, Om Parkash Chauthala, Ram Vilas Paswan, Shibo Shoren, Sharad Pawar (after parting ways from Congress), Lalo Parsad Yadav, Ajay Singh, Mamata Banerjee (after parting ways from Congress), Dewegoda Mayawati, Mulyam Singh Yadav. If there is no Congress and their breed, then they are the real India, from the grass root level, non elite but product of new India and true India and coming face of India if Congress is not able to continue under Sonia and Rahul
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