by Narjit B, Singh
Recently the Indian subcontinent celebrated an independence day and | wonder how many minorities joined in, I haven’t celebrated their independence for years nor do I wish too, In remembering the old times, [believe Sikhs were better off before the partition, Punjab and Kashmir were better off before the British incorporated them under their empire.
I know why I can’t bring myself to celebrate the independence. It is because there is nothing but sorrow there, left the Indian subcontinent never to look back, but events there have been hitting too close to my home. To me, Pakistan is 100 religious of a state; and India, besides being a religious Slate, tries too hard to be a socialist country, Bangladesh is another story. In looking back I also find, the new rulers did nothing more than replace the British Viceroy with a prime minister, and replaced the old ruling elites (the mahara jahsand the rich) with parliament. ‘The constitutions of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are a mockery of travesty. In all those countries they change every month to suit the whim of the rulers, I thought the British were bad because they polarized the society so they could divide and conquer. They also used Maharajahs to subject to their Indians, but the present rulers are the worst. In addition to what the British did, present rulers use armies to subjugate their own countrymen on the name of national integrity and sovereignty. I believe somewhere they lost it. They don’t see the forest for the trees. Soviet Union tried, Yugo Slavia tried, to control the cultures, values, economy, and welfare of their people with their armies, they succeeded fora generation or two, but in the end, look what happened. Armies do not win the hearts and minds of people. Sooner or later the glorious domes and steeples come tumbling down to crumble when the foundations catch the whiff of freedom, I just cannot get excited about Indian sub-continent’s freedom, nor I can bring myself in celebrating it.
There on that Indian subcontinent is a silent majority which I believe is like me, They would like to live in land where they could be free to worship in their own belief, free of caste system, carry On their occupations, pre serve their culture, pursue their happiness, be tree to debate as to what they want, and set their own boundaries, I am for them. J want them to enjoy what I enjoy in North America.
“If God wants a hungry man’s attention, He better look like a bread”, M. K. Gandhi. I believe in that. I believe if the people on the ‘Indian continent who are like me, want real independence, liberty and justice for all; and want the world’s help; then, they must unite, be creative, and present an idea, something, that is not only accept able to their own citizenry but also to the world at large. They must come with something that is non-religious, non-socialist, and non-racist. Something that doesn’t trample on the rights of the others, something that maintains the inherent dignity of mankind, and guaranty basic fundamental freedoms.
What do you think?
Article extracted from this publication >> October 1, 1993
