Date: 09/12/2013
Watch: Nelson Mandela's life and legacy
Last two centuries marked the struggles of various people and nations to free themselves from yoke of imperialism and colonialism. There were heroes as well as villains and some in between in the panorama of battles and wars oppressed fought to win back their freedom. Nelson Mandela as leader of blacks in Aparthied state of South Africa who just passed away, was a great hero who did not compromise with his ideal and goal to free blacks from oppression and exploitation of white racists, eventually succeeding and keeping the amity between the two races and others relatively intact when compared to what happened in other African States that emerged from colonialism only to pass under personal dictatorships and exploitation continued nevertheless.
Another noteworthy aspect of Nelson Mandela was , though his movement was largely non violent, he never compromised on the issue of use of force if necessary. Actually he served 27 years in solitary confinement because he refused to commit himself to non-violence at all costs. It was a realistic and truthful stand than the pseudo-nonviolence that India was burdened with. Furthermore Mandela also stood firm when departing white regime wanted to play its usual tricks to leave power only after dividing South Africa. They found their Jinnah in the form of Bultheji of Zulu tribe and advocated the idea of creating a Zulu Land, a Pakistan of South Africa. Zulus stood in support of White regime during the freedom struggle.
Mandela of course will have nothing of the sort happen . He stood firm against partition and he prevailed.
Using all sorts of gimmicks to lure Hindus into Congress the Gandhi much hailed of course did not have the courage of conviction like Mandela or for that matter like that of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln said, one nation under God and fought a war to keep US intact. Gandhi though publicly averred just few weeks back before fateful partition, that it will take place only over his dead body, instead became one of very frist to advance the idea of departing colonialists to divide India and then quit.
However Indian freedom struggle also saw heroic people like that of Mandela. It is misfortune of India that such people did not come to hold power after British left, perhaps the arrangement was planned by British. Any way Veer Savarkar whose exploits are legendary,spent more time in solitary confinement in Andamans than Nelson Mandela. Unlike Mandela who was hailed and adorned as leader of freed South Africa, small minded yet holding high positions of power in India who rose to the top following independence instead chose to persecute the hero par excellence, Swantantrya Veer Savarkar. He was yet again imprisoned in free India , like British did by Nehru's government. Twice he was implicated in false cases ,under false charges only to have courts release him . His book, the war of independence, 1857 revolution, the largest uprising against British empire any where in the world, was not only banned by British even before its publication which was unique, Nehru continued the ban . That is how Congress has treated heroes of freedom struggle while its encomiums and laurels were reserved only for Nehrus and Gandhis to date. In fact one of minions of dynasty when he went to visit Andaman prison, he threw away the plaque recording the presence of Savarkar in the cell and his quotes. Such was the small mindedness which still continues to date among high Congress circles,
Any how people have different barometers to measure worth of leaders and assess their leadership far more accurately than kept media or hired eminent historians,. Hence Subhash Chandra Bose was called 'Netaji' a leader, this title is not given by some committee but by people of India. He too was made to be forgotten in Congress led official lore.
And Congress even tried to falsify history and buried a time capsule when Indira Gandhi was PM. This was dug out when she lost power afer emergency. Only one Britisher and Nehru were mentioned as sole captains of freedom struggle in that time capsule. Such is the fraud resorted to not just on present but over future generations as well. But then truth has endurance and fortunately such Congress party itself may soon become history,
The sacrifices of Nelson Mandela will remain in memory for long time, so will those of heroes of India's freedom struggle, from those of 1857 to 1948 and beyond. There is no end of history either for India or for the world and time now is for renaissance of India that in turn will influence world civilization. This renaissance will not be based on borroed feathers of socialism or secularism but will only come up because ageless, ever new Hinduism which is synonymous with India's culture and civilization.
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