Md Sohaib Qais
Md Sohaib Qais |Kolkata
While speaking of the modern / ancient India who first used the above captioned term first no historical evidence is probably available. What we know is that in the modern time India was called ‘Soney ki Chiridya’ because of the vast wealth it was bestowed with and the prosperous life the ancient people in the country enjoyed. It is because of this wealth and treasure that the country possessed at that time, the foreigners’ mouth had got watered and, ultimately they landed on the shore of this country for carrying on trade and commerce here. The rest is detailed in the history of India.
This is the British Court in India sometime in the 19th century. Chairs are occupied by the English magistrates, advocates and grand jury. Shaheed Bhagat Singh is brought inside the court. Well, Bhagat Singh, the Muslim rulers ruled over India for more than 800 years but not a single bomb was hurled either in the Adalat (court) or upon any Muslim ruler. On the other hand, we (English) are here and merely a short period of 150 years has passed and you hurled a bomb in the central hall of the Legislative Assembly. Why? The English judge asked Bhagat Singh.
Almost all the Muslim emperors right from the Slave period to the Mughal period, proved themselves the natives of this country. They ruled here, lived here and died here. Bhagat Sigh replies. He continues – the Muslim rulers did not leave the country with the wealth accumulated here. They lived here and spent the money and wealth here. During the period of the Muslim rule, aprosperity and richness attracted you. You came here, committed loot, plundered and sponged the wealth. You squeezed the sponge on the bank of the river Thames to extract the gems gathered in it in India. He further says that he hurled / threw the bomb with no intention of killing anyone of you. The bomb was not made with any deadly chemical and bullet or cartridge inside. It was a merely a sound-producing bomb thrown with the objective of making you deaf able to hear (bahro’n ko sunaney kay liye).
The above facts are narrated in a video sent to me by Ishrat Hashmi, a social activist in Kolkata. The video speaks of a book “A new look at Modern Indian History by B.L. Grover and Alka Mehta. On page 165 of the said book, besides the above narrative relating to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, a heart-rending incidence relating to the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar is also revealed. An English official, John Nicholson, reaches Bahadur Shah Zafar and asks him to have breakfast. Emperor first declines on ground of feeling unwell. After much persuasion Emperor sadly consented. A tray is brought and placed before the Emperor. When covering of the velvety cloth is removed, three human heads appears – one head belonged to the emperor’s son and two of the emperor’s grandsons.
It must be noted that this was the time when the revolt of 1857 was on fire. A comment is made by the narrator in the video – ‘Shame to the persons who cast aspersions against Muslims that their sacrifice in 1857 revolt was negligible. Historians, political as well as apolitical leaders and biased commentators who are hell bent on distorting the facts & figures must throw even a cursory look at the India Gate which has been keeping imprinted on its body the names of the Muslims who sacrificed themselves in the 1857 revolt against the British.
It is imperatively necessary to work together in the larger interest of the society as well as the nation as a whole instead of being a prisoner of personal biases. It is quite obvious that the present central government run by the Bhartiya Janata Party, had taken almost all the public/educational institutions, judiciary, army and police force under its control. They have no say in the running of the organizations. It is the bureaucrats who run them. Bureaucrats rule over academics, researchers, analysts and persons valuing rationality and integrity. In fact, these bureaucrats give much importance to chairs than to serving the nation honestly. I quote a heart-breaking sentence uttered by the Rajani Singh, wife of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was killed by cow-vigilantes in Uttar Pradesh “Can a hundred murders be pardoned if you join the BJP?” – The Telegraph dt. 20 July, 2020.
Kapil Sibal, lawyer-politician, is quoted to have tweeted “In my country has the ‘rule of law’ become the law of ‘he who rules’. Similarly, lawyer Prashant Bhushan is said to have tweeted ‘”The top court had a role in the ‘destruction’ of democracy in India even without a formal Emergency”. Highlighting the pathetic scenario being presented by the present central government, Kapil Sibal further tweeted “Custodial deaths, fake encounters, toppling elected governments (money +), intemperate language by the powerful, persecuting the innocent, highly questionable judicial verdicts. Save my country”. (The Telegraph dt. 23 July, 2020)
At last but not the least. Democratic institutions and constitutional values are being subverted and subjugated in a dangerously premeditated manner. And, it is the call of the time to thwart the ugly designs of the enemies of the nation adopting every democratically justified ways and means.