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The Euphoria of 15th August-

Patriotism? or Nationalism? -Blind Sentiments!

Welcome Readers!

                               This blog is part of my Sunday Reading Activity to ponder upon the points suggested by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad Sir on the month of August as the month of Kranti/ Revolution. So here I share my views. Click on the link to view Sir's blog-

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                                 Language is a definite as well as an eminent tool to describe the enigmatic concept of “Nation” and “Country”.  When we hear the name of the months like August and January, the first thing that pops up in common minds either is ‘Patriotism’ or ‘Nationalism’- and a common theme – INDIA. India as a nation spreads Nationalism which is very injurious to the development of a country and this disease, with its very harmful intention can kill the patriotic spirit of patriotism and can spoil the youth by diverting them to a wrong way. Patriotism, on the other hand, is very different from these extreme views of jingoism which not only shows respect for own country but also to the other countries.

“And then, thanks to all those politicians in Delhi, on the fifteenth of August, 1947—the day the British left—the cages had been let open; and the animals had attacked and ripped each other apart and the jungle law replaced the zoo law. Those that were the most ferocious, the hungriest, had eaten everyone else up, and grown big bellies. That was all that counted now, the size of your belly.”

                              This quote by Aravind Adiga in his work “The White Tiger” best describes the frivolity of the grand celebration of 15^th August in India. The excitement and the joyful festive vibes soon reveal the inner beauty of the nation- India; the beauty that is hidden behind the ray of light that merely allows our eyes to have a clear vision of dark parts. Indeed, the politicians every year makes a special schedule on the occasion of 15^th August, the day we received independence (so as to say) but we forget to carry millions of promises. The day the British left, we got space, space of our own, space that we can use the way we like, can fight for space and tear each other apart, space that we ate and still our hunger cannot be satisfied, space that will help to grow our bellies!!!

                                     This kind of highly nationalistic feelings results into mere riots and massacres and is a key for the politicians to break the unity (if there exists) and to create the groups, to make people favor them and favor their nationalistic ideologies and insult the other. Politicians divide people in order to gain power. This power has created the Nation and steadily this nationalistic ideology has started spoiling younger minds by imitating the false ideas of Politicians. This concept makes me remember the poem written by Bhagvat Ravat (भगवत रावत) titled as “देश एक राग है”. To view the whole poem and debate please click on Dr. Dilip Barad Sir’s blog on “Country vs Nation-State: देश बनाम राष्ट्र: भगवत रावत: Bhagwat Rawat”

                           The poem despite being descriptive not only encroaches on pseudo-nationalism but also makes us aware of our presence and our citizenship. The following stanza gives a beautiful description of Nation vs Country.

कितना भी पुराना और पवित्र रहा हो राष्ट्र शब्द का इतिहास
पर आज पता नहीं क्यों बार-बार
यह शब्द एक भारी भरकम बनायी गयी ऐसी अस्वाभाविक
डरावनी आवाज लगता है जो सत्ता और शक्ति के
अहंकार में न जाने किसको
ललकारने के लिए उपजी है
अपना बिगुल खुद बजाती जिससे एक ही शब्द
ध्वनित होता सुनायी देता है
सावधान!
सावधान!
सावधान! 

                      Hence, these lines reflect the poet’s inner feelings when he speaks the word ‘Nation’. This Nation takes us back to the time when India as a nation was created!

• The time when an Englishman decided the future of a country,
• the time when he was given the authority to divide the bond which was united for years,

• the time when one country was divided into two separate nations by an Englishman,
• the time when many people lost their hometowns and migrated forever to the land which they will have to think as their own,

• the time when every individual lost his/ her ‘individuality’ and 'identity'!

                                   The Radcliff line divided a country into two separate nations and this line was named after an English architect Sir Cyril Radcliff. He, a man out of the country, a man who never experienced the light of togetherness is given order by the Authority to draw a line as he wishes! And here he commits the unpardonable act which marked an episode of pain and agony of peripheral lives in the history.

                                      Here is a short film on this Radcliff line called ‘The Bloody Line’ by Neerja director Ram Madhvani inspired from W. H. Auden’s poem ‘Partition’. This bloody line showed an imaginary conversation between Sir Cyril Radcliff and his wife on Auden’s poem.

                        The poem is an account of evidence which reveals the sentiments of thousands of lives parted during Partition. Here are some of the photos of Partition. Exactly 70 years ago, after nearly two centuries in power, the British divided their imperial "jewel" into two nations: India and Pakistan. 

Lives haunted by partition

                            Even the character of Tha'mma (the narrator's grandmother) in “The Shadow lines” by Amitav Ghosh, longs to return to her native place. When she comes to the land for the first time she is curious to know the red line- the line which forced her to leave her native country and to move to an alien place.  

Hence, literature reflects the time of the partition and its hazardous effects on the poor lives. But the reality is to be written and is necessary to write even if it hurts. Presenting the ground reality is not at all wrong. In fact, it acts as evidence in the future to measure the development of a country. Many writers have written about the disastrous effects of Partition in India like Khushwantsingh's "Train to Pakistan", Manju Kapoor's "Difficult Daughters" reveals the conditions of the people migrating from one part to another part. One such writer was Manto, who used to present the ground reality of Bombay streets of India by writing all without any barriers. He clearly states that there is nothing wrong in presenting reality rather than beautifying things!

In a nutshell, it can be said that Saadat Hassan Manto used to write about the prostitution and its vulgarity as he used to stay in Bombay and for what he wrote he securely believes, is the reality and is necessary to write. So this way we can observe here like Manto, W. H. Auden's "Partition" also carries the same fearless narrative revealing the reality and his symbol of drawing the line as a border of "Red color" reveals not pleasing objects like a rose or something appealing but it reveals the bloodshed, the horrific deaths, the terrifying truths, the plaguy partition!

Thank you. 

references-

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Bhagwat Rawat
Desh Ek Raag Hai
Radcliff Line
Sir Cyril Radcliff
W. H. Auden's poem PARTITION
Amitav Ghosh
Saadat Hassan Manto