Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

FREEDOM MOVEMENT

the end that it may secure a decent standard of living. * The State shall safeguard the interest of industrial workers by suitable legisla- tion and in other ways....”

they flowed for a while through separate courses, but nature's immutable law brought them together and joined them in a sangam. This fusion was a notable event in history. Since then, destiny, in her own hidden way, began to fashion a new India in place of the old.... We gave our wealth to her and she un- locked the doors of her own treasures to us. We gave her, what she needed most, the most precious of gifts from Islam's treasury, the message of democracy and human equality. Eleven hundred years of common history have enriched India with our common achievement. Our languages, our literature, our culture, our art, our dress, our manners and customs, the innumerable happenings of our daily life, everything bears the stamp of our joint endeavour. There is indeed no as- pect of our life which has escaped this stamp... This thousand years of our joint life has moulded us into a common nationality..."

The National Hag, 1947

Jaipur session, Dec.-1948

Even after Indian Independence the French retained their five settlements - Chandrana- gore, Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe, and Portuguese - Goa, Diu and Daman. During the freedom struggle days these settle- ments were regarded as 'little pimples' by the National leaders and thought that they would disappear with the end of British rule. But after the World War II, freedom movement in the French colonies was intensified with the creation of 'French India National Congress'; it led the freedom struggle in French colonies assisted by other organizations like the 'Karai- kal National Congress.' 'The Mahasabha' (Mahe and Yanam) and 'The National Demo- cratic Front ' (Pondicherry). After Indian In- dependence the demand for the termination of the French rule and merger of those territories intensified. The Jaipur session of the Congress (Dec. 1948) declared that "With the establishment of Independence in India, the continued exis- tence of any foreign possession in India be- comes anomalous and opposed to the concep- tion of India's unity and freedom." “The Congress had been the prime instrument of the Indian Revolution. Beginning as an organisation of the educated middle classes, it grew into the world's largest democratic movement and mass party under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Its history encompasses nine decades of endeavour to win and consolidate national freedom. ... Our nationalism is a triumphant example of a multi- religious, multi-lingual society, working together for social transformation in a climate of political liberty, refusing to be lured by the blandishments or pressured by the threats of outside forces. ”

National Flag formally adopted by Congress ,1931

Speaking on the aims of the Congress, M. Gandhi said on November 30-1931 as below: "All the other parties at this meeting rep- resent sectional interests. Congress alone claims to represent the whole of India, all interests. It is no communal organisation; it is a determined enemy of communalism in any shape or form. Congress knows no distinction of race, colour or creed; its platform is uni- versal... ” The Congress is the only all-India-wide national organisation, bereft of any commu- nal basis; that it does represent all the minori- ties... Presiding over the Haripura Congress of 1938, Subhas Chandra Bose spoke on ‘impe- rial policy of 'divide and Rule', ‘non-violent non-cooperation', ‘role of Congress after Freedom’ and ‘Planning in Free India’. Simi- larly at 1939 Congress (Tripuri) S.C. Bose spoke on the need for 'assault on British Im- perialism'. Presiding over the Congress, Abul Kalam Azad spoke elaborately on 'the minorities and political future of India', ’Muslims of India'; posing a basic question for Indian Muslims and on their antagonism and aloofness he observed, "I reached quickly a final conclusion.... I saw India, with all her many burdens, marching ahead to her future destiny. We were fellow passengers in this boat and we could not ignore its swift passage through the waters.... it becomes our bounden duty then to march with assured steps to India's national goal". Speaking about the 'T he Muslims and united India' and 'cultural blend through the ages', he said "Like the Ganga and Jumna, LIV - session - 1940 - Ramgarh President: Abul Kalam Azad. LII - session - 1938 - Haripura President: Subhas Chandra Bose.

Congress resolution on British withdrawal from India August 8, 1942

In 1942, the All India Congress Commit- tee put forward the demand for British with- drawal from India, it reads as follows:

”The A.I.C.C., therefore, repeats with all

emphasis the demand for the withdrawal of

the British power from India. On the declara-

tion of India's independence, a provisional

Government will be formed and free India

will become an ally of the United Nations. Its

primary junctions must be to defend India and

resist aggression with all the armed as well as

the non-violent forces at its command, to-

gether with its allied powers and to promote

the well-being and progress of the workers in

the fields and factories and elsewhere to whom

essentially all power and authority must be-

long.... This Constitution, according to the

Congress view, should be a federal one, with

the largest measure of autonomy for the fed-

erating units, and with the residuary powers

vesting in these units....

The Committee feels that it is no longer

justified in holding the nation back... The

committee resolves, therefore, to sanction,

for the vindication of India's inalienable

right to freedom and independence, the start-

ing of a mass struggle on non-violent lines on

- Indira Gandhi, 1975.

the widest possible scale ............. Such a struggle

must inevitably be under the leadership of

* For the Liberation of French and Portuguese colonies

Gandhiji..."

refer “India and the World" Vol - II - Sec. T.