Aug 07, 2004 09:49 AM
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(Updated Aug 07, 2004 09:49 AM)
The History :
India obtained her independance from colonial rule in 1947.. A time of great turmoil for the whole world reeling from the after effects of wars. A time when the greatest empire was coming to an end , aptly with the independance of India.
Indian Independance was fought on many fronts, on various levels, and by various people. Only a few of these people are well known, the most famous of them being the Mahatma, Mr Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
The Book : After reading the book ''O jerusalem'' by the same authors, I was enticed into reading the other works by the same authors. Needless to say I was not disappointed.
The book is remarkably well organised, and filled with accurate historical facts supported by evidence gathered by painstaking research. The chief players in the great game of independance have their charachters exposed completely. The book also dispelled a lot of misconceptions that I had about the policies followed by Gandiji and Nehru. Personally I always thought that Gandhiji was for partition and one of the main reasons for partition was his insistance. But after reding the book I realised how wrong I was.
I expected the British empire to be treated leniantly in the book , and to some extent I found that was the case. Unlike in their other works, the authors dont seem to have exposed the cruelty of the English overlords in India. They are treated more like strict fathers disciplining a child, which I thought was extremely unfair to Indian sensibilities( outppourings of a patriotic heart you say, well maybe).
One thing I thought was lacking in this book was the lack of prominence given to other freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai , and others. Maybe their roles in diplomatic manoeuvres were not so glaring but their roles as leaders instigating the people to fight for their freedom was no less patriotic than Gandhiji's fasts.
The book brilliantly depicts the heartbreak suffered by innumerable English ''Sahibs'' on losing their crowning glory ''India'', the land of Mysticism and adventure.. and on the other hand the joy of millions of Indians on obtaining their hard won freedom.
The true cause of the Kashmir problem that is still a thorn in the Indian and Pakistani sides is objectively described to the reader. The pains of partition are delved into without being judgemental, or subjective.A true fly on the wall approach.
Finally on a lighter vein, the authors describe the Raj of those days. The various Indian Maharajas with their exorbitant amounts of cash and Jewels, their eccentricities and fetishes.Their obsessions and their final demise of the once grand Kingdoms after Independance.
My Verdict:
A truly wonderful book.Though is trains the spotlight on a few aspects of the freedom struggle it is truly worth the 200 Rupees you pay for it. A must buy for every Indian.
