Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Gandhiji's Swarajya: From Jalianwalla Bagh to Ayodhya

Gandhiji asks a brilliant question on freedom in his book, Hind-Swaraj. If the Indians simply replaced the colonial British masters with Indians, but if the policies remained the same, would this be called freedom?
The British ordered Indian sepoys to fire on unarmed protestors. They complied. The result was the infamous Jalianwalla Bagh massacre. They then covered it up. When the cover-up proved difficult, they tried to justify it. They are yet to apologize. Justice is yet to be served.
In 1990, in Ayodhya, the MSY UP govt ordered the police to fire on unarmed Karsevak protestors. They complied. This was the Karsevak massacre, one of the largest in independent India. The government & media covered it up & blacked out the news. When the cover-up proved difficult, they tried to justify it. They are yet to apologize. Bodies are still missing. Justice is yet to be served.
Sounds similar?

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