It will be azadi time in about 40 minutes from now. Pakistan will be 56 then. Khashwant singh is one of India's most widely-read writers and journalists. He made his debut with his very first novel, Train to Pakistan. The novel is set at the time of partition when flocks of refugees were crossing the line drawn by those who were least affected by its drawing. Muslims rushing to their dream land and Hindus moving to live on theirs. During this process many lives were lost as tempers ruled over sense. Khashwant talks about a village on the railway line bridging the two countries. A social worker is there to spread his vision about newly achieved miracle of knowledge. asks the villagers "Why don't you people want to be free? Do you want to remain slaves all your lives?"
After a long silence the lambardar answered; "Freedom must be a good thing. But what will we get out of it? Educated people like you, Babu Sahib, will get the jobs the English had. Will we get more lands or more buffaloes?"
These lines are circling in my mind and the cycle becomes tighter as i think of the coming jashan- e- azadi. These are as true today as they were 56 years ago. What did this freedom give to a poor indian-nothing if you ask me. People on both sides of the line are living the same miserable lives as they used o live before the British bestowed us with this thing called freedom. We are as stranded as ever on both sides Indians and Pakistanis alike. The leaders who used the masses as the driving force for gaining freedom left them in the midway once the make believe political freedom was achieved. No one tried to convert this political freedom into a social and economic one.
so the question is 'Are we really free after these many years?'
'For the price that the masses paid was it worth it all?'
'Who benifited from this Azadi, common people or the elite?'
and so on questions keep on coming into my mind. I really hope that there is no more hatred between us and we can live peacefully as friends as we had been doing before the British came in.
To my patriotic friends Jashn-e-Azadi mubarak.I sincerely hope that this seed of discourd that the British left between us is nipped in the bud-though we ae late but haven't lost the opportunity yet.
After a long silence the lambardar answered; "Freedom must be a good thing. But what will we get out of it? Educated people like you, Babu Sahib, will get the jobs the English had. Will we get more lands or more buffaloes?"
These lines are circling in my mind and the cycle becomes tighter as i think of the coming jashan- e- azadi. These are as true today as they were 56 years ago. What did this freedom give to a poor indian-nothing if you ask me. People on both sides of the line are living the same miserable lives as they used o live before the British bestowed us with this thing called freedom. We are as stranded as ever on both sides Indians and Pakistanis alike. The leaders who used the masses as the driving force for gaining freedom left them in the midway once the make believe political freedom was achieved. No one tried to convert this political freedom into a social and economic one.
so the question is 'Are we really free after these many years?'
'For the price that the masses paid was it worth it all?'
'Who benifited from this Azadi, common people or the elite?'
and so on questions keep on coming into my mind. I really hope that there is no more hatred between us and we can live peacefully as friends as we had been doing before the British came in.
To my patriotic friends Jashn-e-Azadi mubarak.I sincerely hope that this seed of discourd that the British left between us is nipped in the bud-though we ae late but haven't lost the opportunity yet.
Comments