Admiral Ramdas, former CNS
So a few thoughts on what “AZAADI” or Freedom, meant to me, a young boy of 14 when we made our Tryst with Destiny on that midnight hour of August 14th/15th. We listened to the inspiring speech by Nehru gathered round our tiny little radio!
Next morning, Aug 15th 1947, I can clearly remember even today – 75 years later – running from my home in Bengali Market to Princess Park near India Gate. I was one among millions of exuberant citizens who watched the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, unfurl the Indian National Flag – the Tiranga – at the same time as Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy and First Governor General of India, hauled down the British Union Jack.
I cannot ever forget the feelings that swept over us as we were all caught up in the sheer delirium of our Azaadi! It was also on that occasion that this wide-eyed fourteen year old, planning to join the Fauj, was so fascinated by the immaculate white uniform and shining medals worn by Lord Mountbatten, that he was inspired to join the Navy!!
It was shortly after Independence that it was decided to create a National Defence Academy at Kharakvasla, Pune and inaugurated in December 1954. Meanwhile I joined the Inter Services Wing of the then existing Armed Forces Academy and we were accommodated in the erstwhile POW camp in Clement Town, Dehra Dun, in January 1949. This served as our home, our school and our training ground for two years till we passed out in December 1950.
We were an idealistic bunch – full of josh and the endless possibilities of what lay ahead for us young men in a free and Azaad India. Our first headmaster, Jack Gibson, made sure that he introduced his first batch of future service officers to the fundamentals of the newly minted Constitution with all its exhilarating and solemn promises of Justice, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity, adopted in Jan 1950 when India became a Republic. My belief in, and loyalty to, that ‘Holy Book’ – the Constitution of India, has continued, to be the guiding light for all my actions and future decisions. We all take an oath of loyalty to the Constitution when we are commissioned.
The Present
Coming to the present – namely Aug14/15 2022 – being widely celebrated as Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. I am about to enter my ninetieth year on Sept 5 2022 – which we celebrate as Teachers Day to honour that great Teacher and former president of India – Dr S. Radhakrishnan. Yes India has come a long way from where we were – but at the same time my first set of thoughts today is how, after 75 years, we have failed our children by accepting a totally skewed, unjust and discriminatory education system in the new India where we had made promises of Justice, Equality and Liberty for all.
Poverty, unemployment and Illiteracy are rampant – and we have failed to achievethe promised goals in most of the basic areas and universal developmental benchmarks. Large numbers of children remain outside reach and access to education. A majority are consigned to an indifferent and poorly resourced govt school system and are virtually ‘pushed out’ of schooling though we refer to ‘drop outs’. This has resulted in third rate education system for the bulk of our children and
‘quality’ education for a small elite.
We need to ask ourselves what Azaadi means to these children and their families? Certainly it is very different from the mass production of synthetic tirangas and exhortations to fly them from every home in the country, almost by executive fiat!
If we were truly a democratic Republic and Azaad as we had hoped – we would not be seeing the demise of many of our time honoured constitutional institutions, and the plethora of draconian laws that have been introduced over time to control and often to intimidate our own citizens.
So there are many points to ponder as we look at Azaadi……
The next question we are addressing today is about AMRIT KAAL – loosely translated as the “Era of Elixirs”
To be very honest – I had completely forgotten what this was about and had to take the help of Professor Google to remind me –and depending on the ideology or mind set of who was speaking –there were many different versions – and we can look at a few. For a start here is one explanation of the origins of this phrase. “The term comes from Vedic astrology. Amrit Kaal is the critical time when the gates of greater pleasure open. Amrit Kaal is considered the best and most auspicious time to start new work.”
From Millenium Post – a view from a supporter “Prime Minister has given the mantra of ‘Amrit Kaal’, a quarter century period in which India must strive to assume the status of a global power, recognised for her ability to do things differently. Amrit Kaal stretches from the 75th year of India’s independence to the centenary of her freedom in to the centenary of her freedom in 2047. For decades a Nehruvian India was compelled to base herself on shallow philosophies and vacuous visions of a great-power status. “
Most papers refer to the Finance Minister Ms Sitharaman repeatedly using the term ‘Amrit Kaal’ while presenting the Union Budget – “We are marking Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and have entered into Amrit Kaal, the 25-year-long leadup to India@100. The Budget lays a parallel track of a blueprint for the Amrit Kaal, which is futuristic and inclusive, directly benefiting youth, women, farmers, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.”
Another paper describes Amrit Kaal as aimed to deriving the best in every field , aiming to better the lives of citizens, lessen the divide between villages and cities… and reduce government interference in public life.”
Some are more critical and nuanced :
“The Union Budget 2022-23 was anything but what a budget should be. It gave a grand idea of the future, but not much of this intent was translated into monetary provisions. Finance Minister repeatedly used a phrase, trended on social media: Amrit Kaal, which loosely translates to ‘the era of elixir’. It points out that there were no references to the promises made for India @ 75.
From becoming a $4 trillion economy to generating employment for women, doubling farmers’ income and eradicating poverty, there are some 41 targets under this strategy, of which at least 17 have a deadline in 2022. It appears that all the targets have been given a pass, with the government directly taking us into the Amrit Kaal and supposedly extending all “New India” targets to 2047, the centenary year of India’s Independence. The all important promise of doubling of farmers’ income, the biggest and most critical target to be met this year, was not even mentioned”. The size of the economy was also not talked about, although the finance minister said to various media outlets later that India was headed to being a $5 trillion economy.”
I have no doubt that other colleagues will surely comment on the above – but purely as a former military person, here are my concerns about any notion of “Amrit Kaal”. Sadly, this appears to be one more attempt to divert attention of the public from some of the key concerns and travails of our people.
In addition, politicisation of the Armed Forces has been steadily on the increase under this regime – and there is a disappointment that the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the Chief Election Commissioner, have chosen to remain silent despite appeals made by veterans over this period. The traditional distancing of the Armed Forces from politics has been severely compromised. And not even the promised One Rank One Pension to veterans has been given. All of this does not bode well for National Security, nor indeed for Human Security.
Finally to ACCHE DIN – the other popular slogan of the day.
We need to look at ourselves and introspect on whether we have reached the goals of – Justice, Equality and Liberty – as envisioned in the Constitution?
Have we as teachers, elders and citizens, paid serious attention to the content and real purpose of education and learning?
Did our schools and teachers create minds that could think independently, question, reason and express their opinions?
Have we pushed to build scientific temper in our youth or are we still governed by superstition and blind belief?
Indeed, have we failed to address the problems of those at the bottom of the heap as they struggled with issues of sheer survival as they endured the hastily announced measures following Demonetisation; followed by Lockdown, not to mention GST and now Agnipath and Agni Veer schemes? Let us not forget the CAA and NRC which have in turn created protests and insecurities. To my mind there is little doubt that all of these together have created the greatest hardships for our poor, migrant workers, farmers and Dalits and Tribal populations, as also our minorities.
In closing I want to draw our attention to the key word used in the Preamble to our Constitution – namely Fraternity. Many might not know that this was especially added by Babasaheb Ambedkar a year after the former three points were made for adoption by the Constituent Assembly.
As a former serviceperson – it was a matter of greatest pride that those of us in uniform did not distinguish or discriminate on the basis of caste or faith or community. As we said in the Navy – you swim or sink together. The legacy of the bitter communal violence in 1947 – some of which I experience personally as a young lad growing up in pre partition Delhi – has unfortunately been carried forward and exacerbated especially because all political parties have found it convenient to use these divisions for electoral politics. When this is combined with the hugely discriminatory policies of the present regime – based largely on the ideology and philosophy of the RSS – it makes for a highly precarious situation that we are seeing today with Democracy itself fragile and uncertain.
An India where Dharm Sansads openly call for genocide of minorities – Muslims in particular – even calling for the Armed Forces to take up arms against them, is violative of the fundamental principle and promise of Fraternity. So too the openly announced intention to create a new Constitution based on the Manusmriti and Varna theory – also announced by a Dharm Sansad.
So this 75th Anniversary of our Independence is a moment for serious introspection and reflection – and in closing I would like to share a message originally in Marathi – which I received this morning. “Saheb You are telling us to first bang on our thalis Then light our diyas and Hoist the National Flag, the Tiranga on our homes That is fine But have you stopped to find out if there is rice in our thalis? Is there oil to fill the Diyas? Or even if there is a house on which to fly the flag? Jai Hind” I fear the basis of our Azaadi is threatened; Amrit Kaal – is an avoidable diversion – And we have a long long way to go to achieve Acche Din… But I still have faith in the power of our people and the Constitution – and we will together need to work to achieve that vision that will make We the People – truly Azaad, Equal, with Freedom to practice their faith , to free speech and above all the spirit of Fraternity and Insaaniyat.
Ramu Ramdas