Egypt, Indonesia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Israel & Palestine, Malaysia, got independence with in around 10 years after Second World War. Around the same period France grant independence to Cambodia, Vietnam & Laos. All these countries didn't had Mahatma or congress or any quit India movement. We have read history about our Indian independence related to Dandi march, Quit India movement and role of Indian National congress. We proclaimed Gandhi as the hero who got independence with a spinning cotton wheel. But in our history books its not mentioned the impact of Second World War on our independence.
If there was no second world war & Hitler our independence would have delayed a lot as there was no political reason or instability in India for British to leave India. It was the economic situation & political turmoil created by Hitler in Europe start the end of colony rule even though his intentions was not to free other countries.
To understand more about Indian independence movement, we need to learn more about Indian national congress (INC), which played the pivot role. The INC was not formed for Indian independence, it was formed to get more quotas, or space in Indian administration for the Indian educated upper class. Later they found it is difficult to get the space for them they turned it to independence movement. In 1907 the party was split in 2 pieces one being extremist (Tilak) and one being ahimsa (Gokule). So it’s not the Gandhi who started the non-violence movement.
Around the same period in 1906 in South Africa, the person we call as mahatma who stands for freedom and liberalization asked Indians to join British to the war against the Zulu kingdom who revolt against the British people for their freedom. This shows his political views for freedom.
Gandhi came to India in 1915, he again promoted Indians should fight along with British empire in the world war 1. The decision here is to be viewed in detail. (A non-violence leader who don’t want to revolt for our freedom asking British to recruit Indians for war. It clearly shows he was not concerned about the Indian soldiers who died in the WWI, might be because the JAT, Sikh low cast soldiers were just like the south African blacks for the Gandhi (i.e.) this is my point of view may be he had any other reasons for joining the war he may not had caste discrimination). This can be understood later he never wanted complete independence he wanted a home rule under the crown of British Empire.
The Indian Army outnumbered the British army in the first world war, The cumulative count of totally injured and died Indian soldiers were 1.5 lakhs. After sacrificing these many people we got chance to stand for elections and congress leaders were elected to assembly.
In 1927 madras congress session, when Subash Chandra Bose put forward the purna swaraj backed up by Nehru. Gandhi opposed it saying we can demand for dominion status under the British crown. 1929 Srinivas Iyenger was expelled from the Congress for demanding full independence, not just "home rule" as demanded by Gandhi.
In 1930's Gandhi started loosing his charisma inside the congress as he was for the home rule not complete independence this led to rise of socialist views under Subash Chandra Bose and he become president in 1938 & 1939 again he was expelled from the party for his socialist views by finance backing of business groups like Bajaj, Birla & Tata.
So with no other choice because of the rise for complete independence among people Gandhi was forced to launch the quit India movement in 1942 (which was suggested by Bose in 1930). But it was a failure as British arrested major leaders and put them in jail till 1945.
Gandhi was a person who can bring masses together, he was a crowd puller and he related him to common man with his simple living but he was not the person behind Indian independence with his cotton wheel. he never had the vision for India to be completely independence nor it was not his movement gave us independence . It was the political situation of the world created by Hitler given us the freedom. If anyone to be praised for rising the voice for complete independence its Subash Chandra Bose not Gandhi. I'm not taking away any credits for his role in Indian independence but giving him all the credits for that is doing injustice for the role of people like Bose, Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh... list continues.
Note:
This Article is not written as I’m against Gandhi; I have high regards for him as a human, leader and politician (I regard him as a politician not mahatma) even though I’m not in his league of political views. The usage of surname Gandhi in the Indian politics now and the Mahatma Gandhi series India rupees made me to think is there no other leaders in India.
The Gandhi surname was attached to Nehru family to gain political advantage as the surname of Feroz khan was changed to Gandhi then we got legacy of Indira, Rajeev, Sonia, and Rahul Gandhi's. In India if its any new scheme or airport or bridge or stadium or university, it was intelligently named after surname Gandhi and to create a mirage that no one with out a surname Gandhi can rule this country.
http://asuryaprakash.com/annexure1.html
India Congress is eagerly waiting for next Gandhi (Rahul) to take the throne. I hope we had more Bose, Bhaghat Singh (cannot use only Singh as surname because of our prime minister), and tilak surnames in India and in congress.
I like to quote what Aurobindo ghosh said about congress before freedom, it suits for congress now also.
The Congress at the present stage—what is it but a Fascist organization? Gandhi is the dictator like Stalin, I won’t say like Hitler: what Gandhi says they accept and even the Working Committee follows him; then it goes to the All-India Congress Committee which adopts it, and then the Congress. There is no opportunity for any difference of opinion, except for Socialists who are allowed to differ provided they don’t seriously differ. Whatever resolutions they pass are obligatory on all the provinces whether the resolutions suit the provinces or not. There is no room for any other independent opinion. Everything is fixed up before and the people are only allowed to talk over it—like Stalin’s Parliament.
