67 years on from Indian Independence
At midnight on 15th August 1947, exactly 67 years ago, India and Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire. Many gave their lives in the fight for freedom, a million more died during Partition itself, and tens of millions were displaced in both countries. The celebrations for Independence Day on either side of the border are much more bittersweet than either country would ever care to admit, and the scars from that birth of two nations are yet to heal.
Amongst the people who sought a diplomatic means towards Independence were Jinnah and Gandhi, and whilst the outcomes that they both sought were entirely different, they are considered to be the respective fathers of Pakistan and India.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a true figurehead for the independence movement, albeit a very divisive figure even in his own lifetime. He was very well respected by all Indians in pre-Partition India, including those who vehemently disagreed with his ahimsa (non-violence) approach towards seeking Indian freedom.
The freedom movement in India allowed for great diversity of opinion, and the fact that non-violence advocates such as Gandhi and those who supported all-out war against the British Empire such as Subhas Chandra Bose were willing and able to call each other friends shows the extent of this unity in diversity.
Much has been said recently on the proposal of a Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, and there has been vocal opposition from some people. We must be careful to ensure that historical figures are seen in context. Parliament Square, and in fact central London as a whole, is home to many statues of people whom we in the modern age may consider to be abhorrent in their views or behaviour.
For example, General Smuts’s statue is in Parliament Square and yet he set the ground for modern apartheid in South Africa. Trafalgar Square is home to statues of General Napier and Lord Havelock, both of whom led British troops in India and subdued Indians through violent and bloody means.
There are many leaders who have had a blemished history and yet are honoured on the streets and squares of Britain. By removing those statues, we would be dishonouring our covenant with the past and whitewashing history. Instead, such statues should serve to remind us of the dichotomy of greatness and human frailty.
As British Asians, we owe much to Gandhi for his strong diplomacy, which helped many of our grandparents and great-grandparents to get the freedom they deserved and subsequently to come to Britain and settle here. We are British because of the sacrifices of people such as Gandhi as well as the revolutionaries who used other means to seek freedom from the Empire.
Gandhi’s impact goes much further than just the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora. He influenced the civil rights movements of Dr Martin Luther King Junior and Nelson Mandela. His ideas have permeated modern conflict resolution, interfaith, environmental and political movements. As a result of all of this, Gandhi, like Lincoln and Churchill (and unlike Jinnah and Bose) is among the handful leaders who are of truly global relevance, and in this way, Gandhi belongs to all people regardless of background, race or religion.
A statue to Gandhi in Parliament Square also shows Britain’s maturity and confidence. Which other nation would pay such a tribute to a major political adversary? Where else would we see statues to two figures such as Churchill and Gandhi so diametrically opposed politically to one another standing side by side?
We are proud to be British and we are proud of our heritage from the Indian subcontinent. The City Sikhs Network fully supports the proposed statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square and we look forward to seeing it being unveiled in early 2015.
On behalf of the City Sikhs Network, we wish everyone a happy Independence Day for Pakistan (14th August) and India (15th August). We should never forget the sacrifices made for our freedom, be they peaceful or otherwise.
For more information about the City Sikhs Network, please visit www.citysikhs.org.uk or email info@www.citysikhs.com.
—-END—-
Note to Editors:
The City Sikhs Network is an organisation run by British Sikhs to create positive change within Britain and is an authentic voice of British Sikhs. It has over 6,000 members throughout the UK and it is based on universal Sikh values such as equality, tolerance, social integration and community cohesion. The majority of its members are Sikh professionals from the second, third and fourth generation British Sikh community who are primarily based in London, the South East and the Midlands.
Its Directors have represented the City Sikhs Network and spoken on issues regarding British Sikhs on the following mainstream British media in the past 12 months: BBC1, BBC World News, BBC Asian Network, local and national BBC Radio, Al Jazeera, Channel 4, Huffington Post, The Times.
For media enquiries, please email Jasvir Singh and our media team at media@www.citysikhs.com