INDIA’S Tryst with Destiny against the British. 1920 to 1922 = Gandhiji led the noncooperation movement against the British. 1930 to 1931 = Gandhiji also led a campaign And in unison shall we face every test. of civil disobedience against the British. Sixty-nine memorable years! 1.2 billion 1942 = Gandhiji issued the call to the People. What a riot of colours and customs! British to ‘Quit India’. The charm never ends. Our splendid diversity 15 August 1947 = India gained is here to stay despite many predicaments. The independence from British rule. world marvels at our unique blending of races, The work of many men and women peoples, languages, cultures, traditions, dresses and various movements led ultimately to the and food habits. Aren’t we a great nation? Yes – Indian Independence Act 1947, which ended We are and we salute our motherland India! the British hegemony in India and led to the Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Netaji creation of India and Pakistan. India remained Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, a Dominion of the Crown until 26 January Rabindranath Tagore, Subramaniya Bharathi, 1950, when the Constitution of India came Allama Iqbal, Josh Malihabadi, Bankim into force, establishing the Republic of India. Let us flash back for a while and be in Chandra Chattopadhyay, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sarojini Naidu, Begum Rokeya, Jhansi Rani, 1947. Just imagine! 190 years of subjugation, Babasaheb Ambedkar and many other great oppression, distress and tales of woe for the men and women of our glorious past, have people of India. Many fought against the British worked overtime to bring freedom to every though it seemed futile in the beginning, man, woman and child of our esteemed others were imprisoned without charge, nation. It was a fight to the finish; not with many died in the run up to the ‘quit India’ guns and bayonets but with unflagging zeal, movement. Hundreds of men and women undaunted valor, non-cooperation movement sacrificed their lives to usher in their cherished and ‘Satyagraha’. Let us take a moment to flash goal of freedom. They paid a great price and we are reaping the fruits of their sacrifice. back. Let us walk back in time to 1757 when Our hands are folded in gratitude to all our the British began colonialism in India. The beloved martyrs. They gave their ‘yesterdays’ highlights of those tumultuous years are the for our prosperous ‘todays and tomorrows’. following: We pay sincere and heartfelt obeisance to our 1857 - 1858 = Sepoy Mutiny, Indian valiant forefathers and mothers who led from Rebellion of 1857-58 (Crushed by mid-1858). the front to let the light for freedom dawn on 1885 = The Indian National Congress every citizen of our sacred nation; the land of founded for educated Indians to voice their munis, sages, hermits and saints. Their saga opinions. will forever remain etched in the minds and 1905 = The British partitioned Bengal, and hearts of every patriotic citizen. so provoked the first major resistance against Having acknowledged our predecessors them. and given them their due place in our epic 1919 = The notorious Punjab massacre by struggle, we march onward. The country General Dyer marked nation-wide movement East or west, India is the best, North or south, she has the zest; Our heroes and heroines ride the crest,
2 / Dimapur Links: July - August 2016
