Har Ghar Tiranga: Historic events that led to India’s Independence Struggle.

The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the aim of ending British rule in India also known as British Raj. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.

The Movement incorporated the efforts by Indians to liberate the region from British, French and Portuguese and restore the nation-state of India. It was not an easy task. It was an upsurge consisting of different political organisations, philosophies, individuals, intellectuals, poets, youth and women. Between 1857 and August 15,1947, the country witnessed many rebellions.

The initial Indian Rebellion of 1857 took place when Indians serving in the British Army rebelled against the British. Though the revolt was crushed and the country was divided into British India and Princely States, the movement did not stop. There was increasing disenchantment with British authority and the way the rights of Indians and their civil liberties, their culture were being curtailed. This led to an upsurge in reveloutionary activities to send the European colonial power out of India.

Prior to 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, some regional movements in fact laid the foundation for the rebellion. They included Sanyasi rebellion in Bengal in 1770s. In 1787 ethnic revolt against Portuguese control of Goa took place. Most notable one was that by Veerapandya Kattabomman who ruled the present day Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu. He questioned the need for native Indians to pay taxes on agricultural produce to foreign rulers and battled the British until the latter hanged him. Other movements included the Santal Rebellion and the resistance offered to the British by Titumir in Bengal, the Kittur rebellion led by Rani Chennamma and Sangolli Rayanna in Karnataka.

The True Freedom

The Independence day,

The most significant day

In Indian history,

A memorable occasion

To celebrate the national

Festival with the Tricolour

Unfurled, flying high

In the Indian sky

With patriotic spirit

Swelling in all Indian hearts,

Great sacrifices of freedom-

Fighters and martyrs flashing

In all Indian minds,

National anthem reverberating

In the morning winds;

Communal violence raging

In the country, burning

The states, claiming

Precious lives,

Religion and caste being

Exploited by politicos

To capture and retain power,

Threatening unity in diversity,

Greedy and sinister politics

Ruling the roost with every issue

Politicised in the race for power,

Burying the dreams and visions

Of the patriotic souls

Of freedom-struggle,

Women paraded naked,

Their modesty outraged ,

Their lives brutally snuffed out,

Is this the freedom that

Our freedom-fighters

And martyrs dreamt of,

Sacrificing their lives for the country?

76 years of independence passed,

India is yet to attain

Freedom from hunger,

Freedom from poverty,

Freedom from illiteracy,

Freedom from unemployment,

Freedom from communal violence,

Freedom from the exploitation

Of religion and caste by politicos,

Freedom from insecurity

And sexual harassment of Indian women;

When India attains such true freedom,

The Tricolour will fly higher and higher

In the Indian sky, we can sing so proudly

Our national anthem, saluting

The national flag, paying heart-felt

Homage to our freedom-fighters

And martyrs

– DrVenugopala Rao Kaki, Kakinada