Dear Editor:
India was known as a Golden Land due to her prosperity. Some foreign Muslim invaders plundered the country often, and a few of them settled in India. Business people from Britain, France, Portugal and Netherlands came to India in the beginning of 17th century for trading. The East India Company set up its business center at Surat, Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay.
The company tried to play dirty politics of divide and rule and succeeded in getting political power in Bengal in 1757 after the battle of Plasi. The company bought the raw materials with a very low price and it was sent to Britain for finishing. Then the finished goods were sold in India with a very high price. India had a very great economical blow because of this technique.
The company had its own army and spread its political power in the other parts of India. But in 1857, some local ruler and Indian soldiers of the company refused to obey and tried for revolution against the company. But they failed due to lack of unity and ideal leadership.
In 1858, the British parliament took the power of ruling from the hands of the company. Some leaders founded the Indian National Congress in 1885 to work for Indian people. Benargi, Gokhle, Tilak, Subhashchandra and others were the leaders in the beginning, then after Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Mohmadali Zina and Maulana Azad became active in the movement of independence.
Gandhigi returned from South Africa and took the leadership of this movement after 1915, the Movement of Noncooperation of 1920. Dandi March (Sault Satyagrah) of 1930 and Quit India 1942 were very famous and successful in the history of this movement. Gandhi had a great faith in Satyagrah (means to insist on truth firmly). Perfect peace, complete truth and fully nonviolence were the powerful weapons of Mahatma Gandhi’s movement.
India got her freedom on 15th August 1947, without fighting any war or battle and with no drop of blood. Pandit Nehru became the first prime minister and Sardar Patel, dy. prime minister and home minister of free India. Gandihigi was shot dead by Nathu Godse on 30th January 1948 and India lost Father of Nation. India was declared as a Republican state on 26th January 1950 and Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first president of Republic India.
Bhikhubhai A. Patel