India from a Colonial Slave towards a Super Power

Puran Chand Sharma

We love our freedom obtained in consequence of monumental sacrifices of our brave and loyal young heroes, revolutionaries and all other country men who rendered unconditional support amidst brutal onslaught and oppressive action of the imperial forces. In recognition and remembrance of the contribution rendered by all such people, it is inferred that sans their sacrifice and committed active participation it would have not been possible to seek freedom from the powerful clutches of deep rooted and well entrenched colonial empire. We are indebted to their devotion and supreme sacrifice. Let us deeply analyze and fully understand the challenging scenario prevailing at that critical point of time.

Prior to becoming a free nation in 1947, our beloved country India was a colony of the British Empire. They described us just as snake charmers, a hungry poor illiterate nation. We were pointed as ill-treating our daughters- in- laws, burning our widows, mutually quarrelling a lot, spilling our blood on caste and religious lines, a nation waiting to disintegrate. This is how the west perceived and projected us for centuries.

We became a free nation in 1947 but despite that we feared the USA and the west for long. Even a few years back, Indians were scared that they would be devoured; In the WTO and elsewhere, they would cripple India’s business and trade. They did frighten Indians for too long. Those who imitated the west also counseled India to do what the west wanted and not to defy them because our growth depended upon them, they argued.

But at this point of time, we are a super power in the making and the world including the influential west is watching us with keen interest. How did we become a super power in such a short time? When we were colonial slaves, Veer Savarkar had said, if all Indians stood up and spit at the same time, the whole of England would be drowned. But we did not have that unity.

Are we a super power? That seems to be the first question, people across the country want to know as to what are the attributes of a ‘Super power.’

Independent Agenda

It will be worthwhile to know and understand it properly. There are five major criteria for being a superpower:-

1. Independent military agenda

2. History of having won a major war

3. Military power

4. Economic power, and

5. Technological power.

India is one such country which has got its military schedule. America, China and Russia are the other major countries that have an independent military programme. All other countries are members of organizations like NATO, SEATO, CENTO, Warsaw Pact, ANZUS Pact and so on. Therefore, they are dependent on China, Russia or America. But India does not depend on others for its military agenda.

India won a major war in 1971 when Pakistan armed with US Sabre Jets, Pattan Tanks, Sophisticated Radar Systems, backed by the mighty Seventh Fleet and supported by China’s vast army deployed along Indian borders, attacked India. India comprehensively defeated the 3 enemy combinations and liberated the entire Bangladesh within 14 days. This kind of swiftness of victory is a world record in the annals of warfare. India also captured General Niazi and 95,000 Pak Soldiers as prisoners of war which became another world warfare record. The valour of Indian Military forces- Air force, Navy and Army, do deserve heartfelt salutations. Indian Air Force pilots smashed the sophisticated Sargodah Air Surveillance System to pieces and shot down their Sabre jets.

American nuclear carrier Enterprise or Seventh fleet which had entered the Bay of Bengal with a mission to drop nuclear Bombs on India retreated quickly when an Indian Naval officer warned that the Seventh Fleet would be shattered to pieces by our suicide bombers if it entered the Indian seas.

Submarine Ghazi, an American gift to Pakistan, was very cleverly misguided, trapped and destroyed by Indian naval intelligence. Indian army jawans made a mince-meat of American Pattan Tanks, liberated Bangladesh within fourteen days and captured General Niazi and 95,000 Pak soldiers. It was one of the greatest victories anywhere in the world.

Pakistan President General Musharaff in an interview in April 2006 had admitted as to how ashamed he was of the degrading defeat and how he wept for long. Not many of us might be aware that Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June, 1815 AD, was himself defeated earlier by Kerala’s Pazhassi Raja when he was a commander in India. Raja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola had conquered parts of Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and China in the 11th century. Bappa Rawal of Rajasthan defeated the Afghans, Persians, Arabs and the Turks in the seventh century; Kambu and Kaundinya established Hindu empires in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand two thousand years ago.

If only Indians had translated military victories into territorial gains, a common trait of Raja Shiva ji, Chanakya and Lord Krishna, Indian history would have been different.

In India’s military triumphs and territorial expansions, India in 10,000 years never colonized or enslaved, looted, plundered and exploited any country economically, never condemned other religions as false religions and never converted them to Hinduism. Indians never denigrated others saying their gods were devils and inferior, never destroyed and razed to the ground temples of other religions, never called people from other religions as sinners and condemned to eternal hell, never crucified or burnt alive anyone whose ideas were different – a feature exceptionally unique to Indians in the entire human history. Even today, the record of Indian soldiers sought by UNITED NATIONS as peace keeping forces in Africa and elsewhere has been exemplary. Now Let us examine India’s Missile power, Economic Power and Technological Power base.

From Coffee Percolators to Missiles—India’s Military Power

When India won independence in 1947, her leaders under the illusion of Ahimsa and Panchasheela dismantled many defense factories. These plants instead of producing GunPowder were producing coffee powder. But India learnt a bitter lesson in 1962 after the Chinese attack.

Today, India is much advanced in Missile technology which is all about attaining superiority in nuclear technology, rocket technology, satellite technology, high resolution cameras and in super-computers. In all these, India is sharing the top-most positions with just 4 or 5 nations. It is a matter of pride to the Indian Scientists that India has attained this top position sans any support from the Western nations. In nutshell, several mega changes witnessed after obtaining freedom can be classified into three categories:-

1. From a colonial slave towards a Super Power

2. From an introverted society to a society imbued with an extrovert outlook as well.

3. From Indian meekness to Indian pride.

Jai Bharat

–         Author is the President,

Ved Mandir Management Committee, Amphalla, Jammu