History

Partition – Majority of Punjab was allotted to Pakistan

November 22, 2017 RimpleSanchla History post

I came across an old map of Punjab and immediately thought of writing this article. How many people know that who drew this border? The answer is Cyril Radcliffe.

Cyril Radcliffe

The information provided to Cyril Radcliffe who drew the borders and divided India and Pakistan once said that the information given to him about the geography, demographics and even the maps were inaccurate and in some cases even false.

He said that the job of drawing borders was very difficult and it was made even more difficult by the inadequate equipment, maps, and information provided to him. There were no large-scale maps and the information about the geography was inadequate and often wrong. About Punjab, he specifically said he noticed that the 5 rivers in Punjab had a tendency to run several miles away from the beds in the maps given to him by the survey department.

He also said that the information about the demographics was also wrong. And that all this information was falsified by both the parties to falsify the opposition’s claims.

The price was however paid by millions of people who lost their lives during partition.

Apart from religion; it was demography, ignorance, and callousness.

As you can see from the map above; undivided Punjab included the princely states of Patiala, Kapurthala, Jind, Bahawalpur, the Hill States(present-day Himachal Pradesh); stretching all the way to Gurugram(Gurgaon, present-day Haryana, NCR). Lahore was the capital of the undived Punjab; where Muslims were in a slight majority(52%) over the Hindus and the Sikhs who controlled most of the commerce.

After the passage of the Indian Independence Act(1947); Clement Attlee’s Labour government was in a hurry to exit its dominion. So; this consequently resulted in some of the most callous acts in global history. Cyril Radcliffe was given the chairmanship of the two boundary committees. He submitted his partition map on 9 August 1947, which split Punjab and Bengal almost in half. The new boundaries were formally announced on 14 August 1947—the day of Pakistan’s independence and the day before India became independent.

Radcliffe’s efforts saw some 14 million people—roughly seven million from each side—flee across the border when they discovered the new boundaries left them in the “wrong” country. Some 500,000 people died in the violence that ensued after independence, and millions more were injured.

The Punjab – the region of the five rivers east of Indus: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — consists of interfluvial doabs or tracts of land lying between two confluent rivers.

Doab (from dō, “two” + āb, “water” or “river”) is a term used in India and Pakistan for the “tongue,” or tract of land lying between two converging, or confluent, rivers.

These are the Sind-Sagar doab (between Indus and Jhelum), the Jech doab (Jhelum/Chenab), the Rechna Doab (Chenab/Ravi), the Bari doab (Ravi/Beas), and the Bist doab (Beas/Sutlej) In early 1947, in the months leading up to the deliberations of the Punjab Boundary Commission, the main disputed areas appeared to be in the Bari and Bist doabs, although some areas in the Rechna doab were claimed by the Congress and Sikhs. In the Bari doab, the districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Lahore, and Montgomery (Sahiwal) were all disputed.

After arriving in India on 8 July 1947, Radcliffe was given just five weeks to decide on a border.Each boundary commission consisted of 5 people – a chairman (Radcliffe), 2 members nominated by the Indian National Congress and 2 members nominated by the Muslim League.

All lawyers by trade, Radcliffe and the other commissioners had all of the polish and none of the specialized knowledge needed for the task. They had no advisers to inform them of the well-established procedures and information needed to draw a boundary. Nor was there time to gather the survey and regional information. The absence of some experts and advisers, such as the United Nations, was deliberate, to avoid delay. Britain’s new Labour government deep in wartime debt, simply couldn’t afford to hold on to its increasingly unstable empire.

The absence of outside participants—for example, from the United Nations—also satisfied the British Government’s urgent desire to save face by avoiding the appearance that it required outside help to govern—or stop governing—its own empire.

Prior to his appointment; Radcliffe had never been to India, and after the partition never came back(partly due to guilt; and he was also a little afraid). Radcliffe justified his casual division with the fact that whatever he would do; people were going to suffer. Before leaving India; he destroyed most of his papers.

To maintain his impartiality; he kept a distance from Mountbatten. As for the fact that India had a larger population to feed; this simply did not figure in the map-makers mindscape. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs were evenly spread in the Punjab; and most places witnessed large-scale migrations on both sides of the imaginary Radcliffe line. He initially decided to give Lahore to India but backtracked as Calcutta was going to be part of the republic. Radcliffe wanted to balance out the whole play; regardless of its human quotient. To give India access to Kashmir; Gurdaspur was awarded at the last moment. So; to sum up it was largely a case of cartography deciding history and destiny.

Mass murderers in History

November 20, 2017 RimpleSanchla History post

The 20th century witnessed death and slaughter on an unprecedented scale. It was the century of the Holocaust and two World Wars; of communist, Nazi, fascist and military dictators who between them killed more than 100 million people.

The casualties of conflicts involving the U.S., the UK and France in Korea, Algeria, Vietnam, the Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq are excluded on the grounds that, though many would view these as unjust colonial wars by ‘imperialist’ powers, they weren’t fought by dictators.
Indeed, when the wars proved unpopular or unwinnable, they were brought to an end by the pressure of public opinion.

Most popular name in the list mass murderer is Adolf Hitler. But, you will be shocked to know that his name in the world’s mass murderer comes third on the list. Who are the first two people then?

1. MAO ZEDONG

China (1949-76) Regime Communist Victims 60 million
China’s so-called ‘Great Helmsman’ was, in fact, the greatest mass murderer in history. Most of his victims were his fellow Chinese, murdered as ‘landlords’ after the communist takeover, starved in his misnamed ‘Great Leap Forward’ of 1958-61, or killed and tortured in labour camps in the Cultural Revolution of the Sixties. Mao’s rule, with its economic mismanagement and continual political upheavals, also spelled poverty for most of China’s untold millions. The country embraced capitalism long after his death.

2. JOSEPH STALIN

Soviet Union (1929-53) Regime Communist Victims 40 million
Lenin’s paranoid successor was the runner-up to Mao in the mass-murder stakes. Stalin imposed a deliberate famine on Ukraine, killed millions of the wealthier peasants – or ‘kulaks’ – as he forced them off their land, and purged his own party, shooting thousands and sending millions more to work as slaves and perish in the Gulag.

3. ADOLF HITLER

Germany (1933-45) Regime Nazi dictatorship Victims 30 million
The horror of Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship lies in the uniqueness of his most notorious crime, the Holocaust, which stands alone in the annals of inhuman cruelty. It was carried out under the cover of World War II, a conflict Hitler pursued with the goal of obtaining ‘Lebensraum’. The war ended up costing millions of lives, leaving Europe devastated and his Third Reich in ruins.

Dalai Lamas

July 26, 2017 RimpleSanchla History post

Everyone is aware that Dalai Lama is the political and spiritual leader of Buddhism. But what exactly does Dalai Lama mean?

The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. In Tibetan, Avalokitesvara is known as Chenrezig.

He is responsible for all religious and cultural matters in Tibet. The First Dalai Lama was Gendun Drup, he was born in 1311. There have been 14 Dalai Lamas until now.

When the Dalai Lama dies the Buddhist Council of Tibet searchs for the reincarnation of him. He is then trained and assumes position of Dalai Lama at the age of 18. “Dalai” means “ocean” in Mongolian (the name “Gyatso” comes from the Tibetan word for ocean). “Lama” is the equivalent of the Sanskrit word “guru,” or spiritual teacher. Put together, the title of Dalai Lama is literally “Ocean Teacher,” meaning a “teacher spiritually as deep as the ocean” or “ocean of wisdom”.

In 1578 the Mongol ruler Altan Khan gave the title Dalai Lama to Sonyam Gyatso, third in a line of reborn lamas of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The title means “ocean of wisdom” and was given posthumously to Sonyam Gyatso’s two predecessors.

In 1642, the 5th Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, became the spiritual and political leader of all of Tibet, an authority passed on to his successors. Since that time the succession of Dalai Lamas has been at the center of both Tibetan Buddhism and the history of the Tibetan people.

All 15 Dalai Lama’s:

GEDUN DRUPA, THE 1ST DALAI LAMA

Gendun Drupa was born to a nomadic family in 1391 and died in 1474. His original name was Pema Dorjee.

He took novice monk’s vows in 1405 at Narthang monastery and received full monk’s ordination in 1411. In 1416, he became a disciple of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa School, and eventually became Tsongkhapa’s principle disciple. Gendun Drupa is remembered as a great scholar who wrote a number of books and who founded a major monastic university, Tashi Lhunpo.

Gendun Drupa was not called “Dalai Lama” during his lifetime, because the title did not yet exist. He was identified as the first Dalai Lama several years after his death.

GENDUN GYATSO, THE 2ND DALAI LAMA

Gendun Gyatso was born in 1475 and died in 1542. His father, a well-known tantric practitioner of the Nyingma school, named him Sangye Phel and gave the boy a Buddhist education.

When he was 11 years old, he was recognized as an incarnation of Gedun Drupa and enthroned at Tashi Lhunpo monastery. He received the name Gendun Gyatso at his monk’s ordination. Like Gedun Drupa, Gendun Gyatso would not receive the title Dalai Lama until after his death.

Gedun Gyatso served as abbot of Drepung and Sera monasteries. He is also remembered for reviving the great prayer festival, the Monlam Chenmo.

SENGDROMA GYATSO, THE 3RD DALAI LAMA

Sengdroma Gyatso was the only female Dalai Lama so far. Actually there are have been 15 Dalai Lamas so far. The current one is 15th one and not 14th one. Sengdroma Gyatso is not listed as Dalai Lama by many. Hence with her the count is 15 and without her the count is 14.

SONAM GYATSO, THE 3RD DALAI LAMA

(4th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Sonam Gyatso was born in 1543 to a wealthy family living near Lhasa. He died in 1588. His given name was Ranu Sicho. At the age of 3 he was recognized to be the reincarnation of Gendun Gyatso and was then taken to Drepung Monastery for training. He received novice ordination at the age of 7 and full ordination at 22.

Sonam Gyatso received the title Dalai Lama, meaning “ocean of wisdom,” from the Mongolian king Altan Khan. He was the first Dalai Lama to be called by that title in his lifetime.

Sonam Gyatso served as abbot of Drepung and Sera monsteries, and he founded Namgyal and Kumbum monasteries. He died while teaching in Mongolia.

YONTEN GYATSO, THE 4TH DALAI LAMA

(5th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Yonten Gyatso was born in 1589 in Mongolia. His father was a Mongol tribal chief and a grandson of Altan Khan. He died in 1617.

Although Yonten Gyatso was recognized to be the reborn Dalai Lama as a small child, his parents did not allow him to leave Mongolia until he was 12. He received his early Buddhist education from lamas visiting from Tibet.

Yonten Gyatso finally came to Tibet in 1601 and soon after took novice monk’s ordination. He received full ordination at the age of 26 and was abbot of Drepung and Sera monasteries. He died at Drepung monastery only a year later.

LOBSANG GYATSO, THE 5TH DALAI LAMA

(6th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso was born in 1617 to a noble family. His given name was Künga Nyingpo. He died in 1682.

Military victories by the Mongol Prince Gushi Kahn gave control of Tibet to the Dalai Lama. When Lobsang Gyatso was enthroned in 1642, he became the spiritual and political leader of Tibet. He is remembered in Tibetan history as the Great Fifth.

The Great Fifth established Lhasa as the capital of Tibet and began construction of Potala Palace. He appointed a regent, or desi, to handle the administrative duties of governing. Before his death, he advised the Desi Sangya Gyatso to keep his death a secret, possibly to prevent a power struggle before a new Dalai Lama was prepared to assume authority.

TSANGYANG GYATSO, THE 6TH DALAI LAMA

(7th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Tsangyang Gyatso was born in 1683 and died in 1706. His given name was Sanje Tenzin.

In 1688, the boy was brought to Nankartse, near Lhasa, and educated by teachers appointed by the Desi Sangya Gyatso. His identity as the Dalai Lama was kept secret until 1697 when the death of the 5th Dalai Lama finally was announced and Tsangyang Gyatso was enthroned.

The 6th Dalai Lama is most remembered for renouncing monastic life and spending time in taverns and with women. He also composed songs and poems.

In 1701, a descendant of Gushi Khan named Lhasang Khan killed Sangya Gyatso. Then, in 1706 Lhasang Khan abducted Tsangyang Gyatso and declared that another lama was the real 6th Dalai Lama. Tsangyang Gyatso died in Lhasang Khan’s custody.

KELZANG GYATSO, THE 7TH DALAI LAMA

(8th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Kelzang Gyatso was born in 1708. He died in 1757.

The lama who had replaced Tsangyang Gyatso as Sixth Dalai Lama was still enthroned in Lhasa, so Kelzang Gyatso’s identification as 7th Dalai Lama was kept secret for a time.

A tribe of Mongol warriors called the Dzungars invaded Lhasa in 1717. The Dzungars killed Lhasang Kahn and deposed the pretender 6th Dalai Lama. However, the Dzungars were lawless and destructive, and the Tibetans appealed to the Emperor Kangxi of China to help rid Tibet of the Dzungars. Chinese and Tibetan forces together expelled the Dzungars in 1720. Then they brought Kelzang Gyatso to Lhasa to be enthroned.

Kelzang Gyatso abolished the position of desi (regent) and replaced it with a council of ministers.

JAMPHEL GYATSO, THE 8TH DALAI LAMA

(9th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Jamphel Gyatso was born in 1758, enthroned at Potala Palace in 1762 and died in 1804 at the age of 47.

During his reign, a war broke out between Tibet and the Gurkhas occupying Nepal. The war was joined by China, which blamed the war on a feud among lamas. China then attempted to change the process for choosing the rebirths of lamas by imposing the “golden urn” ceremony on Tibet. More than two centuries later, the current government of China has re-introduced the golden urn ceremony as a means of controlling the leadership of Tibetan Buddhism.

Jamphel Gyatso was the first Dalai Lama to be represented by a regent while he was a minor. He completed the building of Norbulingka Park and Summer Palace. By all accounts a quiet man devoted to meditation and study, as an adult he preferred to let others run the government of Tibet.

LUNGTOK GYATSO, THE 9TH DALAI LAMA

(10th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Lungtok Gyatso was born in 1805 and died in 1815 before his tenth birthday from complications from a common cold. He was the only Dalai Lama to die in childhood and the first of four that would die before the age of 22. His reincarnated successor would not be recognized for eight years.

TSULTRIM GYATSO, THE 10TH DALAI LAMA

(11th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Tsultrim Gyatso was born in 1816 and died in 1837 at the age of 21. Though he sought to change the economic system of Tibet, he died before being able to enact any of his reforms.

KHENDRUP GYATSO, THE 11TH DALAI LAMA

(12th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Khendrup Gyatso was born in 1838 and died in 1856 at the age of 18. Born in the same village as the 7th Dalai Lama, he was recognized as the reincarnation in 1840 and assumed full power over the government in 1855–only a year before his death.

TRINLEY GYATSO, THE 12TH DALAI LAMA

(13th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Trinley Gyatso was born in 1857 and died in 1875. He assumed full authority over the Tibetan government at the age of 18 but died before his 20th birthday.

THUBTEN GYATSO, THE 13TH DALAI LAMA

(14th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Thubten Gyatso was born in 1876 and died in 1933. He is remembered as the Great Thirteenth.

Thubten Gyatso assumed leadership in Tibet in 1895. At that time Czarist Russia and the British Empire had been sparring for decades over control of Asia. In the 1890s the two empires turned their attention eastward, to Tibet. A British force invaded in 1903, leaving after extracting a short-lived treaty from the Tibetans.

China invaded Tibet in 1910, and the Greath Thirteenth fled to India. When the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912, the Chinese were expelled. In 1913, the 13th Dalai Lama declared Tibet’s independence from China.

The Great Thirteenth worked to modernize Tibet, although he didn’t accomplish as much as he hoped.

TENZIN GYATSO, THE 14TH DALAI LAMA

(15th for if we do not consider Sengdroma as Dalai Lama)

Tenzin Gyatso was born in 1935 and recognized as the Dalai Lama at the age of three.

China invaded Tibet in 1950 when Tenzin Gyatso was only 15. For nine years he attempted to negotiate with the Chinese to save the Tibetan people from the dictatorship of Mao Zedong. However, the Tibetan Uprising of 1959 forced the Dalai Lama into exile, and he has never been allowed to return to Tibet.

The 14th Dalai Lama established a Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala, India. In some ways, his exile has been to the world’s benefit, since he has spent his life bringing a message of peace and compassion to the world.

The 14th Dalai Lama was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. In 2011 he absolved himself of political power, although he is still the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Future generations are likely to regard him in the same light as the Great Fifth and the Great Thirteenth for his contributions to spreading the message of Tibetan Buddhism to the world, thereby saving the tradition.

Mikhail Gorbachev

July 22, 2017 RimpleSanchla History post

Nationality – Russian

Most important point to note about him:

He was the one who brought new reforms in USSR and end communism.
His reforms brought an end to the cold war.

That is why he is one of the important personality in world history. Know more about Mikhail Gorbachev in this post.

Mikhail Gorbachev was general secretary of the Soviet Union Communist Party from 1985-1991. He was also the first democratically elected President in 1990.
Mikhail Gorbachev played a key role in dismantling the Communist grip on power in both the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. His aspirations for democracy and reform opened up the way for the end of the Cold War and the bringing down of the Berlin Wall. He was removed from Presidential office in 1991, during a failed coup attempt. Since leaving office, Gorbachev has worked tirelessly promoting new efforts at social justice and concern for the environment through his own organisation the Green Cross.

Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 1990

Gorbachev was born in March 1931 in Stavropol, the North Caucuses to a poor peasant family. At the age of 11, the district was occupied by the Germans for three years, a torrid time for all in the village. In 1950 he enrolled at Moscow university where he became a member of the Soviet Union Communist party. It was here that Gorbachev met his future wife, Raisa Maximova, they married soon after meeting.After gaining a degree in law, Gorbachev made much progress within the Communist party.

In 1980 he was the youngest politburo member and in 1985 he was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party.At first Gorbachev was relatively unknown but he soon gave an indication that he wished to reform society. In particular he announced two key policies, Perestroika and Glasnost.

Perestroika involved reforming the economy and opening it up to market forces.Glasnost involved political reform. This involved freedom of religious expression and individual liberties; it paved the way for democracy and for many political prisoners to be released. It was particularly significant for the Eastern Block. When eastern European economies made calls for democracy, the Soviet Union no longer stood in their way (as they had in Hungary and Czechoslovakia)On the international scene Gorbachev aspired to end the arms race as he said:

“We need Star Peace, not Star Wars”

He has been credited with playing a major role in ending the cold war, in both the east and also the West.In 1991 conservative military forces attempted a coup where the life of Gorbachev was in serious jeopardy. The Coup eventually failed but on returning to Moscow political power and shifted from the Politburo to modernisers such as Yeltsin. Gorbachev resigned and never made a successful return to Russian politics.

Raisa Maximova, Gorbachev’s wife died of Leukaemia in 1999. They had one daughter Irina.
Although unpopular in Russia for his perceived role in the breakup of the Soviet Union, he remains an influential voice. In 2011, he criticised Putin (who he previously had supported) for his third term as Russian President. He was also critical of the democratic deficit in the 2011 elections. Gorbachev has also warned against a new ‘cold war’ and argued that America and the West need to be careful in interfering in Russian affairs and Russian spheres of influence.

How did World War I start and end?

July 19, 2017 RimpleSanchla History post

British and German troops meeting in No-Man’s Land during the unofficial truce.

You may have heard that World War I started when a Serbian terrorist shot an Austro-Hungarian archduke in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1914. It’s true but much more complicated than that.

For one thing, the Serbians were angry with the Austro-Hungarian Empire (yes, it was a combination Austria and Hungary) for annexing Bosnia (even though Bosnia still technically belonged to the Ottoman Empire). The Austro-Hungarians worried about the Serbs’ potentially uniting all the Slavs in southeastern Europe, which could threaten the Hungarian part of their empire. Russia was mad at Austro-Hungary, too. The Russians saw that part of Europe, the Balkans, as their sphere of influence.

First World War. Image of a hospital dormitory, with men in beds and nurses standing up

Russia mobilized troops, which caused the Germans (allies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) to declare war on both Russia and its ally France. In 1914, the Germans cut through neutral Belgium on the way to attack France. As relations between Britain and Germany were strained by an undeclared race between them for naval superiority, German troops crossing into Belgium gave the British an excuse to enter the war.

Eventually, Japan, Serbia, Portugal, Romania, Italy, and China joined the Allies (Britain, France, and Russia). The Ottoman Empire cast its lot with the Central Powers (Germany and Austro-Hungary).

In 1915, the British passenger liner Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine. In all, 1,195 passengers, including 128 Americans, lost their lives. Americans were outraged and put pressure on the U.S. government to enter the war. President Woodrow Wilson campaigned for a peaceful end to the war, but in 1917, when the Germans announced that their submarines would sink any ship that approached Britain (even more passenger ships), Wilson declared that America would enter the war and restore peace to Europe.

a captured British tank now bearing the German cross a curious crowd watches as fellow soldiers huddle on top trying to make it run

By 1918, German citizens were striking and demonstrating against the war. The British navy blocked German ports, which meant that thousands of Germans were starving and the economy was collapsing. Then the German navy suffered a major mutiny. After German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on November 9th, 1918, the leaders of both sides met at Compiegne, France. The peace armistice was signed on November 11th.

By the time it was said and done, four empires — the Russian, the Ottoman, the German, and the Austro-Hungarian had collapsed because of the war.

Algerian cavalry attached to the French Army, escorting a group of German prisoners taken in fighting in the west of Belgium.

In 1919, The Treaty of Versailles officially ended the War. But the Treaty was brutal towards Germany — requiring that Germany accept full responsibility for causing the war; make reparations to some Allied countries; surrender some of its territory to surrounding countries; surrender its African colonies; and limit the size of its military.

The Treaty also established the League of Nations to prevent future wars. The League of Nations helped Europe rebuild and fifty-three nations joined by 1923. But the U.S. Senate refused to let the United States join the League of Nations, and as a result, President Wilson (who had established the League) suffered a nervous collapse and spent the rest of his term as an invalid.

Although Germany joined the League in 1926, continuing resentment because of The Versailles Treaty caused them to withdraw (along with ally Japan) in 1933. Italy withdrew three years later. The organization subsequently proved helpless to stop German, Italian, and Japanese expansionism.

Some might argue that World War I never had an effective ending, but the battles just stopped. World War II never would have happened if not for World War I, because had the Germans not been beaten down so badly by the demands of The Treaty of Versailles, Adolf Hitler may not have risen to power in the 1930s and convinced the Germans to fight regain their dignity and place in the world.

Indira Feroze Khan or Indira Gandhi?

July 18, 2017 RimpleSanchla History post

Indira Priyadarshini Nehru married to Feroze Jehangir Gandhi in March 1942 according to Hindu rituals and adopted his surname.

Feroze Gandhi born as Feroze Jehangir Ghandy to a Parsi family at the Tehmulji Nariman Hospital situated in Fort, Bombay, his parents, Faredoon Jehangir Ghandy and Ratimai (formerly Ratimai Commissariat), lived in Nauroji Natakwala Bhawan in Khetwadi Mohalla in Bombay.

His father Jehangir was a Marine Engineer. Feroze was the youngest of the five children with two brothers Dorab and Faridun Jehangir, and two sisters, Tehmina Kershashp and Aloo Dastur. The family had migrated to Bombay from Bharuch in South Gujarat where their ancestral home, which belonged to his grandfather, still exists in Kotpariwad.

Feroze abandoned his studies in 1930 to join the Indian independence movement. Being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Feroze changed the spelling of his surname from “Ghandy” to “Gandhi” after joining the Independence movement.

He was imprisoned in 1930, along with Lal Bahadur Shastri (the 2nd Prime Minister of India), head of Allahabad District Congress Committee, and lodged in Faizabad Jail for nineteen months. Soon after his release, he was involved with the agrarian no-rent campaign in Uttar Pradesh and was imprisoned twice, in 1932 and 1933.

Feroze and Indira were arrested and jailed in August 1942, during the Quit India Movement less than six months after their marriage. Feroze Gandhi was imprisoned for a year in Allahabad’s Naini Central Prison.

Post independence Feroze was a member of the provincial parliament (1950–1952), he won independent India’s first general elections in 1952, from Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Feroze soon became a prominent force in his own right, criticizing the government of his father-in-law and beginning a fight against corruption.

Feroze died in 1960 at the Willingdon Hospital (now Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital), Delhi, after suffering a second heart attack. He was cremated and his ashes interred at the Parsi cemetery in Allahabad.

Paralysed life of locals in Kashmir

August 14, 2016 RimpleSanchla History post

State of Jammu and Kashmir has been in dispute since India’s independence. We can say, 70 years of Independence and for this state, 70 years of struggle. Meeting and having conversations with the locals of the areas where disputes are part and parcel of daily life was softening and heart-breaking. It made me feel how blessed we are to deal with city and corporate life instead.

I was in Srinagar for 2 days during this period of curfew. Starting from Sonamarg, when i went to small market here, people were happy to see some customers. Halted at Hotel Akbar in the town of Sonamarg. Hotel owners and staff were kind enough to support their guests to reach the city of Srinagar safely. The owners too travelled together. At Srinagar too, had stayed at Hotel Akbar, near Dal lake. Compared to other parts of Srinagar, this area was safe. Next day, when we went to Dal Lake for Shikara ride, we could chat with the “khivaiya uncle” for some time. He shared how the curfew and forced strike is affecting their life. They are labors – earning for each day, living for each day. Luckily, being in Kashmir they all are used to store food, some money and remain jobless for some months (winter season). This habit of theirs allowed them to survive for almost a month of curfew now. Locals have a family to feed. And when such disputes are taking place, their life is paralyzed. Forget about earning livelihood, with the use of pellet guns, protests, etc they also live in constant fear whether they would reach their home alive or not. Very small number of postpaid connections were in service. Prepaid connections don’t work at all. Mobile Internet services continued to remain suspended.

Violent protests rocked Kashmir following killing of Burhan Wani and two of his associated in an encounter with security forces on July 8 in Kokernag area of Anantnag district. Normal life has remained paralyzed in Kashmir on account of separatist sponsored-strike and curfew-like restrictions imposed by authorities.

Hotel owner, Mr. Zaffer Ahmed Boktoo, his partner and his entire staff had been extremely kind. He shared few things with all his guests, of which i missed a lot of his sharing though. He shared a newspaper wherein the entire business community of Kashmir appealed to the Home Minister of India, Mr. Rajnath Singh. Below is the pic of the open letter from a Kashmir local newspaper.

open letter to home minister by Kashmir business community

Had been waiting to write this article, did some readings too on pellet guns, some past disputes, reason for this curfew, etc. But they all seemed to be giving practical information, not about the lives of the locals there. Bullets or weapons don’t ask people whether they are locals living normal life there or are they terrorists….. I read why pellet guns are used… Normally during protests, police use lathi charge or tear gas, never thought that pellet guns were also used in some part of the world. Then i read, during protests, people throw a bottle of petrol that leads to fire / blasts, that’s the reason why pellet guns are used in the protests. Reading everything brought a huge dilemma. But one thing is very clear, locals don’t want this. Bureaucrats / politicians twist and turn the situation that is beneficial to them. Why would army or locals need a bloodshed? After reading many articles, i was clear, i don’t want to address any of those information in this article but something that’s coming from my own experience of 2 days. I ended up buying lot of stuff from srinagar chashmeshai garden and dal lake as we, tourists were only source of income for the locals here and the curfew had struck the daily income and livelihood in quite a hard way.

When will this hell in heaven end? When will J&K see a set of leaders in govt that works for the well-being of its people and the state not for their benefit. I dont believe one thing that media says… “Kashmiris are not integrated with India emotionally” I don’t think being a part of India or Pakistan is an issue. Peace is important to them and the freedom and peace that they can get from India might not be same as they may get in Pakistan. The villages acquired by India during the border conflict, mention that they feel happy to a part of India. But i am not talking about India and Pakistan or border… but about the basic right for humans to live safely. Safety and Security are prime issues there. Living a normal life is an issue there. Peace is an issue there. Mean bureaucrats are an issue there. They can easily survive with even 1 year or 5 years of curfew, but what about local labors, small, medium or large scale businesses?

Click Here to know more about pellet guns.

Thank you! to Hotel Akbar owners and staff. 🙂 We all can pray together for the well-being of Kashmir, not just for now, but forever…. that can bring joy in the lives of the people living there.

Below are few more clippings from kashmir local newspaper.

article from greater kashmir newspaper, dated 24th july 2016

article from greater kashmir newspaper, dated 24th july 2016

Journey of Indian Flag

August 14, 2016 RimpleSanchla History post

Before moving on to the history of Indian flag, let me answer,

Why Do Countries Need a Flag?
Each country needs a flag as a visual representation of its people—and to distinguish it from other nations. A flag is also a code of honor. When anyone sees an Indian flag, he gets reminded of a country called the India and its people.

Where on earth did the word flag come from? From Vexillum, a latin word meaning flag or banner. Over 4,000 years ago, the first flags were called vexilloid and they were made of metal or wooden poles with carvings.

They helped ancient armies coordinate on the battlefield—identify the allies from the enemies. They were also used to honor those who lost their lives in the fight.

Today, every country has a national flag made of fabric. It is hoisted on a flagpole and flown so that everyone can be reminded of the values and history of the country.

Flying a flag is also a way to show pride and ownership. If you find a building anywhere in the world with the Indian flag, you can be sure it is Indian territory—a consulate, embassy, or headquarters.

A country’s flag also helps to unite people. By having the same flag, we Indians have a common symbol to bring us closer together—at home or abroad.

Flags show ideas which would otherwise take many words. On sad occasions, country flags are flown at half-mast to honor the dead, and draped over the coffins of national heroes.

Countries usually design their flag with certain colors or shapes to stand for specific meanings. Sometimes, a flag is altered to represent new messages or events. And so is the Indian flag, altered at various times in history.

Below is the journey of Indian Flag.

1880 – British india flag

1880 – Flag of British India.

This is the first single indian flag raised by British. The flag included the Union Flag in the upper-left quadrant and a star of India capped by the royal crown in the middle of the right half.

Unofficial flag of India in 1906

1906 – Unofficial flag of India in 1906

It is said that, the national flag was first time hoisted on 7th of August in 1906 in the Green Park (also called as Parsee Bagan Square) in the Calcutta (current Kolkata). It was a simply designed flag using three horizontal strips of tri colours (red, yellow and green). The uppermost green colour strip contains eight (8) white lotus flowers. The middle yellow colour strip is written in the center with “Vande Matram” in Hindi. And the lowermost red colour strip contains a crescent (left side corner) and a Sun (right side corner).

1907 – Indian flag

1907 – The Berlin committee flag, first raised by Bhikaiji Cama in 1907

According to the history, it is said that Indian national flag was hoisted second time in the Paris by the Madame Cama with her banished revolutionary band in 1907. Later that flag was exhibited in the social conference of Berlin. The second flag was little different from the first one. The uppermost orange colour strip contains one lotus flower and seven stars (identifying the Saptarishis). The middle yellow colour strip is written with “Vande Matram” in Hindi in the center. And the lowermost green colour strip contains a Sun in the left corner and a white crescent and star in the right corner.

flag used during the Home Rule movement in 1917

1917 – The flag used during the Home Rule movement in 1917

The third flag went up in 1917 when our political struggle had taken a definite turn. Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak hoisted it during the Home rule movement. This flag had five red and four green horizontal strips arranged alternately, with seven stars in the saptarishi configuration super-imposed on them. In the left-hand top corner (the pole end) was the Union Jack. There was also a white crescent and star in one corner.

The flag unofficially adopted in 1921

1921 – The flag unofficially adopted in 1921

During the session of the All India Congress Committee which met at Bezwada in 1921 (now Vijayawada) an Andhra youth prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green-representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Gandhiji suggested the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel to symbolise progress of the Nation.

The flag adopted in 1931. This flag was also the battle ensign of the Indian National Army

1931 – The flag adopted in 1931. This flag was also the battle ensign of the Indian National Army

The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolor flag as our national flag. This flag, the forbear of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel at the center. It was, however, clearly stated that it bore no communal significance and was to be interpreted thus.

The present Tricolour flag of India

1947 – The present Tricolour flag of India

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. Thus, the tricolour flag of the Congress Party eventually became the tricolour flag of Independent India.

A Conspiracy Theory says that its Hitler, not Mahatma Gandhi who is responsible for Indian Independence

August 18, 2015 RimpleSanchla History post

We all know that British were the rulers of India for close to 200 years. During this period India was the brightest jewel in the British Empire. At the end of the First World War, with the defeat of Germany, the British power was at its apex. No thoughts of granting independence to India existed in the British mind. But, when Hitler started World War II, he destroyed the economies of Britain and France to such an extent that they were no longer able to financially maintain their military forces, and were hence incapable of containing the burgeoning freedom movements in their colonies.

its Hitler not Gandhi who is responsible for Indian Independence

End of the World War 2 and Indian Freedom:

The war dragged on for 6 years and Great Britain had its resources stretched during the period. Though America helped but the price of fighting Nazi Germany ran into billions of dollars and reduced the homeland (Great Britain) to penury. Britain would have left India in 1947 purely for financial reasons, due to its wholly collapsed economy.

After WWII, Britain left India in 1947, Jordan in 1946, Palestine in 1947, Sri Lanka in 1948, Myanmar in 1948, and Egypt in 1952 and 50 other nations within years thereafter. For the same reason, France also had to grant independence to Laos in 1949 and Cambodia in 1953, and had to leave Vietnam in 1954 and other 30 nations within years thereafter.

world-war-2

When Gandhi, launched the “Quit India” movement in August 1942, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the British from India or face nationwide civil disobedience along with all other Congress leaders, Gandhi was immediately imprisoned, and the country erupted in small violent demonstrations.

Gandhi’s Non-violence movement had Zero effect on the British:

With Congress leaders in jail after quit India movement, attention turned to Subhas Bose, who had been ousted from the Congress in 1939. With Japanese support, he organized the Indian National Army, composed largely of Indian soldiers of the British Indian army who had been captured at Singapore by the Japanese.

During Quit India Movement Gandhiji spread the slogan “Do or Die,” which in fact Subhas had proposed in 1938. The British government arrested all the top Congress Party leaders and thus killed the Quit India Movement before it had a chance to gather steam. It fizzled out entirely within a matter of months.

As a result of the military activities of Netaji, British prime minister Clement Atlee granted independence to India. He said that Gandhi’s non-violence movement had next to zero effect on the British.

Credits goes to Adolf Hitler:

The credit for reducing Great Britain to this dire strait must go to Hitler whose war greatly taxed the English. In fact if the second war had not taken place there is cent per cent chance that Great Britain would have never left India. Maybe the 21st century would have dawned with Great Britain still in control of India. This is not an airy statement but one that could have been very plausible.

Hitler thus deserves a large amount of credit for unleashing the Second World War, debilitating England and as a spin-off getting the English to leave India.

Article credits: All India Roundup