Reaching There

When one thinks about World War One one probably thinks about Britain, Germany and United State of America. Or the  assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914. And during this war that lasted till 1918,  Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (the Allied Powers). There is a "not so tiny" detail missing here - the role of India in World War One . It is a story almost entirely missing from the public domain, including the memory of Indians, most of whom likely never even think about it.  As a youngster I was hooked to the history of world wars ever since I saw Steven Spielberg's movie 'Saving Private Ryan' which. As I watched and read more about the world wars I didn't found any reference of India. I haven't found any book that talks about India and World War One in great depth, perhaps just a parting reference h...

As a kid I remember reading about Civil Disobedience Movement.   It sounded like a foreign but interesting topic which I never really fully understood.  And to be honest, history as a subject in the school curriculum was just a series of statements taught without any context.  I don't even remember my history class or my history teacher!   I sailed through the history of India without realizing the struggle, and sacrifice generations before me went through to free India from the chains of colonialism that leeched India for over three hundred years.  Civil Disobedience Movement galvanized the entire nation, and brought the masses from cities to villages, farmers to barristers, and turned scattered disobedience into a national movement. But, what did Civil Disobedience really entailed?   It's a question I grappled recently when I started reading ' The Man Who Saved India - Sardar Patel - And His Idea of India ' by Indic author Hindol Sengupta....

There were young men who gave up their lives for the idea of home-rule (Swarajya) for India. One such hero was Madan Lal Dhingra. His letter and statement to Scotland Yard & court will give every Indian goosebump. The second part of his statement that Scotland Yard tried to prevent from getting published, and yet it found its way in the Daily News in London as 'Challenge'. His words were a call against the occupying forces of British imperialism that were squeezing the 'golden bird'. Although the times of the colonial days in India are long gone yet his words will echo for centuries, giving a glimpse into his short but courageous life. Madan Lal Dhingra Here are his words on 10th July 1909 in front of the judge at his trial for his assassination of Sir Wyllie: I do not want to say anything in defence of myself, but simply to prove the justice of my deed. As for myself, no English law court has got any authority to arrest and detain me in prison or pass...