July 29th, 2012
The culture of some ancient civilizations in Saudi Arabia and India bestowed a high status to those who had poetic talent. In Arabia, a poet enjoyed the status of ‘half a prophet’ while in India the poet was a seer who could ‘see’ the past and the future as clearly as ordinary human beings can see the present.
When World War II broke out in September 1939, the British Viceroy in India declared India as being on the side of the Allies (Britain and France) and at war with Germany and Italy without consulting any of the Indian governments of the provinces, where a limited franchise had established ‘popular’ ministries headed by ‘prime’ ministers.
The Indian National Congress was in ‘power’ in eight provinces. It protested, and when there was no response from the Viceroy, resigned office. This method of protest helped strengthen the hands of those who were bent upon delaying Indian freedom. They accused the Congress of ‘opportunism’ and arrested the Congress leaders and their followers in tens of thousands and detained them without trial. Leaderless Indians took the law into their own hands and attacked all symbols of the alien government such as post and telegraph offices, railway stations, etc. Some areas like Ballia in East UP and Medinipur in Bengal uprooted the British Raj and established a ‘free’ Indian government which functioned for months.
Britain was ruled by Winston Churchill — an inveterate India hater. He used all his (at that time) unlimited power to fight the Indian freedom struggle and hoped to brutalise and starve India into submission. The 1943 famine killed some three to five million Indians including countless children, who were denied nutrition at a critical juncture of development, grew into stunted human beings.
An incident at a poetical symposium held at All India Radio can help illustrate the situation. The war effort (1939-1945) required the commitment of human and material resources. Poets were necessary to generate enthusiasm. Amongst Urdu poets, Hafeez of Jalandhar wrote poems supporting recruitment and was awarded the honour of ‘Khah Bahadur’. Faiz Ahmad ‘Faiz’ was given a King’s Commission and raised to the rank of a Lt Colonel.
Majaaz’ said: Paiymaanaa-i-hasti houn go pur naheen houn meiyn, Afghaan naheen Turk Naheen Hur naheen houn meiyn (While I may well be a measure of life, I am by no means complete and ready to go; I am neither Afghan, nor Turk nor yet Hur — these are all warlike tribes who are ready to kill and be killed without much thought). ‘Majaaz’ went on to proclaim his own mastery of the craft of poesy and to say ‘kernel (Colonel) nahein houn ‘Khan Bahadur’ naheen houn meiyn‘. As was to be expected ‘Majaaz‘ was switched off the air. This remains the only ‘official’ protest of the 1939-1945 period and it is doubtful if it is recorded anywhere in the histories.
The British Indian Government enjoyed the support of the Hindu Mahasabha, the Muslim League, and the Communist Party of India. The newspapers and other records registered the calls and claims of these parties and no space was given to those who wanted freedom for India. The British went on claiming that freedom was delayed because of the communal question. They refused to acknowledge the genuine Muslims as leaders because they were with the Indian National Congress. Mohammad Ali Jinnah was proclaimed the only Muslim leader and his demand for Partition accepted.
Britain has created Israel and Pakistan as ‘nations’ based on religion. They require constant attention and cannot be said to be self-sustaining. The USA as successor state to Great Britain continues to bolster Israel and Pakistan whenever they falter. How long can this continue?