Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister of India, claimed on Wednesday that the armed uprisings against the British in India laid the groundwork for the success of the Congress’ nonviolent struggle.
He continued by saying that even though the armed revolution and its activists inspired millions of Indians to join the Independence movement and ignite the torch of patriotism in their hearts, they were never given the credit they deserved in the history of India’s freedom war.
The home minister was speaking at the launch of the book, Revolutionaries — The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom, by Sanjeev Sanyal, economist and member of Prime Minister’s economic advisory council.
“Had there been no parallel stream of armed movement flowing, attaining Independence would have taken a few decades’ more time,” Shah said.
“It is true that the non-violence movement against the British had its own significance and contribution in making India free. But to mean that the armed revolution was insignificant; to prove the importance non-violent movement by parading the armed revolution as sporadic, disorganised and individual struggles, is not correct,” he added.
Shah said that the armed revolution for India’s Independence was not done justice in the way history was written and said: “people who had the responsibility of telling the complete story of India’s independence movement and from an Indian perspective did not do their job well.”
“They don’t know that the day Bhagat Singh was executed, every family from Lahore to Kanyakumari was so choked with grief that they could not have their meal,” Shah said, adding “this ignited the flame of patriotism in every Indians’ heart and none can deny that it galvanised the freedom struggle.”
“Just because Bhagat Singh’s supreme sacrifice did not lead to independence immediately does not make his sacrifice less important. It is true not only of Bhagat Singh but also about the entire stream of armed revolution,” he added.
