I am disappointed.
Disappointed with my school for not teaching me about this, with the Indian media for not discussing this, and with myself for not learning about this sooner.
And what is this? It is the other story of how India won its freedom.
"What logic, we ask, is there in asking the country to traverse a non-violent path when the world atmosphere is surcharged with violence and exploitation of the weak?" - Hindustan Republican Association’s manifesto, 1925
Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom is an incredible book about courage and sacrifice. It talks about the oft-ignored and mostly forgotten armed insurrections against the British Raj that took place alongside the much more celebrated non-violence movement. It recounts the triumphs and tribulations of revered martyrs like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad and the equally deserving, though lesser-known, freedom fighters like Rash Behari Bose and Sachindra Nath Sanyal.
This book shattered my perception of the armed revolution for Independence. I learned that the armed uprising against British rule was not a scattered series of events fueled by misguided heroism, doomed to fail in their ultimate goals from the start. It was the doings of a well-planned network of revolutionary cells that stretched not just across the country, but across the world. Delving into the writings of figures like Aurobindo Ghosh and Sachindra Nath Sanyal, the book reveals a different perspective on their actions and goals. Rather than the "extremists" and “terrorists” portrayed by the British and their Indian loyalists, these works showcase mature, rational individuals driven by a deep love for their nation.
The resilience and fortitude shown by the revolutionaries in this book is very inspiring. It was incredible to see how even after seeing generation after generation of revolutionaries before them, beaten back by the British in region after region, thousands of Indians were still willing to give their lives up for the chance of Freedom.
Ultimately this book turns into a tragedy when we are shown how only a handful of these revolutionaries lived to see an independent India (as opposed to the majority of the Gandhian faction). It was heartbreaking to see the plight of these revolutionaries and their families in newly independent India neglected by the very nation they helped liberate. Did you know that the soldiers of the INA or the naval ratings who took part in the naval mutiny of 1946 were not reinstated into independent India’s armed forces? It gets worse. In Pakistan, Jinnah allowed Muslim generals of the INA to join the army that fought wars with India, over Kashmir in 1947-48. In a bitter twist of irony, the only battles the veterans of the Azad Hind Fauj fought in after independence, were against an Azad Hind!
Like all of Sanjeev Sanyal’s books, Revolutionaries is extremely well-researched and thorough. I like how the author has traveled to many of the places spoken about in this book and talked to us from there. From the site of the little curry restaurant Rash Behari Bose opened in Japan to the winding Calcutta gullies that witnessed Subhas Chandra Bose's daring escape to Germany, we get a rich sense of place alongside the historical narrative.
If you are interested in Indian history and want to hear the voices of the unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives at the altar of Bharat Mata, then this book is for you. It will rewrite your understanding of Indian independence. I highly recommend it.