India is for Indians

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India is for Indians

 

The Indian National Congress decided, however, to form committees on

a linguistic basis thus giving nationalist forces a clear linguistic

identity.

 

When the British gradually took over India and formed what were

called `Presidencies', such as the presidencies of Bengal, Madras and

Bombay, it never occurred to them to re-constitute their Indian

empire along linguistic or ethnic lines. The original Bengal

Presidency was a huge one and included not only what are today West

Bengal and Bangladesh but parts of Assam, Orissa and Bihar as well.

The early Madras Presidency similarly was a mishmash of Tamil,

Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam speaking districts and also a small

part of Orissa. The Bombay Presidency, similarly consisted of

districts speaking languages as varied as Sindhi, Kutchi, Gujarati,

Marathi, Konkani and Kannada. There were hardly any complaints.

 

Unconsciously the British turned us all into Indians. The Indian

National Congress decided, however, to form committees on a

linguistic basis and thus we had Maharashtra Pradesh Congress

Committee (MPCC), Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), etc

thus giving nationalist forces a clear linguistic identity. The idea

of forming such committees no doubt was well meant but once

independence came and there was a struggle for power, the issue arose

as to who should be the Chief Minister of the composite states. In

Madras should the Chief Minister be a Tamilian or an Andhra? Should

it be Shri. C.Rajagopalachari or T.Prakasam? In Bombay should the

Chief Minister be a Maharashtrian (B.G.Kher) or a Gujarati (Morarji

Desai)? Tensions arose that first led to the hunger strike unto death

of a Telugu social leader Potti Sriramulu.

 

The Government of Indian succumbed to pressures—despite Prime

Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's reservations—and Andhra Pradesh became

the first linguistic State. Significantly and much earlier Bihar,

Orissa and Assam had been given separate provincial status by the

British themselves because the administration of the composite

Presidency had become burdensome. Sindh, similarly, had been

separated from Bombay. But the creation of Andhra Pradesh set in

motion and entire process that led to the setting-up of Linguistic Re-

organisation Committee and the final redivision of India on strictly

linguistic lines. Many considered that a grave error had been

committed, but popular response was largely positive and life began

to settle down. Not too long, though.

 

In Mumbai a section of Marathi-speaking people raised the bogey

of `outsiders' bagging clerical jobs and capturing the hotel and

restaurant industry. This was to lead to the formation of the Shiv

Sena and frequent physical attacks on `madrassis'. Maharashtra for

Maharashtrians became the watchword, forgetting that Mumbai became

what it is because of the combined contribution of people from all

over India. Once the Shiv Sena captured power, the anti- `Madrassi'

fever slowly began to die down and Mumbai came to be recognised as

India's most cosmopolitan city.

 

There never was an organisation comparable to the Shiv Sena, say, in

Kolkata, probably the most tolerant city in India. Bengalis accept

all Indians alike because, one suspects, they do not suffer from any

complexes. Even Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have shown no overt

hostility towards `outsiders' nor, for that matter Gujarat which has

always been hospitable to investors. Sadly, Assam has been slow in

recognising that the Indian Constitution permits free movement of all

Indians throughout the length and breadth of the country.

 

Article 19(1)(d) guarantees to all citizens the Right to Move Freely

throughout the territory of India. Similarly. Article 19(1)(e)

guarantees to all citizens of India the Right to Reside and Settle in

any part of the territory of India. It is only in Jammu and Kashmir

that the State enjoys certain privileges under Article 370. The

Assamese, by and large, are a large-hearted, the British turned us

all into Indians. The Indian National Congress decided, however, to

form committees on a linguistic basisthe British turned us all into

Indians. The Indian National Congress decided, however, to form

committees on a linguistic basisthe British turned us all into

Indians. The Indian National Congress decided, however, to form

committees on a linguistic basishospitable people, kind and generous

but for almost three decades now they have lived in fear of their

culture and identity being submerged by `outside' forces. It may be

because for decades they were part of the old Bengal Presidency and

had to compete with Bengali culture. Presently Assam is being flushed

by Muslims from Bangladesh. The discomfort of the Assamese,

therefore, is understandable. But to treat Bihari labourers who are

by no manner of means a threat to Assam and to kill over three score

and ten innocent Bihari workers is an illustration of the depths to

which the ULFA has degenerated in recent years.

 

ULFA no longer represents Assamese middle class sentiments. That ULFA

should seek refuge in Bangladesh is in itself a disgrace. In the last

one decade nationalisation of India has taken place in leaps and

bounds and Bangalore, for instance, has now for all purposes become

the Information Technology(IT) capital of India with hardly any

complaints from Kannadigas who are quite confident of their cultural

heritage, even though, according to one estimate, Kannada-speaking

people in Bangalore are turning into a minority. But Kannadigas have

the courage and generosity to accept that in a rapidly expanding

field of Information Technology, certain changes are inevitable and

should be accepted with grace. India is one and indivisible. It was

that which enable the great philosopher Sankara, from Kerala, to

travel throughout the length and breadth of the land and establish

Sankara Mutts in four corners of the country.

 

Even as the process of ` Indianisation' of India is taking place,

that process is being simultaneously assaulted by globalisation and

just as Indians are now making their mark in the Silicon Valley of

the US, other nationalities may pour into India in the uncertain

future. There is an inevitability about this but if the United States

can absorb so many `outsiders', surely India, which has for centuries

absorbed `ousider' with grace and courage, can do that too?

 

The time has come for Indians to think more and more of

their `Indianness' than of their specific linguistic identities. ULFA

is doing no service to itself or to Assam by its recourse to violence

against unarmed and innocent Bihari labourers. ULFA will only

marginalise Assam by its unworthy tactics. Hasn't it heard of the

great Vedic saying Vasudaiva kutumbakam—the world is my family? Bihar

is not robbing Assam of its wealth. It is, on the contrary, helping

in raising its economy by working in the fields, putting in hard

physical labour.

 

In the circumstances the Assames Government must take firm steps

against ULFA in Assam's own interests as in the larger interests of

India. Who lives if India dies? All India is for Assam as all Assam

should be for India. Therein would lie our strength and our

greatness.