Did India exist before August 15, 1947?
There can be many answers.
Yes, we are a very old nation. We have been here since time immemorial. The British period was only an eclipse. Before them, we were known as a golden bird. We have always been a very solid, vibrant nation. We have been very advanced culturally.
No, in the present form, we did not exist before 1947. We were divided in many riyasats and each one was an independent political entity. In fact, British united us, they exploited us too, but then left us as one nation.
Oh, yes! We are the oldest nation on this earth. See the Vedas for example. The oldest books on this earth are testimony to our great cultural heritage.
But it would mean that we were a Hindu state primarily and many attacks, first by Mughals and then by Europeans made us a heterogeneous society.
No, of course not. We have always been a pluralistic society. Our Indian culture has been very dynamic and it has absorbed many other races that came here. Our history is a record of mixture of races and religions.
Okay! Let us try to analyse from a different perspective. What do we mean by India. Do we mean a socialist, sovereign, secular republic? Then definitely, it did not exist before August 15, 1947. But in some other form, we have surely been there. Otherwise, what is the rationale of cultural renaissance or the great Indian freedom struggle?
The entire debate comes to a central issue. What do we mean by India? What does being an Indian mean? If one says that India has existed for ages, what features of India have existed?
Very interesting and very open. I cannot define it. But India is something. And it is much beyond geographical and political definitions. As someone very rightly said, "You can take someone out of India, but you can never take India out of a person."
There can be many answers.
Yes, we are a very old nation. We have been here since time immemorial. The British period was only an eclipse. Before them, we were known as a golden bird. We have always been a very solid, vibrant nation. We have been very advanced culturally.
No, in the present form, we did not exist before 1947. We were divided in many riyasats and each one was an independent political entity. In fact, British united us, they exploited us too, but then left us as one nation.
Oh, yes! We are the oldest nation on this earth. See the Vedas for example. The oldest books on this earth are testimony to our great cultural heritage.
But it would mean that we were a Hindu state primarily and many attacks, first by Mughals and then by Europeans made us a heterogeneous society.
No, of course not. We have always been a pluralistic society. Our Indian culture has been very dynamic and it has absorbed many other races that came here. Our history is a record of mixture of races and religions.
Okay! Let us try to analyse from a different perspective. What do we mean by India. Do we mean a socialist, sovereign, secular republic? Then definitely, it did not exist before August 15, 1947. But in some other form, we have surely been there. Otherwise, what is the rationale of cultural renaissance or the great Indian freedom struggle?
The entire debate comes to a central issue. What do we mean by India? What does being an Indian mean? If one says that India has existed for ages, what features of India have existed?
Very interesting and very open. I cannot define it. But India is something. And it is much beyond geographical and political definitions. As someone very rightly said, "You can take someone out of India, but you can never take India out of a person."
